Gippsland Symphony Orchestra: British Enigma

A beautiful program of works by English master composers, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and the brilliant Edward Elgar.

Sunday 13 November | GPAC Theatre

“Something might be made of it" and with these immortal words uttered by Elgar one of the most admired and acclaimed pieces of music began. Much has been made about the Enigma and many have pondered what the Enigma is, however what isn’t in dispute is that the Enigma Variations is a classical music masterpiece.

English Folk Song Suite, composed in 1923 is a collection of folk songs from Norfolk and Somerset, including Seventeen Come Sunday, Pretty Caroline, Green Bushes, and Blow Away The Morning Dew and demonstrates Vaughan Williams love of English folk tunes.

Holst, like Vaughan Williams explored the rich tapestry of English folk music in his Somerset Rhapsody. The is not strictly programmatic however, Holst did confide in a colleague that the work did have narrative:

"Into a quiet country scene comes the sound of approaching soldiers. A youth who is courting a girl is persuaded to enlist and go to war. The soldiers march into the distance and the pastoral quietness returns. The girl is left alone."

Join us for a beautiful afternoon of classical music.