Hull Philharmonic brings classics back to City Hall in concert of glorious favourites

A collection of concert favourites chosen by audience and players will mark the return of live classical music to Hull City Hall this month.

The Hull Philharmonic will be the first orchestra to perform at the venue on November 27 after its temporary use as a Covid-19 vaccination centre came to an end.

They will perform thirteen pieces of music, many of which feature in the Classic fM Hall of Fame. There is another chance to hear the orchestra’s Hull 2017 commission 6000 Pipes! composed by Sir Karl Jenkins who is attending the concert. Leading organist Jonathan Scott will return as soloist in the piece and will be joined by his pianist brother Tom, who is soloist in two of the concerto items.

They will play together in an arrangement of Grieg’s The Hall of the Mountain King and Libertango by Piazzolla.

Musical director Andrew Penny MBE said that the concert would be a celebration of the return to live music, with a programme of contrasting music for fun and reflection.

“We are back at our beloved and magnificent City Hall with a wonderful and varied programme from Mozart to the present day that so many people will enjoy,” he said.

It is Andrew’s last season at the Hull Philharmonic after 40 years of conducting and shaping its development and direction. He said that plans for his final series of concerts as musical director had been disrupted by the pandemic, but the result was a collaboration between the audience and players to ensure the comeback was fitting and attractive to the widest possible audience.

The Hull Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1881 by a small group of musicians. It survived the two World Wars, and its musical directors include Sir Henry Wood, founder of the Proms. In more recent years it has come to be recognised as one of the UK’s leading voluntary orchestras under Andrew Penny’s leadership.

The November 27 concert programme includes the famous slow movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, the Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell and the Waltz from the Jazz Suite by Shostakovich – one of the best known melodies in classical music and film.

The full programme is: Glinka Overture Ruslan and Ludmilla; Shostakovich Waltz from Jazz Suite No 2 and The Assault on Beautiful Gorky; Florence Price, Finale from Symphony No 1; Dvorák, Largo from The New World Symphony; Richard Addinsell, The Warsaw Concerto; Sir Karl Jenkins 6000 Pipes!; Mozart, Andante from Piano Concerto No 21; Grieg, In the Hall of the Mountain King; Tchaikovsky, Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker; Piazzolla, Libertango; Massenet, Navarraise from Le Cid and Malcolm Arnold, Peterloo Overture.

The concert starts at 7.30 and preceded by a pre-concert talk which is free to ticket holders. Tickets are priced from £10. Please visit Hull Box Office.