The Big 5–0

It’s the big 5–0! Our gala concert to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Strathfield Symphony’s formation in 1969. The founding conductor of Strathfield Symphony, the late Richard Gill was planning on returning to conduct the second half of this program, so we are presenting this concert in his honour. Elena Kats-Chernin’s Redmyre suite was commissioned by Strathfield Symphony to celebrate our 40th birthday, so we wanted to play it again 10 years later.

A Strathfield celebration would not be complete without a work from our long-time collaborator, soloist, composer and local resident Miriam Hyde—what better choice than the Happy Occasion Overture? We threw in Khachaturian’s Spartacus to keep the cellos happy.

Finally, we will finish the concert with Beethoven’s Symphony No.7. Selected by Richard Gill as the work he wanted to conduct with us, it was going to complete some unfinished business. Richard Gill conducted the Symphony with Strathfield in the 1970s, but only one movement. We will perform the whole symphony in his honour.