Be uplifted by BBC Radio 3's hauntingly beautiful concert Heroism, Elegance and Discovery, coming to Ulster Hall on 26 August 2026!
Join us for an inspiring afternoon of orchestral music, spanning the drama of Beethoven, the craftsmanship of Elizabeth Maconchy and the lyrical charm of EJ Moeran.
The concert opens with Beethoven's powerful Egmont Overture, a work inspired by Goethe's tragedy of the same name. From its sombre opening to its blazing conclusion, it tells a story of courage, freedom and triumph over oppression, remaining one of the composer's most stirring orchestral creations.
Born in Hertfordshire, but moving to Dublin at the age of 10, Elizabeth Maconchy is one of the twentieth century's most distinctive musical voices. Her Music for Strings was commissioned by the BBC and premiered at the Proms in 1983 by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. It follows, combining driving rhythms, rich string sonorities and moments of striking emotional intensity, revealing the mastery of a composer whose music is now being rediscovered by a new generation.
The programme concludes with the Sinfonietta by EJ Moeran – an Englishman who spent the substantial part of his later life in Co. Kerry. Written in 1944, the work is dedicated to Sir Arthur Bliss and characteristically draws on the landscapes and folk traditions of so much of his music. Full of rhythmic energy and melodic charm, its sure to send you out with a spring in your step.
Tess Jackson conducts the Ulster Orchestra.
Programme
Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Op.84
Elizabeth Maconchy: Music for Strings
EJ Moeran: Sinfonietta
Ulster Orchestra
Tess Jackson, conductor
