London Philharmonic Orchestra
Finnegan Downie-Dear conductor
Jess Gillam saxophone

Mussorgsky   Night on a Bare Mountain
Glazunov   Concerto for Saxophone
Ravel   Ma mère l’Oye
Ravel   Boléro

‘He’s mad!’ cried an audience member at the first performance of Ravel’s Boléro. ‘She’s right!’ said Ravel. And who’d have guessed that a simple rhythm, a smoky tune and a dash of Ravel’s special magic would still be driving audiences wild nearly a century later? Boléro is the climax of this colourful concert – starting with the ghosts and ghouls of Mussorgsky’s supernatural thriller, and stopping off to meet the magical characters of Ravel’s ravishing Ma mère l’Oye. First, though, a sweet, songful saxophone concerto from old Russia, played by Britain’s best-loved star of the classical sax: former BBC Young Musician winner Jess Gillam.