LSO Discovery
Free Friday Lunchtime Concert
TODAY'S CONCERT
Edward McGuire
Celtic Knotwork
Franz Doppler
Andante and Rondo Op 25
Ruth Morley
Interlaced
Zequinha de Abreu arr Jerome Natulais
Tico Tico
Valerie Coleman
Umoja
Harold Arlen arr Mel Orriss
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Gareth Davies flute
Amy Yule flute
Imogen Royce flute
Sharon Williams flute
Elizabeth Burley piano
Rachel Leach presenter
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Edward McGuire (b 1948)
Celtic Knotwork
Scottish composer and folk flutist Edward McGuire trained at the Royal Academy of Music and in Stockholm. He now writes music and plays in a folk group called Whistlebinkies. Celtic Knotwork is from 1990 and exists in many forms. It is a musical portrayal of the ancient art form of knotwork – those intertwined and intricate knotted patterns associated with anything Celtic. As you’d expect, the musicians play long, unbroken and intertwined lines. The piece begins in stillness, grows increasingly complex and then calms down to end as it began.
McGuire said of the work: 'It conjures up the graphic skills of the ancient past but it is the human aspect that fascinates me, the bringing to life of abstract patterns ... The gradual intertwining of the voices starts at one point – unison – and reaches a peak of cascading dialogue and dancing phrases before fading to a point, merging into unison once more.'
Note by Rachel Leach
Franz Doppler (1821–83)
Andante and Rondo Op 25
Doppler was from a very musical Austrian family. He was taught flute by his oboist father and became a highly accomplished player, making his debut at the age of 13. By 18 he was Principal Flute with the Budapest Opera and shortly after became Assistant Conductor. Alongside this he was a fine composer of flute music, opera and ballet. His younger brother Karl followed closely behind as flautist and composer. The two would play duets together and were very popular all over Europe.
Andante and Rondo is now one of Doppler’s most performed pieces. The Andante is rather operatic with rich harmonies and a sweeping melody for each flute. The following Rondo is much more technically challenging and virtuosic.
Note by Rachel Leach
Ruth Morley (b 1968)
Interlaced
Ruth Morley is a flute player, educator and composer based in Scotland. She studied at Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and then Royal Northern College of Music before becoming an established central figure in Scottish music. Alongside teaching she still has a busy playing schedule and plays with the Red Note Ensemble, as a soloist and with her own trio.
This short piece, Interlaced, was written in 2017 for her sister’s wedding. She says it is deliberately fun to play and easy to put together because of the limited rehearsal time that was available on the wedding day. It is for two flutes and one alto flute.
Note by Rachel Leach
Zequinha de Abreuo (1880–1935)
Tico Tico
Brazilian musician and composer Zequinha de Abreu was born in the São Paulo state and is now most famous, and extremely famous, for writing this instantly recognisable tune. Written in 1917, the current title translates as ‘rufous collared sparrow in the cornmeal’. Incredibly its original title of Tico Tico No Farelo was already taken by another song! It’s famous jerky melody describes the bird pecking away at her food. In 1931, Aloysio de Oliveira added lyrics, then the Andrews Sisters translated them and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then it has been used countless times in film, adverts and on TV perhaps most notably at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Brazil Olympics showing that the Brazilians have fully embraced it as an unofficial national anthem.
Note by Rachel Leach
Valerie Coleman (b 1970)
Umoja
Flutist and composer Valerie Coleman was named Top Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today in 2020 and one of the top 35 female composers in the world by the Washington Post. Born in Louisville, Kentucky in the same suburb as Mohammed Ali, Coleman was raised by her mother and sisters after her father’s sudden death. She says she was fascinated by the flute as a toddler and would pick up sticks and twigs in the garden and try to play them. She started composing at a young age too and had completed three symphonies by the age of 14!
Umoja is her signature composition. It was originally written in 2001 for women’s choir to celebrate the first day of Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African American culture. It now exists in many different variations. The title translates as ‘unity’.
Note by Rachel Leach
Harold Arlen (1905–1986)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
The melody of one of the most famous songs of the 20th century apparently arrived fully formed in its composer’s head as he drove down Sunset Boulevard. Harold Arlen and lyricist Yip Harburg had been given 14 weeks and a Hollywood bungalow to come up with the score to Wizard of Oz but had to fight to have this song included film after the producers felt that it dragged down the pacing of the movie. It's hard now to imagine the film or its star, Judy Garland, without it.
The song and Herbert Stothart’s surrounding score both won Oscars, and in 2017 it was included in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Arlen wrote over 500 songs, many of which are now standards and he was nominated for a further eight Academy Awards. When he died in 1986, fellow songwriting Irving Berlin said ‘he wasn’t as well-known as some of us but he was a better songwriter than most of us’.
