2026–2027 SEASON
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Music Director’s Introduction A very warm welcome to the Cambridge Philharmonic’s 2026/27 season. Whether you are a seasoned concert-goer or total newcomer, we are always delighted to welcome you to one of our concerts for an evening of thrilling music-making. This season sees some fantastic highlights: musical pranksters as well as Baroque brilliance in November, a festive fairy tale opera for the family just before Christmas, Lucy Hollins’ ever-popular family concerts in January, Britten’s profound and deeply tragic War Requiem, May’s musical Landscapes & Legends, and finally our summer opera Puccini’s La Rondine. We are delighted to welcome established as well as up-and-coming soloists next season, including Junyan Chen and singers from the Royal Academy and Guildhall Schools of Music. We are committed to supporting the next generation of artists, and are thrilled to be working with British Youth Opera again after our collaboration on Peter Grimes last year, as well as commissioning a new choral-orchestral cantata by Cambridge-based composer Jonathan Brigg. The Cambridge Philharmonic continues to uphold its reputation for bold and ambitious programming and excellent music-making in this busy community. Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you at one of our concerts! Harry Sever, Music Director
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Season Summary
“ Powerful and uniformly accomplished” Cambridge Independent
Saturday 7 November 2026 at 4pm Rhapsody for a Rascal
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue plus Stravinsky and Strauss West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Sunday 14 November 2026 at 3pm Dixit Dominus
Handel Dixit Dominus & Bach Brandenburg Concertos 3 & 4 St Paul’s Church, Hills Road, Cambridge
Saturday 19 December 2026 at 1pm & 4pm Humperdinck Hänsel und Gretel West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Saturday 16 January 2027 at 2pm & 4pm Family Concerts: Lucy’s Brilliant Book Bonanza West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Saturday 6 March 2027 at 4pm Britten War Requiem
Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden All information is correct at the time of printing. The Cambridge Philharmonic reserves the right to make any changes to the published programme that prove necessary.
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Saturday 22 May 2027 at 4pm Landscapes & Legends
Coleridge-Taylor, Debussy, Sibelius & Brigg West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Saturday 3 July 2027 at 4pm Puccini’s La Rondine
With British Youth Opera Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden
Saturday 7 November 2026 at 4pm
Rhapsody for a Rascal Igor Stravinsky Petrushka George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Richard Strauss Feierlicher Einzug
Dixit Dominus George Frideric Handel Dixit Dominus JS Bach Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
Don Juan Till Eulenspiegel
Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus
Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Harry Sever conductor Junyan Chen piano
Harry Sever conductor Up-and-coming vocal soloists from the Royal Academy and Guildhall Schools of Music will unite with our chorus in one of Handel’s choral-orchestral masterworks Dixit Dominus. Florid vocal writing combines with Baroque orchestral fireworks, alongside moments of extraordinary serenity.
At the heart of this fiery programme is a trio of notorious pranksters: the Russian puppet Petrushka, the Spanish libertine Don Juan, and the German folk hero Till Eulenspiegel. Set to some of the 20th century’s most lavish and brilliant music by Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky, this promises to be a musical tourde-force, showcasing our virtuosic orchestral musicians, led by our new concertmaster Simon Hewitt Jones. In the first half, we are delighted to welcome internationally acclaimed young pianist Junyan Chen to perform Gershwin’s ever-popular piano concerto Rhapsody in Blue, a timeless evocation of 1920’s America.
Saturday 14 November 2026 at 3pm
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Joined by our new principal guest leader and Baroque specialist Jorge Jimenez, soloists from the orchestra will perform two of Bach’s most-loved Brandenburg concerti in the first half.
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Tickets: from £15 (concessions and free carers’ tickets available) Pre-bookable programme £2 Book online: www.cambridgephilharmonic.com Phone: 0333 666 3366 (fee applies)
Tickets: from £15 (concessions and free carers’ tickets available) Pre-bookable programme £2 Book online: www.cambridgephilharmonic.com Phone: 0333 666 3366 (fee applies)
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge CB3 9DP
St Paul’s Church, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JP
Saturday 19 December 2026 at 1pm & 4pm
Saturday 16 January 2027 at 2pm & 4pm
Engelbert Humperdinck
FAMILY CONCERTS
Hänsel und Gretel Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus Harry Sever conductor Clover Kayne Hansel Ellie Neate Gretel Sam Young Father Lowri Probert Mother/Witch Esther Mallett Sandman/Dew Fairy
Lucy’s Brilliant Book Bonanza Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Tim Redmond conductor Lucy Hollins presenter
We welcome back Lucy Hollins for our annual family concerts, this year celebrating the wonderful world of books. Featuring works by renowned composer Paul Patterson alongside Tim Redmond’s Hairy Maclarey settings, this promises to be musical mayhem! Repertoire to include:
Sherman & Sherman Selection from The Jungle Book Tim Redmond/Lynley Dodd Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy Hairy Maclary Sit
On the weekend before Christmas, we bring you a concert performance of Humperdinck’s festive favourite Hansel and Gretel. For young audiences, we recommend the abridged matinée (45 minutes) – a perfect introduction to this sparkling score and a great Christmas day out for the family. And for the full opera, join us for the complete performance at 4pm. From the enchanting Evening Prayer to the thrilling Witch’s Ride and the magical Dream Pantomime, this is the perfect operatic fairy tale, and promises to be Cambridge’s poshest panto alternative.
