Dance
Saturday 22 March, 7.30pm
Four Scottish Dances - Malcolm Arnold
DANCE - Anna Clyne
-- INTERVAL --
Manuel De Falla - The Three-Cornered Hat
Jon Malaxetxebarria – Conductor
Gemma Rosefield - Cello
Four Scottish Dances
Malcom Arnold (1921-2006)
1. Pesante
2. Vivace
3. Allegretto
4. Con brio
Malcolm Arnold’s Four Scottish Dances, Op. 59, is one of his most popular and entertaining orchestral works. Written in 1957, it captures the spirit and energy of Scotland’s traditional music while adding Arnold’s own lively and sometimes humorous touch.
Each of the four dances reflects a different Scottish musical style. The first dance is a strathspey, a type of slow Scottish dance with a distinctive “scotch snap” rhythm. Arnold gives it a bold and regal character, full of dramatic contrasts; his influence on later composers can be clearly seen too, as halfway through it might sound to some audiences that Darth Vader has arrived in Scotland!
The second dance is a lively reel, based on a traditional dance form often played at ceilidhs. Arnold’s version is full of fun; his pattern of raising the tune by a semitone every few bars creates an energetic spiral that is finally brought to an end by a slower, drunk-sounding bassoon.
The third dance, in contrast, is a slow and haunting air. It is lyrical and expressive, evoking the vast landscapes and deep emotions often associated with Scottish folk music; the shimmering strings and use of arpeggios in the accompaniment complements the tunes from the woodwind section.
The final dance is another reel, this time with a more raucous, almost wild feel; the influence on John Williams’ music can again be seen. Arnold uses playful orchestration, including humorous bassoon glissandos, to give the piece a sense of mischief and exuberance, culminating in a sense of joyful exhaustion appropriate for the end of a night of dancing!
Notes by Jeremy Dawson
DANCE
Anna Clyne (1980-)
Gemma Rosefield - Cello
Anna Clyne’s 2019 cello concerto is a deeply expressive and masterfully crafted work, originally commissioned for cellist Inbal Segev. At its heart lies a poem by the 13th-century mystic poet Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī:
“Dance, when you’re broken open.
Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance when you’re perfectly free.”
A line of this poem is given as the title to each of the five movements. While interconnected, they each have their own distinct characteristic, and through the whole piece, Clyne uses a vast array of contemporary and traditional compositional tools to great effect. When discussing her composition process for the piece, Clyne has described a sonic ‘layering process’ whereby sounds and textures build upon each other to produce specific colours.
This is immediately apparent in the first movement as it begins with the cello emerging effortlessly from a shimmering, crystalline bed of strings. This slow, introspective opening feels as though Clyne is painting harmonies onto an aural canvas. In a 2019 interview with Boosey and Hawkes, she described this movement as evoking "the fragility of being shattered apart," an idea that permeates the delicately unfolding lines of the soloist and orchestra.
By contrast, the second movement surges with raw energy. Driving rhythms and forceful double stops in the cello’s lower register conjure an intense, almost cathartic turbulence. Yet, amid the dissonance, a lyrical theme emerges—beauty and pain interwoven in a deeply human, organic way.
The third movement offers a moment of stillness, as if time itself has frozen. Clyne creates a hypnotic, cyclical atmosphere that recalls Baroque forms, yet the effect is entirely modern—a space for reflection and contemplation amid the surrounding turbulence. This movement serves as the emotional core of the piece, a point of introspective clarity before the work’s final surges forward.
The fourth movement, marked ‘Regal and Expansive’, is also cyclic, but builds into something more forceful and darkly existential, as the cello and orchestra swirl around each other. At the end of this movement, as the energy dissipates, hints at other themes in the piece begin to emerge, tying ideas together as the music moves towards its close.
The final movement returns to the dynamic interplay between lyricism and raw intensity. Here, Clyne juxtaposes moments of tonal clarity with irregular, impassioned gestures. She has noted that this was the first movement she composed, making it the seed from which the entire concerto grew. Additionally, she acknowledges the presence of her Irish and Jewish heritage in this movement, weaving elements of both traditions into the fabric of the music. The piece culminates in a strikingly simple melody—a bold artistic choice that, as Clyne reflects, was inspired by Elgar’s Cello Concerto. "I was a little hesitant to end the piece in this way," she admits, "but I do find beauty in its simplicity."
Read Anna's full interview for Boosey and Hawkes (2019) with Carol Ann Cheung.
