HCO and Iain Farrington: Live at St Mary’s, Hitchin

Never be afraid to find new music to enjoy - it may be closer than you think. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hitchin Chamber Orchestra was the perfect opportunity for the ensemble to commission a special piece by the town’s very own composer and pianist Iain Farrington.

Iain Farrington and HIlary at the premiere of Talk of the Town

Talk of the Town is a suite of five movements for string orchestra and I had the chance to speak to Iain about his approach to the composition and something of his background on Harmonious World. Although living and working in Hitchin, he is an internationally renowned composer, pianist and organist and was recently made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music alongside luminaries such as Alexis Ffrench, Pretty Yende, Brian Eno and Gary Crosby.

The concert followed weeks of rehearsal and this lovely string orchestra, expertly conducted by the young and ridiculously-talented Daniel Hogan, performed a selection of their favourite works by Ireland, Vaughan Williams, Rutter, Finzi and Elgar alongside the Farrington premiere.

If you listened to our podcast chat, you'll have heard Iain's commentary on Talk of the Town, and where the inspiration came from. Hitchin is a quaint English market town with a long history and for those of us, the motifs included in the music were reminiscent of all the town stands for and the people who make it special.

Iain collaborated with the orchestra to create a work that is significant and achievable by the collection of professional, semi-professional and gifted amateur musicians. The five movements that make up Talk of the Town - Saturday Market The Font of St Mary's; Sledging on Windmill Hill; Farewell, Old Home; and Town Square Celebration - are individual yet make up a cohesive whole, although it feels very much like the final movement could be arranged for different ensembles and become something of a town theme tune.

Regardless of future performance or recording opportunities of Talk of the Town, this world premiere was a perfect example of the excellent composing and performing of which Hitchin can be justifiably proud.

The encore was inspired - Percy Grainger’s Handel in the Strand, with Farrington at the piano. It brought the evening to a perfect conclusion and was a touching way to conclude the celebrations of Hitchin Chamber Orchestra's Tenth Anniversary.