Lottie Dodd, Laura Bradford from Beverley and Sarah Penny from Hessle sound the horns as Hull Phil heads for big charity concert, as the street sounds of Paris and New York are come to Hull!
As Hull Philharmonic Orchestra gets in the mood for its jazz age concert next month, a vintage French saloon car will be in the city centre on Wednesday (April 21) to promote the event.
The programme of American music for the City Hall concert on May 8 includes Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, first performed in 1928 and inspired by the sound of taxi horns in the French capital.
Three young percussionists – Lottie Dodd, 16, Laura Bradford, 15, both from Longcroft School, Beverley, and Sarah Penny, 15, from Hymers College, Hull, all in their debut season – will be in charge of the taxi horns, which use different notes, Gershwin having written exactly how and when they should sound.
Organisers are hoping for a full house with profits from the concert, which also includes the music of Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland, being donated to the Lord Mayor of Hull’s charity appeal fund, in aid of Cash for Kids.
Members of the orchestra have also tracked down a Citroen Traction Avant car, built at a factory near the Arc de Triomphe and owned by York-based enthusiast Mick Popka since 1987.
“These are great cars – I would happily jump in mine and go anywhere – and they were the vehicle of choice for taxi drivers in Paris either side of the war years,” said Mr Popka.
Andrew Penny, the orchestra’s musical director, said: “We are grateful to Mr Popka for taking the time to support what will be a rousing finale to our 2009-10 season. The Gershwin piece is a lively evocation of a visit to Paris and there is a lot more besides.”
The orchestra will welcome London-based Gershwin specialist Angela Brownridge, who has appeared in concert halls around the world, in the famous Piano Concerto in F.
This will follow four dances from Aaron Copland’s Wild West ballet, Rodeo, and the contrasting Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, one of American music’s defining pieces, used in the 1986 film Platoon.
The jazz age concert will conclude with Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, one of the greatest ever shows, featuring some of the best-loved popular music of the 20th century.
The Lord Mayor of Hull, Count Karen Woods, said:
“The Hull Philharmonic is an asset to the cultural life of our city and wider region and I am personally delighted it has agreed to back our charitable cause.
“We hope people get behind this concert to show their support for the orchestra and also to raise funds for local children in need.”
Meanwhile, Mr Polka’s Traction Avant will be travelling through Hull again on April 23 en route to Citroen rallies in Belgium and Holland.
Tickets for the concert, starting at 7.30pm, cost from £5 to £20 and are available in advance from the City Hall box office on Hull 226655 or on the night.
Percussionists Lottie Dodd, Laura Bradford who are Beverley and Sarah Penny from Hessle, dress up for a ride in a vintage Parisian taxi at Corporation Pier, Nelson Street, with their taxi horns and other percussion instruments.