Notes by Benjamin Jackson
The Three-Cornered Hat
Manuel De Falla (1876-1946)
Niamh Bryson, Emma Hogg, Lucy Rushbrook - Dancers
Mezzo-soprano: Emma Ward
Georgia Rowan - Choreographer
Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat (El sombrero de tres picos) was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev, choreographed by Léonide Massine, and premiered in London in 1919. It featured stunning sets and costume designs by Pablo Picasso. This groundbreaking collaboration resulted in a masterpiece that combines Spanish folk music with modernist elements and creates a unique and captivating work. The work draws from the 1874 novella El sombrero de tres picos by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, a satirical tale reflecting the social tensions of 19th-century Spain. The story unfolds as a lively battle of wits between a clever miller, his beautiful wife, and a corrupt yet comically inept magistrate (the Corregidor).
The ballet opens with a vivid Introduction that sets the scene in a sun-drenched Spanish village where Tío Lucas, the miller, and his wife, Señá Frasquita, enjoy a happy, fulfilling life together. The bright orchestration, full of woodwind flourishes and rhythmic drive, reflects their strong bond and playful interactions whilst also hinting at their intelligence and resourcefulness.
Señá Frasquita’s charm is captured in the Dance of the Miller’s Wife, a flirtatious fandango filled with sensuous string writing and syncopated rhythms. Her playful movements and teasing gestures draw the attention of the Corregidor. When the Corregidor makes his entrance, the music shifts to an exaggerated, pompous theme. Stumbling rhythms, bassoon and tuba accents, and an overblown sense of grandeur in the brass depict that while he holds power, he is also a fool. He enacts a plan to have Tío Lucas imprisoned so that he can woo Señá Frasquita for himself. As he does so, the score darkens and the orchestration becomes more menacing, with brooding low strings and menacing brass depicting his abuse of power.
As the Corregidor makes his move on Señá Frasquita, the music takes on a lighter, more mischievous character. Falla uses witty, capricious phrasing rather than a grand romantic love theme to represent the Corregidor’s efforts, thus revealing that he is making a fool of himself. Señá Frasquita’s responses come in the form of sharp rhythms and sudden changes in dynamic highlight, characterizing her quick thinking and ability to play along with his plan while really maintaining the control.
As fate turns against the magistrate, he stumbles into a water trough and is forced to strip off his fine clothes. Meanwhile, Tío Lucas has escaped prison and seizes the moment to disguise himself in the Corregidor’s uniform, including his distinctive three-cornered hat. The Farruca, a powerful flamenco-inspired dance, underscores this pivotal moment with its driving, forceful energy marking the miller’s triumphant return.
Tío Lucas enjoys the admiration of the villagers as the humiliated magistrate, now dressed in the miller’s clothes, is apprehended and led away in disgrace. The ballet’s exuberant Final Dance, a joyous Jota, brings the story to a triumphant close as the villagers celebrate the victory of wit and love over corruption. The Corregidor’s three-cornered hat, once a symbol of his power, now serves only as a reminder of his downfall.
The Three-Cornered Hat remains a beloved work in the ballet repertoire and is celebrated for its rich orchestration, rhythmic vitality, and deep connection to Spanish cultural traditions. It is one of Falla’s most celebrated works. It stands as a defining piece of 20th-century Spanish music, seamlessly merging folk traditions with orchestral sophistication. It serves as a testament to Falla’s genius in evoking the soul of Spain through sound.
Notes by Charlotte Kenyon
Jon Malaxetxebarria
Conductor
Born in Gernika in the Basque Country of Spain, Jon Malax conducts regularly in both Spain and the United Kingdom. In Spain he has conducted many ensembles such as the Orquesta Radio Televisión Española, the Basque Country Symphony Orchestra, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Oviedo Filarmonía, Orquesta Sinfónica de Extremadura, the Orfeón Pamplonés, Bilbao Municipal Band and the Malaga Philharmonic. Jon has been the assistant conductor at the two main opera houses in Spain: Teatro Real (Madrid) and Liceu (Barcelona).
From 2016-2021 he was Music Director of the Basque Youth Orchestra. He is currently Head of Conducting studies at Musikene Music Conservatory in San Sebastian.
In the UK he has conducted Manchester Camerata, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, Crosby Symphony Orchestra, Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra, North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra and the Derbyshire City & County Youth Orchestra amongst others. He was Music Director of Solihull Symphony
Orchestra from 2013-2023.
