2022 / 23 Season
The 2022-23 season started with a celebration of our 50th anniversary (delayed from 2020) of the founding of the orchestra, in front of a capacity audience at St Johns Smith Square. A Fanfare for Time, composed and conducted by WLS founder Steve Block, opened the programme, followed by Kabalevsky’s thrilling orchestral showpiece, the Overture to his opera Colas Breugnon. The first half concluded with the Concerto for 3 Saxophones by the late Barbara Thompson; the first movement on the alto, the second on the tenor, and the third on the soprano. All three instruments were played by Jonathan Radford, one of the world’s leading classical saxophonists. We were privileged to have the composer’s daughter in the audience. The second half featured the perfect piece to show off the orchestra at its half-century – Holst’s famous masterpiece; The Planets
15th October 2022 at St John’s Smith Square SW1 – 50th Anniversary of West London Sinfonia
- Steve Block: Fanfare for Time
- Kabalevsky: Overture Colas Breugnon
- Barbara Thompson: Concerto for 3 saxophones (soloist Jonathan Radford)
- Holst: The Planets
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
26th November 2022 at St. Michael and All Angels W4
- Elgar: Froissart
- Brahms: Symphony no. 3
- Dvorak: Symphonic Variations
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
11th December 2022 at St. Michael and All Angels W4
Children’s concert
- The Snowman (Howard Blake/Raymond Briggs)
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
28th January 2023 at St. Michael and All Angels
- Finzi: Romance
- Kilar: Orawa
- R Strauss: Suite for Winds op 4
- Jim Parker: A Londoner in New York
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
11th March 2023 at St. Barnabas Pitshanger Lane W5
- Sibelius: Symphony no 3
- Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
- Respighi: Pines of Rome
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
10th June 2023 at St. Barnabas Pitshanger Lane W5
- Sibelius: Finlandia [2222/4331/T p stgs]
- Takemitsu: Green
- Holst: The Perfect Fool
- Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
8th July 2023 at St. Anne’s Kew Green TW9 [4 rehearsals from 13 June]
- Mendelssohn: Die Schone Melusine overture
- Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante soloists Iwona Boesche (violin), Bruno Bower (oboe), Rebecca Lewis (cello), Glyn Williams (bassoon)
- Beethoven: Symphony no. 1
Conductor: Philip Hesketh
Leader: Iwona Boesche
