French music for harp and ensemble
Debussy – Danse sacrée et danse profane
Ravel – Pavanne pour une infant defunte (arr Le Page)
Debussy – The Girl with the flaxen hair (arr Le Page)
Ravel – Le Tombeau de Couperin (arr. Le Page)
Saint-Saëns – Fantaisie for Violin and Harp
Saint-Saëns – The Swan
Satie – Gymnopédies no1
Debussy – Deux arabesques
Ravel – Introduction and Allegro
David Le Page – violin/director
Eleanor Turner – harp
Although its ‘secular’ half is tinged with a Spanish zing, there is little doubt that Debussy was influenced by Satie’s most famous composition for the ‘sacred’ portion of his ravishing work – commissioned for a clever new type of harp (which never took off). Saint-Saëns, however, was inspired by a vacation on the Italian Riviera (and, of course, our ensemble’s favourite and most graceful bird). Ravel, though, looked to the Baroque for his memorial: whilst his wonderful Introduction and Allegro – commissioned by a rival classical harp manufacturer (who won the day) – was written at speed to avoid missing a boating holiday!
Pre-concert talk: 6.45pm
Concert: 7.30pm
Save 20% when you book to see 3 concerts in the Number8 Series