BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Tea and Symphony

City Halls, Glasgow, Mon 27 Oct

CLASSICAL

A bit of tea and sympathy goes a long way to lift the spirits, but, with a clever play on words, the BBC SSO start a new series serving up tea with symphony, a pairing that promises to have no less an effect. Doldrumy afternoons in wintry Glasgow come alive not only with tea (or coffee) and music, but cakes, soup and sandwiches too. ‘There is a demand for this type of concert,’ says the orchestra’s marketing and communications manager, Stephen Duffy, ‘as people don’t always want to go out at night. There is also a misconception that afternoon performances are exclusively for older people. It’s not like that at all.’ Those sharing in tea and symphony are just as likely to be students as OAPs, young mums as well as avid concert goers.

All three of the concerts in this initial series will be recorded for future broadcast. Two of them are completely free of charge, a generous offer that the BBC SSO can make as a public service broadcasting orchestra. Subtitled Discovering Music, they are opportunities to find out what makes a great masterpiece work. First under the microscope is Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No 5. With the help of presenter Stephen Johnson and conductor Paul Daniel, audiences can explore why this is such an important piece of music, ask questions and hear what the players think of it too. Daniel, a regular at the BBC Proms, is working with the BBC SSO for the first time. ‘He is keen to work in this sort of environment,’ says Duffy, ‘even though, as a conductor, he will be quite exposed.’ The format is first half dissects the piece and then the orchestra play the full symphony in the second. Tea has pride of place at 12.30pm until the music starts at 2pm.

More: Music, Previews (Music), Classical (Music), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC SSO, Paul Daniel, Stephen Duffy, Stephen Johnson, Tea and Symphony

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