A thank you to members of the Orchestra's Friends' Scheme.

Most of us know Vltava. Few of us have had the chance to experience where it comes from.

This Play Day, the Bedřich Smetana masterpiece Má vlast unfolds in full, not just the famous river, but the entire journey. Across six symphonic poems, the music traces landscapes, legends, and histories, each one adding weight and meaning to the next.

Played on its own, Vltava is iconic. Played as part of the complete cycle, it becomes something deeper, a moment within a much larger arc, shaped by what comes before and transformed by what follows.

This is a rare opportunity to step inside the whole work, to feel how the music grows across the day, and to experience the cumulative power of its closing pages in a way that simply isn’t possible in isolation.

As with all our Play Days, this is about immersion rather than perfection. It’s about ambition, shared energy, and the thrill of tackling something expansive together. Expect challenge, discovery, and those moments where everything suddenly clicks and the music lifts off the page.

Join us for a day of sweeping sound, big ideas, and the chance to experience a masterpiece as it was meant to be played. ! PLEASE NOTE: Due to safeguarding requirements in general this is an 18 and over event. If you are 16 or 17 and wish to attend, please contact us for additional information.

• Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH - Festive Overture, op.96
• Malcolm ARNOLD - Philharmonic Concerto, Op 120
• Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony No.9, Op 70, E-flat major
• Malcolm ARNOLD – Little Suite no.3 “Manx”
• Malcolm ARNOLD - The Sound Barrier Rhapsody, Op 38
• Ruth GIPPS - Concerto, Oboe, op.20, D minor

To include:

• Deems TAYLOR - Through the Looking Glass, op.12
• John WILLIAMS - E.T.: Adventures on Earth
• Joe HISAISHI - My Neighbour Totoro
• Kristen ANDERSON-LOPEZ - Music from Frozen
• J PIERPONT, arr. John Wasson - Jingle Bells Fantasy
• Carols and Christmas favourites
• Festive beverages and a mince pie at the interval

• Richard STRAUSS - Der Rosenkavalier, op.59: Suite
• Ernö DOHNÁNYI - Variations on a Nursery Song, op.25 for Piano and Orchestra
• Edward ELGAR - Symphony No.1, op.55, A-flat major

• Léo DELIBES – Prelude and Les Chasseresses from “Sylvia”
• Aaron COPLAND – A Dance Symphony
• Manuel de FALLA – Suite no 2 from “The Three Cornered Hat”
• Igor STRAVINSKY - Petrushka

• Franz LISZT - Les Préludes, S.97 (Symphonic Poem No.3)
• Max BRUCH - Concerto, Clarinet & Viola, op.88, E minor
• Sergei RACHMANINOFF - Symphony no. 3, op.44, A minor