Scored for a huge orchestra, including cowbells, mandolin, two harps and almost innumerable woodwinds, Mahler’s Symphony no. 7 brims with his trademark ideas: sounds of nature, music of the night, supernatural shadows, marches, fanfares, witty humour and parody. Mahler described this inventive and moving work as a journey through the night to the ‘bright day’ of the finale. CCSO is conducted by Robert Hodge.
more about City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra
The City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra started life in 1973 as the Harston String Orchestra. Later, as a result of a change in venue, it became the Barton String Orchestra. In 2000 Leon Lovett took over as conductor and shortly afterwards, the orchestra changed its name to the Cambridge String Players. Under his baton, the orchestra has appeared regularly in West Road Concert Hall and in other venues around Cambridge. In addition to playing works for strings, the orchestra increasingly invited wind players to join it to perform works from the symphonic repertoire. Recognising this change of emphasis, the musicians decided that the orchestra needed a new name and in September 2008, it became the City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. In February 2012 Robert Hodge became CCSO’s new conductor.