Concert for the Inner Child: Janácek, Saint-Saëns and Ridout

Start: Sunday, May 10, 2026 3:00PM
End: Sunday, May 10, 2026 4:35PM

Adapted from Munro Leaf’s children’s book The Story of Ferdinand (1936), Alan Ridout’s Ferdinand the Bull is an ode to innocence, simplicity, and to an epicurean way of living. With only a narrator and a violin, the composer tells a story, paints its picture, and gives sound to the victory of the will over the corrupting influences of the world. Leos Janácek’s Mládi represents a seventy-year-old man’s recollection of childhood, written in the playful mood that emerged in his later work and composed of melodies from his youth at the Brno Monastery, in the Czech Republic. Finally, Camille Saint-Säens’s Le Carnaval des animaux, with its variety of timbres and capricious gestures, takes us back to a time of boundless imagination. Maya Iwabuchi (violin), Charlotte Scott (violin), Adrien Boisseau (viola), Bruno Delepelaire (cello), Michael Cox (flute), Matthew Hunt (clarinet), Julien Quentin (piano), Xiaowen Shang (piano), and Hellensmusic Masterclass Students. PROGRAMME A. Ridout Ferdinand the Bull, for Speaker and Violin L. Janácek Mládí (‘Youth’) C. Saint-Säens Le Carnaval des animaux: grande fantaisie zoologique Hellensmusic Young Artists Spotlight Join us for Lunch at Hellens Come join us for a BBQ lunch at Hellens. Lunch includes BBQ (with vegetarian options available), salads + glass of wine/apple juice + desert. BBQ lunch at Hellens £25