Stroud Arts Anthem

Jonathan Trim with the Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra

Be among the first to hear the world premiere of a specially commissioned orchestral work, written to mark the 80th anniversary of Stroud’s oldest festival. Bold, uplifting and full of local spirit, the piece celebrates the generations of organisers, performers and audiences whose passion has shaped the festival’s remarkable story.

Performed by the outstanding young musicians of the Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra, this promises to be a memorable and inspiring occasion at the heart of the festival year.

We look forward to welcoming the people of Stroud and the surrounding district to this very special event.

The idea of water flowing through the Five Valleys runs through the whole work, giving it kinship with a previous orchestral commission from 2004 “Heart of the Five Valleys”. A similar flowing “river” motif is shared by both works.

The work opens with a folk-like melody to reflect the people of our town and their creative and artistic vibrancy. The main theme is an epic anthem-like melody which stands as a solid foundation throughout the work to represent the nature and stunning countryside of the Five Valleys.

A lively middle section reflects the bustle of the town and its industrial heritage. A musical epigram based on the word STROUD makes a solitary appearance in a gentle elegiac string section celebrating those we have lost along the journey.

The work ends in hymn-like grandeur with a self quotation from the conclusion of my choral/orchestral work “Severn Meadows”