大象传媒

Louise Fryer presents the final week of Afternoon on 3's month-long celebration of British Symphonies. There are Symphonies every day, from a Walford Davies world premiere (today) through the likes of Havergal Brian and Daniel Jones to one of the most exciting British composers of today, Julian Anderson. And the Symphonies are complemented by a week of exclusively British music performed mainly by the 大象传媒's performing groups.

Today and tomorrow the 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra lead the way with two recent concerts of British music. Today's concert, recorded at Dorchester Abbey as part of the 2013 English Music Festival, includes world premieres by two double-barrelled composers - Vaughan Williams' The Solent and Walford Davies' Second Symphony - as well as music by Britten and Holst.

Not one but two British symphonies today - the 大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales perform David Matthews' 5th Symphony, which was written in the final 2 years of the 20th century in the very same cabin in the woods in New Hampshire where Copland had written Billy the Kid in 1938.

This week's Opera Matinee (Acts I & II are on Thursday, Act III on Friday) is Handel's Poro. The opera, written for the Royal Academy of Music in the early 1730s, tells the story of Alexander the Great's battle with the Indian King Poro by the banks of the Hydaspes river. This performance, given in Basel last year, stars Franco Fagioli in the title role with James Gilchrist as Alexander, and is conducted by Enrico Onofri.

Parry: Jerusalem
Britten: Canadian Carnival
2.15pm
Vaughan Williams: The Solent
2.30pm
Vaughan Williams: Serenade in A minor
3.00pm
Holst: A Winter Idyll
3.10pm
Walford Davies: Symphony No. 2 in G major
大象传媒 Concert Orchestra,
Martin Yates (conductor).

3.50pm
Matthews: Symphony No. 5
大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales,
Martyn Brabbins (conductor).