American Celebrations Classical Concert

To coincide with Abraham Lincoln’s 215th birthday on February 12th, join UH Arts + Culture in celebrating with a concert dedicated to American music performed by our resident de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra.

• Bernstein – Candide Overture
• Barber – Adagio for Strings
• Copland – Appalachian Spring
• Bernstein – Symphony No. 2: The Age of Anxiety

Composer Aaron Copland was commissioned to write music for a ballet with ‘An American Theme’ and the resulting Appalachian Spring has been much loved ever since its premiere in 1944. Samuel Barber’s popular Adagio for Strings has featured in many television and film soundtracks due to its beautiful and emotional character. The piece originally formed the second movement of one of Barber’s String Quartets but the composer was encouraged to arrange it for string orchestra, and it has been a hit ever since.

We also mark the LGBTQ+ History Month and explore the work of Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein, whose bisexuality was well known, spoke of Aaron Copland as his “only real composition teacher”, although he was never Copland’s formal student. We open and close our concert with two of Bernstein’s works: the lively and very popular overture to Candide and his Symphony No.2: The Age of Anxiety, scored for solo piano and orchestra.

The concert will take place on Sunday 11 February at 16:00 in the 450-seater Weston Auditorium on the de Havilland Campus at the University of Hertfordshire (AL10 9EU).

Tickets are available for newly reduced rates – between £6-15 (FREE for carers and UH Students) – from the website: www.uharts.co.uk or by calling the Box Office 01707 281 127 (open Mon-Fri 10:00-12:00).

More information:

+ Free and accessible parking
+ Wheelchair accessible seats, please call the Box Office to book
+ Complimentary tickets for carers
+ Ground level entrance, ramp + lift for easy access
+ Induction loop available
+ Accessible toilets about 50m from the Auditorium
+ Refreshments available at our Bar Ambition
+ All UH Student tickets will be allocated within the upper circle of the auditorium
+ Following University guidelines, our Box Office will be cashless from 1 January 2024

For more information visit https://www.uharts.co.uk/whats-on/2024/american-celebrations