Northern Chamber Orchestra with Craig Ogden, guitar at The Stoller Hall

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

Northern Chamber Orchestra with Craig Ogden, guitar

The Stoller Hall, Manchester
22 May 2022

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Book now

Guitarist Craig Ogden joins the Northern Chamber Orchestra for a wide-ranging Anglo-Australian concert at The Stoller Hall on 22 May.

One of the finest guitarists of his generation, Craig Ogden has performed internationally with the world’s leading orchestras – everywhere from South Africa to Russia. Here in the UK, where the Australian-born artist now lives, Ogden is the most sought after guitarist for chamber music and one of the nation’s most recorded guitarists, with his output for Virgin/EMI, Chandos, Nimbus, Hyperion, Sony and Classic FM receiving rich acclaim. In 2004, he became the youngest instrumentalist to receive a Fellowship Award from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he is now Director of Guitar.

Craig Ogden has history with the Northern Chamber Orchestra – the oldest professional chamber ensemble in the North West. He gave the world premiere of a concerto written for him by Andy Scott in 2017, along with the NCO and talented students from Chetham’s School of Music. He returns to The Stoller Hall, with the same massed forces, to perform two works, the first being Malcolm Arnold’s inimitable Guitar Concerto (1959) – an overt tribute to Jazz and especially to Django Reinhardt, which eschews all guitar-writing clichés and finds the composer at his inventive best. Next is Tasmanian-born composer Peter Sculthorpe’s Nourlangie, influenced by South-East Asian and native Australian music and written for solo guitar, strings and percussion.

We’ll also hear a piece by Percy Grainger, who lived the larger part of his life in the USA, and spent a lot of time collecting English folk songs. Irish Tune from County Derry is a great example of his distinctive style, richly harmonised for strings with a horn introduced at the climax. Edvard Grieg was shown the piece in 1904, and was so impressed by it that when he visited London two years later, the only composer he wished to meet was Grainger.

Two classic English string pieces, both with solo string quartet, bookend the programme. Those who have seen the famous Ken Russell biopic of Elgar will always associate Introduction and Allegro with an exhilarating horse-ride in the Malvern Hills. The seed of the work was planted August Jaeger – Nimrod of the Enigma Variations – who proposed that Elgar write “a brilliant, quick scherzo” for the newly-founded London Symphony Orchestra. Vaughan Williams’ beautiful Tallis Fantasia, meanwhile, was the composer’s first major piece for a large ensemble, using a second string orchestra in a way that echoes like monks chanting in the cloister. It created a huge sensation in Europe, helping to put British music back on the map at the start of the 20th century.

The concert forms part of the Northern Chamber Orchestra’s stunning 2021-22 season, which sees performances across the North West, including a concert with Ben Hulme, horn on 24 April.

Where to go near Northern Chamber Orchestra with Craig Ogden, guitar at The Stoller Hall

Virgin Red Room
Manchester
Virgin Red Room

The Virgin Red Room is a new private members space located at Manchester’s AO Arena, with VIP access to some of the city’s biggest gigs.

Manchester
Restaurant
Chish & Fips

A special kind of Japanese-inspired fish and chip shop, from the team behind the incredible (and sadly-missed) Umezushi restaurant.

Manchester
Restaurant
Umezushi

This small but perfectly-formed sushi restaurant could well be one of Manchester’s best restaurants. Whatever you do, try the freshwater eel.

Manchester
Restaurant
Kitchen In An Arch

An offshoot from the much-loved Umezushi, this specialist deli is a one-stop-shop for all your sushi making needs, and also hosts occasional workshops to improve your culinary skills.

Chetham’s Library in Long Millgate in Manchester
Manchester
Library
Chetham’s Library

Chetham’s Library is one of the must-sees of any visit to Manchester. The library was founded in 1653, and is the oldest public library in the world – but the building dates back even further, to 1421.

Cathedral Quarter
Place of worship
Manchester Cathedral

A regular venue for gigs and one-off cultural events, Manchester Cathedral is nevertheless a working place of worship – open all year round.

Cathedral Quarter
Restaurant
Mamucium

High-class restaurant next to Victoria Station in Manchester, and attached to Hotel Indigo. Famed for steaks.

Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Quarter
Park
Cathedral Gardens

Cathedral Gardens is a partially lawned public space in Manchester city centre, located between Manchester Cathedral and the National Football Museum.

Manchester
Event venue
Festa Italiana

The 2022 Festa Italiana was a roaring success, with great food options and captivating live music performances throughout the weekend.

What's on: Music

Wisp Press Image
MusicManchester
Wisp at The Deaf Institute

Shoegaze’s unlikely resurgence has catapulted 20-year-old Wisp from iPhone demos to Coachella. In support of her debut album, she headlines The Deaf Institute.

From £19.25
the band
Music
YHWH Nailgun at The White Hotel

Laying down dizzying assaults that ricochet between math-rock chaos and primal fury, YHWH Nailgun bring their debut album to The White Hotel.

From £14
MusicManchester
MF Tomlinson at The Castle

London-based, Brisbane-born singer-songwriter MF Tomlinson brings album number three, Die To Wake Up From A Dream, to The Castle Hotel.

From £11.00

Culture Guides

Hofesh Shechter - Theatre of Dreams at Lowry
Theatre in the North

Picks this month include bold visual art, wondrous opera and cinematic dance - plus a touch of ghostly storytelling for the Halloween season.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries in the North are far from spooky this October - instead you'll find tactile sculptures, plant magic and curatorial experiments.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

It's busy month across the cinemas of the north as Halloween programming leads into two of the region's biggest film festivals.

Music in the North

From New York’s experimental underground to the most exciting sounds coming from local scenes, we're lining up a noisy autumn of gigs.