Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra: The Planets at The Bridgewater Hall
Chris Horkan
Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra opens the Autumn/Winter season with a large-scale performance of Holst’s masterpiece, plus The Music Makers by Elgar.
The Planets is Holst’s heavyweight, audience-pleasing imaging of the sounds of the universe – from the opening Mars, or Bringer of War, to the ethereal Neptune. Under the baton of Dutch conductor Jac van Steen, Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra will include Pluto, the renewer, Colin Matthews’ addition to The Planets, which was commissioned by the Hallé and premiered at the same venue in 2000.
Elgar’s The Music Makers celebrated its centenary a few years ago – and is itself a celebration of the importance of arts and music in society. Here, the cantata will feature mezzo soprano Margaret McDonald and Chetham’s combined choruses, as well as the Symphony Orchestra.
As season-opening concerts go, this visit to the Bridgewater Hall sets a high marker.
