On Saturday 7th October 2023 the Elstree Mozart Players Autumn Charity Concert was organised to raise money for Alzheimer’s UK, being charity supported by Andrew Grady, a founder of Elstree Mozart Players, who is this year president of The Rotary Club of the Studios of Elstree and Borehamwood.
The orchestra being set up as a joint venture between Andrew Grady, Derek Holland and Pat Strack, having amongst its ranks many professional, semi-professional and very good amateur musicians, providing high quality classical music concerts around the locality.
The concert was conducted by regular conductor Derek Holland with Andrew Penny MBE as a guest conductor. Mr Penny and his wife are personal friends of Mr Grady, being a former colleague his late mother Mary Grady.
The concert featured music from Sir Arthur Sullivan, Elgar, and Tchaikovsky. The highlight of the concert was a rare performance of Violin Concerto in E minor by York Bowen performed by Peter Bussereau.
We were delighted to welcome our Cllrs Richard Butler Deputy Mayor of Hertsmere Borough Council and the Orchestra’s new President Cllr John Graham, a former Borough Mayor.
Also in attendance was Deputy Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Cllr Alpha Collins who gave an inspiring speech at the end of the evening.
The Studio Rotary Club members assisted to present a fantastic classical musical concert working both on the front of house ticket desk as well as providing the refreshments during the evening concert and assisting with setup and take down.
Mr Grady would like to thank all those club members who assisted with the smooth operation of this concert and all those who donated raffle prizes, which raised £380.00 on the night for the Altzheimer’s Society.
This was one of the most successful and best attended jointly run concert the orchestra and club have organised to date.
Elstree Mozart Players are pleased to announce that Cllr. John Graham, will be the orchestra’s first President.
John has been influential in the last twelve months in supporting and promoting the Orchestra throughout the county during his term as ‘Hertsmere Borough Council Mayor 2022-23’, and has agreed to assume this role with the orchestra with immediate effect.
On Sunday 11th June Elstree Mozart Players performed their Summer Concert at All Saints Church, which heralded the opening of Elstree and Borehamwood’s Civic Festival 2023.
Cllr. Rebecca Chalice, the Mayor of Elstree & Borehamwood welcomed the audience to the concert.
Cllr Chalice was joined by the Deputy Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Richard Butler, who represented the new mayor of Hertsmere Cllr. Chris Gray.
The concert featured a wide variety of music and included several solo performances from members of the orchestra.
The concert opened with a rousing rendition of Rossini’s Overture II, ‘Signor Brushino’ which was skilfully executed by the orchestra, under the direction of Derek Holland.
Next the orchestra accompanied Barry Soloman, on Cor Anglais and Dylan Lahner on trumpet, in a performance of Quiet City, for Cor Anglais and Trumpet.
Then the orchestra, consisting of over 30 musicians from across the area performed Waltz Citrine, and the Concert March HRH The Countess of Wessex, two pieces from the pen of Peter Wilson, the orchestra’s resident composer.
Before the interval, we were treated to a masterclass on the Cello with a performance of Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major, performed by the orchestra principal cellist Juliet Maclean. Her performance received a standing ovation in what was a faultless performance of the work.
After the internal the orchestra’s principal Clarinettist, Stephen Randall enchanted the audience with a performance of Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet concerto No. 2 in Eb Major, receiving a rapturous applause from the over sixty strong audience in attendance.
To close the concert the orchestra performed Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in A ‘The Italian’ to round off a wonderful evening of music making.
Conductor Derek Holland, who with Pat Strack and Andrew Grady founded Elstree Mozart Players was overwhelmed with the outstanding performance of both the orchestra and soloists that performed during the evening’s concert, commenting ‘That he was so pleased to be able to present such a high-quality concert for the townsfolk and to raise the curtain on this year’s Civic Festival’.
The concert raised £200.00 for Woodcock Hill Village Green, a local community charitable organisation that is trying to safeguard a much-loved area of the town from being developed.
At the close of the concert Cllr. Chalice added her vote of thanks for all those had made the evening possible.
This included the churchwarden Pam Kubica, for allowing the use of the church for the evening’s concert, Hazel McAuliffe, Pat Strack, for providing the refreshments; the front of house team which included Cllr. John Graham, Cllr. Sandra Parnell, Andrew & Erika Grady, plus members of the Studio’s Rotary Club, Raymond Shamash, and Sam Covill.
Cllr. Butler then presented some flowers to Juliet Maclean thanking her for the inspirational solo she gave as part of the evenings concert.
The next concert from Elstree Mozart Players is on Saturday 7th October. The orchestra will be presenting, in collaboration with The Rotary Club of the Studios of Elstree and Borehamwood a charity concert, in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society.
The concert will be given at Allum Manor & Hall, Elstree at 7.30pm, and features Glinka Russia and Ludmilla Overture; Pomp & Circumstance March no 1, by Elgar.
Performances of Henry VIII Suite by Sir Arthur Sullivan, and Eric Coates Flight will be performed, both works to be conducted by Guest Conductor Andrew Penny MBE.
The concert also includes a performance of York Bowes Violin Concerto, featuring soloist Peter Busserau, with the Finale for the concert being Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. It’s a concert not to be missed.
Tickets cost £15.00 with £12.00 concessions, being available from the 1st September 2023
If anyone requiring more information about, or interested in becoming a Patron of the orchestra then please contact either:
Pat Strack on 020 8386 3151 or Andrew Grady on 07802 736628