As a keen advocate of new music, Jon performed the world premiere of Simon Dobson’s Trombone Concerto with Peter Moore and the RNCM Brass Band, broadcast on BBC Radio 2.
Following his studies with Dale Clevenger at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Jon moved to Manchester in 2010 to study orchestral conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Upon completion of his studies he was awarded the Mortimer-Furber Prize in Conducting, and in 2011 he was appointed as a conductor of the Junior RNCM. Jon has been Senior Lecturer in Conducting at Leeds Conservatoire since 2014. As a guest conducting tutor, Jon has taught at the RAF, RNCM (both undergraduate courses and international short conducting courses) and at the University of Manchester.
Gemma Rosefield
Cello
Winner of the Pierre Fournier Award in 2007, Gemma Rosefield made her concerto debut at sixteen, performing the Saint-Saëns Concerto with the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Hailed by The Strad as "a mesmerising musical treasure" and by BBC Music Magazine as "one to watch," she has performed at major venues including Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, and Westminster Abbey.
Gemma has recorded extensively for Hyperion, including the complete cello works of Sir Charles Stanford, praised by Gramophone for her "disarming character and freshness." As a soloist, she has performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Orchestra, and Philharmonia Orchestra, among others. She has premiered numerous works, including concertos by Michael Ellison, Maciej Zieliński, and Edward Gregson.
As cellist of Ensemble 360 and the Leonore Piano Trio, she gives some 50 performances a year across Europe and beyond. The Trio's acclaimed Hyperion recordings include Arensky’s Piano Trios and works by David Matthews.
Gemma is a professor of cello at the Royal College of Music. She plays a 1704 Alessandro Gagliano cello, once owned by the Prince Regent.
Georgia Rowan
Choreographer & Dancer
Georgia is a dance artist and massage therapist based in Sheffield, graduating from Iwanson International in Munich and the London School of Contemporary Dance. Her practice is rooted in community-led projects exploring queerness and mental health, alongside weekly classes in Sheffield and Leeds. They have performed in and choreographed for dance and immersive theatre, music videos and site-specific projects.
Emma Ward
Mezzo-Soprano
Emma is a classically trained singer based between Nottingham and Sheffield. She began her vocal training at the age of 9, earning a place in the world renowned Cantamus Girls Choir, where she became a soloist and studied under Pamela Cook MBA. At the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Emma continued her training earning a BMus(Hons), and completed her MSc studies at the Royal College of Music in 2021. Emma currently teaches the girl choristers at Southwell Minster, is a music educator and choral conductor for Sheffield Music Hub, and studies singing with Rachel
Nicholls and Bradley Smith. Alongside this, she has a continued interest in Vocal Health practices and in her spare time can be found hiking in the Peaks District. Emma is very much looking forward to joining Hallam Sinfonia for this concert.
Hallam Sinfonia
Violin 1
Katy Silverman, John Cooper, Mary Dougherty, Paul Adam, Liz Stephenson, Holly Chambers,
Abu Hassan, Richard Allen
Violin 2
Kate Fehler, Richard Gilbert, Helena Vassiliadis, Catherine Bowman, Hannah Watson,
Rachael Evans, Florence Allwood, Lasse Rempe
Viola
Charlotte Kenyon, Helen Mather, Kiri Smith, Sue Adams, Charlotte Boig, Laura French
Cello
Charlie Hardwick, Jeremy Dawson, Benjamin Jackson, Nat Blakesley, Joy Paul, Sue Dumpleton,
Angela Rosenfeld, Matthew Moore, Amy Gould
Bass
Tom Davies, Stuart Wilson, Paddy Appelqvist
Flute/Piccolo
Judith Ennis, Kathryn Hathaway, Tony Jones
Oboe/Cor Anglais
Vicky Holmes, Helen Jenkinson, Carolyn Bean
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Karen Burland, Cath Murray, Becky Stroud
Bassoon/Contrabassoon
Dawn Allenby, Rosie Hodgson, Amy Kershaw
Horn
Rachel Wilkes, Rachel Melland, Frank Edenborough, Jo Towler
Trumpet
Matthew Redfearn, George Breakwell, Dawn Mellors
Trombone
Andrew Knowles, Nick Hart, Richard Dixon
Tuba
Colin Sydney
Percussion
Mick Godber, Peter Watts, Ben Sindall, Tom Mascarenhas, Tom Gwilliam
Piano/Celeste
Chris Noble
Harp
Alley York