Enigma

Elegant grand illustrativeGrace Williams Sea SketchesSaint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3Elgar Enigma VariationsAlthough written during her years in London, it is a longing for the seaside of her hometown of Barry that inspires tonight’s concert opener, Grace Williams’ Sea Sketches.

Violinist Akiko Suwanai returns to perform Saint-Saëns elegantly dramatic, songfully melodious and deeply contrasting Third Violin Concerto, before we turn to Elgar’s iconic Enigma Variations, all under the baton of our Principal Guest Conductor, Jaime Martín.Striking a balance between the light-hearted and the noble, Elgar’s Variations are an ingenious collection of musical sketches of his friends plus an astute self-portrait; an enigma hidden within the score as each variation is tagged with the initials of the friends’ nicknames.