English Winter Tale

Interpreters

Margret Koell . Harp
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester

Programme

Ralph Vaughan-Williams
Fantasia on Greensleeves for harp and strings

Gustav Holst
St. Paul's Suite for string orchestra

Traditional
Coventry Carol / Sussex Carol / In the bleak midwinter / Bonny Christy

Granville Bantock
Scenes from the Scottish Highlands

Edward Elgar
Serenade for string orchestra

Henry Purcell
Chaconne in g

and other works

A programme like a winter journey through the soundscapes of the British Isles – rough and gentle, folkloric and artistic, full of grace, depth and a dance-like joie de vivre. With ‘English Winter Tale’, internationally acclaimed harpist Margret Koell and the versatile Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra present an extraordinary concert project that brings British composers from four centuries into an atmospheric dialogue.

Margret Koell is considered one of the most distinguished interpreters of historical harps. With her stylistic mastery and magical sound, she lends the repertoire a rarely experienced intensity – Fono Forum speaks of ‘stylistic confidence and virtuosity’ that make her an ‘exceptional artist’. At her side: the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra – an ensemble known not only for its stylistic range, but also for its rich experience in early music and its sensitive approach to historically informed performance practice.

The programme interweaves two large-scale works – Gustav Holst's lively ‘St. Paul's Suite’ and Granville Bantock's picturesque ‘Scenes from the Scottish Highlands’ – with traditional Christmas carols and dances by Playford and Oswald. The result is a poetic homage to Britain's musical heritage: Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Greensleeves, Elgar's gently rocking string sound, Purcell's majestic chaconne – and, again and again, the voice of the harp, which, as a connecting element, brings the rich colours of British music to life.

A musical winter evening that enriches concert series with a rare, atmospheric highlight.