Christmas Celebrations

Christmas Medley Martin Williams 5’

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Pola & Wyle (with Louise Dearman) 3’

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Hugh Martin(with Louise Dearman) 3’

Introduction, March, Shepherd’s Dance from Amahl and the Night Visitors Menotti 7’

Journey to Lapland Adam Saunders 5’

Merry Christmas Darling Pooler & Carpenter(with Louise Dearman) 3’

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Ron Goodwin3’

It’s A Wonderful Life Tiomkin 9’

INTERVAL: 20 minutes

Fairytale Sleigh Ride Adam Saunders 5’

I’ll Be Home for Christmas Walter Kent(with Louise Dearman) 4’

Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson 3’

Santa Claus is Coming to Town Coots & Gillespie(with Louise Dearman) 3’

Harry (Cho) in Winter from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Patrick Doyle 3’

Christmas Song Wells & Tormé(with Louise Dearman) 3’

Jingle Bells Ron Goodwin 3’

White Christmas Irving Berlin(with Louise Dearman) 3’

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day Roy Wood(with Louise Dearman) 3’

Pete Harrisonconductor
Louise Dearman singer

Both concerts are being recorded by BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru for broadcast over the festive period; they will be available for 30 days after broadcast via BBC Sounds, where you can also find podcasts and music mixes.

You may also like:

Fireworks of Passion

Thursday 20/3/25, 7.30pm
BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

Friday 21/3/25, 7.30pm
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

Grace Williams Penillion
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
Rachmaninov Symphony No. 3

Tadaaki Otaka conductor
Eldbjørg Hemsing violin

FIERY | IMPASSIONED | RICH

Quasi-improvisatory melodies weave with rhythmic drive, reminiscent of harp-accompanied folk songs, in Grace William’s Penillion, forming the potent opener to a concert with BBC NOW’s much-loved Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka.

Soaring melody and fiendishly tricky virtuosity combine in Bruch’s passionate First Violin Concerto. From soloistic fireworks to rich orchestral backdrop there’s little wonder this concerto remains a favourite with soloists and audiences alike; to perform we’re delighted to welcome back violin sensation Eldbjørg Hemsing. Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony is similarly passionate, striking climaxes giving way to soulful solos, forceful marches to thunderous celebration, all based on one musical motif skilfully transformed and developed throughout.

Elegant Romantics

Thursday 3/4/25, 7.30pm
BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

Friday 4/4/25, 7.30pm
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon

Fanny Mendelssohn Overture
Elgar Cello Concerto
Brahms Symphony No. 4

Simone Menezes conductor
Bryan Cheng cello

ROMANTIC | ELEGANT | ICONIC

Fanny Mendelssohn’s elegantly romantic Overture sets the mood for the classical favourites that follow. Rhapsodic melodies accented by pizzicato allusions lead the way to virtuosity and British bravado in Elgar’s much-loved Cello Concerto, although his post-First World War melancholy is never far from the surface, with assertive yet austere themes, a jaunty energy offset by meditative qualities. As soloist we welcome BBC NOW debutant, the multi-award-winning cellist Bryan Cheng.

A work of tremendous power and passion, Brahms’s last – and arguably his greatest – symphony, his fourth, exudes beauty, grandeur and emotion, and we’re delighted to welcome highly acclaimed Italo-Brazilian conductor, Simone Menezes, to the podium in her debut with BBC NOW.

Biographies

Pete Harrisonconductor

Pete Harrison studied at the Royal College of Music before his conducting career began in London’s West End with Crazy For You (Prince Edward Theatre), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Dominion Theatre) and Lautrec (Theatre Royal, Plymouth and Shaftesbury Theatre).

He is the Principal Conductor of the Klassik Radio Pops Orchestra, as well as being a regular guest conductor and presenter with many other orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, Ulster Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

His work with the BSO includes its Last Night of the Christmas Proms concerts, as well as its regular series of film music concerts, including Heroes & Superheroes (1 & 2), Heroes & Aliens, Heroes & Legends and Heroes & Monsters. Past concerts include its Classic FM live concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Symphonic Queen, Chilled Out Classics, Abba Spectacular, Disco Symphonic Spectacular, Symphonic 80s and Symphonic Pink Floyd. He is the musical director of both Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Voices and Brent Youth Concert Pops Orchestra, which is partnered with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the London Borough of Brent.

He has also conducted and presented for Raymond Gubbay Ltd. Past concerts include Spectacular Classics, The Best of Bond, Zimmer v. Williams, Star Wars and Beyond – A Space Spectacular, Abba Classics, New Year’s Eve Gala Concerts, Last Night of the Summer Proms and Superheroes at the Symphony.

Pete Harrison’s other educational work includes conducting the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain, National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales, Kent County Youth Orchestra, Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Orchestra of Wells Cathedral School.

Louise Dearmansinger

Louise Dearman studied at Laine Theatre Arts and is now one of the West End’s most sought-after leading ladies, with a plethora of principal credits.

In the theatre, her highlights includeAdelaide in Guys and Dolls (UK tour); being the only actress to have played Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre); Mrs D in the world premiere of The Waterbabies (Leicester Curve Theatre); Eva Peron in Evita (UK tour); Mimi in Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre); Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls (UK tour); Jan in Grease (Victoria Palace Theatre and UK tour); Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK tour).

