Hull Philharmonic Brings The Close Of WWI To Life With Music

The mood in East Yorkshire at the end of WW1 will feature in the last of a series of three concerts by the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra.

‘1918: End Game: Armistice and Aftermath’ is to be performed on November 24 at Hull City Hall.

Playwrights John and Jane Godber will help bring the bring to life the experiences of local people. They will do this through a special narration.

Music will be played while dramatic images are shown on a screen as part of a musical concert. It will also include a centenary performance of The Planets by Gustav Holst.

Musical director Andrew Penny said that the aim of the concert was to give a dramatic account of the feeling back home.

It will focus on the aftermath of the East Yorkshire Regiment’s battle at Oppy Wood in 1917. This battle saw Hull Rugby League player Jack Harrison awarded the Victoria Cross and later, as the war came to a close.

“While there have been a number of concerts to mark the 100th anniversary of WW1. We are the only orchestra to commemorate the anniversary at different stages,” said Mr Penny.

“This is our final concert in the series. Telling the stories of people left behind in Hull waiting to see if their loved ones returned. It will add a special poignancy to the occasion.”

Beverley Chamber Choir To Support Hull Philharmonic WWI Concert

“The orchestra will perform part of the rarely-played Vaughan Williams 3rd Symphony The Pastoral. It features an offstage trumpet solo. This is inspired by a bugler the composer heard in 1916 while working as an ambulance driver on the battlefields.”

For The Planets, the Hull Philharmonic is joined by the women’s voices of the Beverley Chamber Choir in the ethereal Neptune the Mystic. The full choir will also sing in a performance of Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music alongside four young soloists.

“This concert promises both familiar and lesser-known music. It will also take the audience on another interesting and emotional journey,” he said. “What better occasion to play the Planets than on the centenary of its first complete performance in 1918.”

Anyone wanting to attend can purchase in advance by calling the box office on 01482 300300.