The Accordion and Orchestra

Mention an accordion and one is transported to sunny Italy, perhaps riding on a gondola while being serenaded. Goran Stevanovic will quickly dispel that image at St George’s Hall in Liverpool on Sunday 9 December. Goran will be joining the orchestra in a performance of the stirring Concerto for accordion by the Ukrainian composer Igor Shamo. This will be a ravishing half hour with glorious melodies and dazzling brilliance from the soloist – prepare to be amazed at this astonishing level of technical and musical ability.

This concert is the latest in the Orchestra dell’Arte’s ground-breaking series of Unesco exchange concerts.

Book-ending the concerto will be the stirring overture The Thieving Magpie, composer Rossini at his very best – just try not to tap your feet, you won’t succeed!

After the interval the orchestra will play the rollicking London Symphony by Vaughan Williams, perhaps the jolliest depiction of that great city in music. It is a picture of a complete day in the life of the city. Starting in a diffuse fog, the symphony starts with a wonderful picture of midnight on a silent River Thames. As dawn comes up, the orchestra builds to a thrilling climax as the sun floods the scene with brilliant light.

Listen out especially for the examples of Cockney slang in the music – yes, Vaughan Williams really has written a musical version of Cor blimey into this immensely tuneful work.