Welcome

Welcome to our Autumn season. The 2023/24 season is particularly significant as it is our 10th birthday. Since 2016 the Hall has existed without regular funding and there have been times when I wondered if we would make it to our tenth season. It is therefore a huge relief and delight to me that the 2023/24 Autumn season is not only happening, but probably one of the strongest we have ever presented.

Our programme spans orchestral music, gospel, jazz, early music, new music, big band, brass band and spoken word. We are constantly diversifying our presentations and many of our new initiatives do not make it into our brochure. Please do sign up to our newsletter or keep checking our website for new events. Additional talks, musical shows, off-site events and new foyer activity are the kinds of events that might be added after we go to print, so please make sure you keep in touch.

This season we welcome back artists who have been on this journey with us from the very start. Resident Orchestras the London Philharmonic and Britten Sinfonia form the backbone of a quality line-up of orchestras and ensembles each season. This autumn they are joined by Arcangelo, the Hallé, BBC Concert Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, Roomful of Teeth, the Sixteen and Tenebrae.

Many of the world’s great artists have visited Saffron Hall and, indeed, we are delighted to welcome back Paul Lewis, the Brodsky Quartet and cellist Nicolas Altstaedt. But making their Saffron Hall debuts this season are Nigel Kennedy, Víkingur Ólafsson and Piotr Anderszewski. There is a strong Bach theme running through this year’s programme with Víkingur’s Goldberg Variations and Nigel Kennedy play/directing four violin concertos, including the sumptuous double violin concerto.

The jazz, world and folk programme this autumn features awardwinning saxophonist and presenter YolanDa Brown, super-star folk collective Gigspanner Big Band, and Aurora Orchestra who are joined by hang player Manu Delago. Talks this autumn include cricket commentating legend Henry Blofeld and poet laureate Simon Armitage. If you enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and good street food, our excellent Foyer Jazz and Folk evenings are very popular, so book early.

As this is our 10th birthday, we invite you to join us for a celebratory weekend of events in early December. Jess Gillam, Iestyn Davies and jazz vocalist Juliet Kelly are just a few of the artists who have been regular visitors to the Hall over the last ten years and they will join us in a long weekend of concerts and workshops featuring world-class artists alongside young people and local amateur musicians. We hope to represent every area of our public, schools and community programmes.

We look forward to welcoming you to Saffron Hall very soon.

Angela Dixon Chief Executive

Sun 10 September 2.30pm

Saffron Opera Group Der Rosenkavalier

Saffron Opera Group Orchestra & Chorus

Michael Thorne conductor

Catherine Carby Octavian

Sarah Redgwick The Marschallin

Lucy Hall Sophie

Andrew Greenan Baron Ochs

William Dazeley Faninal

Peter Van Hulle Valzacchi

Elaine McKrill Marianne Leitmetzerin

With special guest

A glamorous older aristocrat is torn between keeping Octavian, her young lover, for herself or helping him win the girl of his dreams. The plot thickens when the lecherous Baron Ochs pursues both Octavian, disguised as a chambermaid, and his intended bride. Accompanied by a sumptuously melodic score, this concert performance of Richard Strauss’ bittersweet comic masterpiece concludes with one of opera’s most ravishing trios.

Performed in German with English surtitles.

Tickets £11 - £41* | Presented by Saffron Opera Group

Sun 24 September 3pm

Once Upon a Tune Stories from the Stage

Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra

Richard Hull conductor

Bonaventura Bottone Italian Tenor James Mayhew narrator & illustrator

Antonio Reche Martinez illustrator

Experience musical stories brought to life by illustrators James Mayhew and Antonio Reche Martinez, who will draw and narrate live on stage while Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra plays.

Once upon a Tune: Stories from the Stage promises to be a magical tour of some of the most beautiful music ever written for the stage.

Tickets £16* | Age guidance 4+ | Presented by Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra

*prices include £1 booking fee per ticket

Fri 29 September 7.30pm