Introducing James Judd, conductor 'Anna Leese, Gloria and Organ Symphony'

What makes Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ such a special work to conduct, and what should audiences listen for in this performance?

From the first few bars of his ‘Gloria’, Poulenc almost shocks us into a joyous 25 minutes of intensely human expression. It is a succinct journey through elation to pensiveness, a most thought-provoking musical rediscovery of the text, ending in a probing, questioning ‘Amen’.

Anna Leese returns after four years to perform with the DSO. What does her artistry bring to this concert and to Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’?

I am thrilled that Anna Leese can join us in this work. The seemingly simple harmonic language requires a solo voice of great control, sensitivity, colour and understanding. In Anna Leese we have an artist with all of these skills.

Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 is beloved for its use of the organ. How do you approach balancing the orchestra and organ in this work, especially in the acoustic of the Dunedin Town Hall?

My first musical ambition was to be an organist and when my legs grew long enough to reach the pedals I was playing in various churches near home in England. Saint-Saëns was commissioned by Philharmonic Society of London to write his Third Symphony, and there he conducted the première. So he wrote the work with the colours of a grand English pipe organ in mind, probably not unlike the sounds of the instrument in Dunedin Town Hall. The work requires that the sounds of the organ, even when in full voice, are blended with the instrumental textures of the orchestra.

This concert closes the DSO’s 2025 International Series. What do you hope audiences will take away from this grand finale?

I hope it will leave our loyal audience wanting to explore more music with us in future seasons and that they will be inspired to bring new audience members to share the experience.