Note by Rachel Leach
About the Artists
© Victoria Davies
© Victoria Davies
Gareth Davies, flute
LSO Principal Flute
LSO Member since 2000; Professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama; Chair endowed in memory of Manja Leigh
Gareth Davies joined the LSO in 2000 and has also served as Chair of the Orchestra. As well as playing, he enjoys LSO Discovery work and has written several projects which have been performed in London and the US. His book, The Show Must Go On, was a book of the year in the Financial Times and Classical Music magazine. He has written and presented programmes on Classic FM and BBC Radio 3, and is also in demand as a teacher and performer around the world.
Amy Yule, flute
LSO Principal Flute
LSO Member since 2026
Amy grew up in South East London and began her musical education in the orchestras and bands at the Bromley Youth Music Trust. In 2017, she was offered the job of Principal Flute of the Royal Northern Sinfonia where she spent a few years before moving to Manchester to take up the same role with the Hallé.
Outside of the orchestra, Amy is a flute tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Youth Orchestra where she works with the young musicians of the orchestra as well as being involved in their Inspire Programme.
Amy gained her master’s from the Royal Academy of Music where she studied flute with Michael Cox and Karen Jones and piccolo with Pat Morris. She graduated with distinction, a DipRAM award and prizes including the Patron’s Award, Woodwind Finalists’ Prize and the HRH Duchess of Gloucester Prize. Prior to this Amy studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Laura Jellicoe, Jo Boddington and Richard Davis. She has been awarded associate membership of both institutions and is also looking forward to starting a new position of International Visiting Artist at the Royal College of Music in September.
Imogen Royce, flute
LSO Flute
LSO Member since 2024
Imogen Royce grew up in Manchester, where she started playing the flute aged nine. Whilst she was at secondary school, she attended the Junior Department of the Royal Northern College of Music, and she was also a member of both the Hallé Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. During these years, Imogen was taught by Noemi Győri and Katherine Baker.
Imogen then went on to study at the Royal College of Music with Sue Thomas, Gitte Marcusson, Adam Walker, Stewart McIlwham and Kathleen Stevenson. Whilst studying at the RCM, she was accepted onto the Chamber Orchestra of Europe Academy and the English National Opera Evolve Scheme.
After graduating from the Royal College of Music in 2019 with first class honours, Imogen has performed as a freelance flautist with many of the UK’s most prestigious orchestras. She joined the LSO in 2024.
Sharon Williams, flute
LSO Principal Piccolo
LSO Member since 2001
Sharon Williams joined the LSO in 2001 having also held the position of Principal Piccolo firstly in the Hong Kong Philharmonic and then the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A former student of the Royal College of Music, Sharon has also played with most of the major British orchestras and opera companies. She enjoys teaching flute and piccolo and regularly undertakes masterclasses and adjudicating. The LSO enables Sharon’s love of travelling and she loves exploring new places during downtime on tour.
Elizabeth Burley, piano
Associate of the Royal College of Music, Fellow of the Royal College of Music
Elizabeth Burley won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music. She enjoys a varied career and is much in demand particularly as a chamber musician and orchestral pianist. She has given concerts throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and North America with many leading soloists including Håkan Hardenburger, Michael Collins, Isabelle van Keulen, Robert Cohen and Philippe Graffin.
She has made numerous chamber music recordings, most recently a disc of piano duets with Kathryn Stott.
As orchestral pianist Elizabeth performs regularly in concerts, tours and recordings with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia and BBC Symphony Orchestra. In this work she has collaborated with many of the 20th century’s leading composers including Lutosławski, Carter, Boulez, Berio, Knussen, Adès and Adams.
In the 2004 Proms season she made her debut as a solo artist in a performance of Colin MacPhee’s Tabuh-tabulan with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Elizabeth has broadcast regularly on BBC radio and television and is currently official accompanist of the BBC Young Musician.
© Kevin Leighton
© Kevin Leighton
Rachel Leach
Presenter
Rachel Leach was born in Sheffield. She studied composition, and her music has been recorded by NMC and published by Faber. She has won several awards, including the RPS award for best education project 2009 for One Day, Two Dawns with English Touring Opera (ETO).
Rachel has worked within the education departments of most of the UK’s orchestras and opera companies. The majority of her work is for the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Rachel has written well over 20 pieces for LSO Discovery and 15 community operas, including seven for English Touring Opera.
Increasingly in demand as a concert presenter, as well as presenting the LSO Discovery Free Friday Lunchtime Concert series, she regularly presents children’s concerts and pre-concert events for the LSO, LPO, Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal College of Music and Royal Northern Sinfonia.
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Free Friday Lunchtime Concert
Friday 26 June 2026
12.30pm
LSO St Luke's
Curious about instrumental music? Looking to make lunchtime musical? Try a bite-size, informal concert, performed by a small group of musicians.
Friendly introductions from presenter Rachel Leach will guide you through the concert, introducing you to the music and instruments. And if you’re left with burning questions, you can ask them during a Q+A session with the performers.
Suitable for everyone over the age of 5
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