Ely Cathedral, 26 Sep 2026
Twilight, Tempest and Destiny
Martinů’s Rhapsody-Concerto opens ELY SINFONIA's Autumn concert, taking the audience on a journey through twilight: intimate, wandering and slightly otherworldly. The piece was written during his years in exile after fleeing Czechoslovakia during the Second World War, and the warm, human voice of the viola communicates a sense of searching and nostalgia, surrounded by shimmering orchestral colours moving like shifting light.
PROGRAMME:
Martinů
Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
Dvořák
Symphony No. 7
David John Roche
New commission – world première
Dvořák’s powerful, broodingly energetic Symphony No. 7 is one of his darkest and most serious works, composed during a period of political struggle in his Czech homeland. A mixture of dramatic surges and noble calm, it conjures up storms gathering and breaking, landscapes opening up, and a strong sense of destiny pushing forward.
Completing the night is an exciting world première from composer David John Roche, commissioned by Ely Sinfonia for the night’s concert.
An iconic building, a Christian place of worship, a tourist destination, a major film and TV location
The Chapter House, The College, Ely, CB7 4D
01353 667 735 / receptionist@elycathedral.org