Her albums include Bedtime Baby, You and I, Here Comes the Sun, It’s Time, For You, For Me and the EP Bond and Beyond. She also features on Christmas in New York, The Route to Happiness, Lift, Scrapbook, More with Every Line, All Things in Time, Songs and Somewhere in the Audience. 

Louise Dearman features in the recently released WICKED feature film. In televisionshe has appeared as Lois Lane in Kiss Me Kate (television broadcast of the BBC Prom), Gershwin in Hollywood and Cole Porter in Hollywood (both BBC).

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

For over 90 years, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the only professional symphony orchestra in Wales, has played an integral part in the cultural landscape of the country, occupying a distinctive role as both a broadcast and national orchestra, and serving as an ambassador of Welsh culture, regularly performing music created in Wales and championing Welsh composers and artists.

Part of BBC Cymru Wales and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, BBC NOW performs a busy schedule of concerts and broadcasts, working with acclaimed conductors and soloists from across the world, including its Principal Conductor, the award-winning Ryan Bancroft.

The orchestra is committed to working in partnership with community groups and charities, taking music out of the concert hall and into settings such as schools and hospitals to enable others to experience and be empowered by music. It undertakes workshops, concerts and side-by-side performances to inspire and encourage the next generation of performers, composers and arts leaders, and welcomes thousands of young people and community members annually through its outreach and education projects.

BBC NOW performs annually at the BBC Proms and biennially at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and its concerts can be heard regularly across the BBC – on Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. On screen, music performed by BBC NOW can be heard widely across the BBC and other global channels, including the soundtrack and theme tune for Doctor Who, Planet Earth III, Prehistoric Planet, The Pact and Children in Need.

Based at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay, BBC NOW utilises a state-of-the-art recording studio with a camera system for livestreams and TV broadcasts to bring BBC NOW’s music to a broader audience across Wales and the world. For more information about BBC NOW please visit bbc.co.uk/now

Patron
HM King Charles III ^{KG KT PC GCB}
Principal Conductor
Ryan Bancroft
PrincipalGuest Conductor
Jaime Martín
Conductor Laureate
Tadaaki Otaka ^CBE
Composer-in-Association
Gavin Higgins

First Violins
Lesley Hatfield leader
Martin Gwilym-Jones sub-leader
Terry Porteus
Suzanne Casey
Alejandro Trigo
Kerry Gordon-Smith
Anna Cleworth
Juan Gonzalez
Žanete Uškāne
Ruth Heney
Amy Fletcher
Gary George-Veale

Second Violins
Anna Smith *
Hatty Haynes
Ros Butler
Sheila Smith
Lydia Caines
Ilze Abola
Michael Topping
Vickie Ringguth
Katherine Miller
Joseph Williams

Violas
Rebecca Jones *
Alex Thorndike #
Tetsuumi Nagata
Peter Taylor
Catherine Palmer
Lydia Abell
Lowri Taffinder
Anna Growns

Cellos
Alice Neary *
Raphael Lang
Sandy Bartai
Carolyn Hewitt
Rachel Ford
Alistair Howes

Double Basses
David Stark *
Christopher Wescott
Georgia Lloyd
Richard Gibbons

Flutes
Matthew Featherstone *
John Hall †
Lindsey Ellis

Piccolo
Lindsey Ellis †

Oboes
Steve Hudson *
Amy McKean †
Anna Seaton

Cor anglais
Anna Seaton

Clarinets
Bethany Crouch
Jennie Joy Porton
Alison Lambert

Bass Clarinet
Alison Lambert

Bassoons
Bed Hudson
Stanley Kaye Smith
Chris Vale

Contrabassoon
Chris Vale

Horns
Tim Thorpe *
Meilyr Hughes
Neil Shewan †
John Davy
Tom Taffinder

Trumpets
Philippe Schartz *
Rob Johnston
Corey Morris †
Jean Paul Gervasoni

Trombones
Donal Bannister *
Dafydd Thomas †

Bass Trombone
Darren Smith †

Tuba
Anders Swane

Timpani
Steve Barnard *

Percussion
Phil Hughes
Rhydian Griffiths
Andrea Porter

Harp
Bethan Semmens

Rhythm Section:

Drum Kit
Tim Goodyer

Keys
Mark Etherington

Guitar
Dave Holmes

Bass Guitar/Upright Bass
Zoltan Dekany

* Section Principal
† Principal
‡ Guest Principal
# Assistant String Principal

The list of players was correct at the time of publication

Director Lisa Tregale
Orchestra Manager Liz Williams
Assistant Orchestra Manager Nick Olsen **
Orchestra Personnel ManagerKevin Myers
Business Coordinator Georgia Dandy
Orchestra Administrator Eleanor Hall +
Head of Artistic Planning and ProductionMatthew Wood
Artists and Projects Manager Victoria Massocchi **
Orchestra Librarian Naomi Roberts
Producer Mike Sims
Broadcast Assistantvacancy
Head of Marketing and Audiences Sassy Hicks
Marketing Coordinator Amy Campbell-Nichols +
Digital Producer Yusef Bastawy **
Social Media Coordinator Harriet Baugh
Education Producers Beatrice Carey, Rachel Naylor maternity cover
Audio Supervisors Simon Smith, Andrew Smillie
Production Business Manager Lisa Blofeld
Stage and Technical Manager Steven Brown +
Assistant Stage and Technical Manager Josh Mead +

+ Green Team member
** Diversity & Inclusion Forum