Fairy Tales

The St Albans Symphony Orchestra are back at St Saviour's Church on Sunday 15 November, with their annual Family Concert, Fairy Tales. It's the one they put on every year as an introduction to orchestral music for children, so it's built for families rather than the usual concert-going crowd. The whole thing is themed around fairy tales, and the programme follows suit.

There's a fair bit of ground to cover in one afternoon. You'll hear Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf (the Andante), Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King, and the Dance Infernal and Finale from Stravinsky's Firebird. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Overture is in there too, alongside Laideronette, Empress of the Pagodas from Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, and the Suzanna's Secret Overture by Wolf-Ferrari. It's a mix of the big names most of us recognise and a few others that fit the theme.

It's not just about sitting and listening, either. The orchestra encourages everyone to turn up in fancy dress, and during the interval you can mingle with the players and try out the instruments yourself. If you're bringing kids, that's usually the part they enjoy most — getting close to the orchestra and seeing how the sounds they've just heard are actually made.

Guest conductor Lucia Švecová and guest leader Christiane Eidsten Dahl are leading the orchestra for this one. The concert runs on Sunday 15 November, with two performances at 2.30pm and 4.00pm at St Saviour's Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF. Tickets are £8.00 for adults and £2.00 for children aged two and over, with under-twos free.