Paul Patterson Orchestra On Parade Four Rustic Sketches (one movement)
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Andrea Eklund A Flying River Boat from The Exploits of Moominpappa
Tickets: from £12 (1pm performance) and from £15 (4pm performance) (student concessions for 4pm concert only. Free carers’ tickets available) Pre-bookable programme £2 Book online: www.cambridgephilharmonic.com Phone: 0333 666 3366 (fee applies)
Tickets: from £12 ( No concessions. Free carers’ tickets are available). Book online: www.cambridgephilharmonic.com Phone: 0333 666 3366 (fee applies)
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge CB3 9DP
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge CB3 9DP
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Saturday 6 March 2027 at 4pm
Saturday 22 May 2027 at 4pm
Landscapes & Legends
Benjamin Britten
War Requiem Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus Harry Sever conductor Francesca Chiejina soprano Mark LeBrocq tenor Dominic Sedgwick baritone
Claude Debussy La Mer Jean Sibelius Tapiola Jonathan Brigg New Commission Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
The Philharmonic’s first Saffron Hall concert of the season is Britten’s towering post-war masterpiece, the War Requiem. Featuring the poetry of Wilfred Owen interspersed among the traditional Latin mass, this monumental work has rightly gained a reputation as one of the twentieth century’s most important musical and political statements. Set for huge forces – soloists, chorus, two orchestras, offstage children’s chorus and organ, bells and huge brass fanfares – this staggering piece continues to shock and move audiences, over half a century after its iconic premiere in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral. Tickets: from £16 via Saffron Hall Box Office (some concessions and free carers’ tickets available) Book online: www.saffronhall.com Phone: 0845 548 7650
Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH
Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus Otis EnokidoLineham conductor John-Colyn Gyeantey tenor
From East Anglian Fens to Finnish Forests, this programme features the world premiere of a new commission from Cambridge-based composer Jonathan Brigg and librettist Jonathan Ainscough, developed from material devised by our very own chorus, evoking local landscapes.
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Debussy’s La Mer and Sibelius’ Tapiola provide contrasting orchestral tone poems in the first half – the first a timeless impressionistic evocation of the sea, the second a dark and brooding depiction of Finnish folklore – while Coleridge-Taylor’s Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast provides a sumptuous musical celebration of the life of an Ojibwe warrior, as described in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem. Tickets: from £15 (concessions and free carers’ tickets available) Pre-bookable programme £2 Book online: www.cambridgephilharmonic.com Phone: 0333 666 3366 (fee applies)
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge CB3 9DP
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Saturday 3 July 2027 at 4pm
Thank you
Puccini’s
La Rondine
We are very grateful to The Pye Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation for their support. We also warmly thank the following Cambridge Colleges: Trinity College, Fellows of Selwyn College, Churchill College, Emmanuel College, Pembroke College and other donors who wish to remain anonymous. For ways to support Cambridge Philharmonic see: www.cambridgephilharmonic.com/support-us
Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus British Youth Opera Harry Sever conductor
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The Cambridge Philharmonic reunite with British Youth Opera following our acclaimed 2025 production of Peter Grimes, this time for Puccini’s La Rondine (The Swallow), a timeless tale of Parisian passion. Featuring up-and-coming soloists from the UK’s conservatoires, as well as trainee assistant conductors, directors, designers and repetiteurs, this is a wonderful opportunity to witness some of the best young talent on the operatic scene.
Join us!
Are you a singer or orchestral musician looking for a new creative FIND OUT MORE: challenge? We are keen to welcome new members to the Chorus and Orchestra. We rehearse weekly during term time (Orchestra on Mondays, Chorus on Tuesdays) and perform in the best concert venues in and around Cambridge. Once you’ve sung or played with us for a few weeks, you’ll be asked to audition. Members pay an annual subscription. Philharmonic As well as pushing ourselves to perform at the highest standard, Cambridge photos © Bill Hiskett we enjoy the social side of making music together – and we’d love Cambridge Philharmonic is a Registered Charity to meet you! No. 1203360 and Registered Company Please visit cambridgephilharmonic.com/join-us to find out more. No. CE032492.
Tickets: from £16 via Saffron Hall Box Office (some concessions and free carers’ tickets available) Book online: www. saffronhall.com Phone: 0845 548 7650 BOOK NOW:
Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden CB11 4UH
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Bach • Bernstein • Brahms • Brigg • Britten Coleridge-Taylor • Gershwin • Debussy Humperdinck • Handel • Patterson • Puccini Sibelius • Strauss • Stravinsky • Family Concerts
www.cambridgephilharmonic.com