A TRIBUTE to Shakespeare s star-crossed lovers is being performed by the University of Herts resident orchestra next weekend. The Philharmonic at UH will be performing Bernstein s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Prokofiev s ballet score of Rome

A TRIBUTE to Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers is being performed by the University of Herts' resident orchestra next weekend.

The Philharmonic at UH will be performing Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Prokofiev's ballet score of Romeo and Juliet at the concert in the Weston Auditorium at 7.30pm on Sunday, March 16.

West Side Story is based on Romeo and Juliet and brought a new dimension to Shakespeare's classic love story and the underlying dynamics of social and racial strife.

It opens with the Scherzo before an abrupt switch to the Mambo which is dominated by percussion and brass. The third movement Cha-cha is soft and graceful while the Fugue underscores the conflict between the Sharks and the Jets.

That will be followed by a new arrangement of Rachmaninov's original solo piano pieces Six Morceaux by the orchestra's percussionist Daniel Basford.

The concert will close with the ballet by Prokofiev, extracted by the composer as three suites for orchestra and as a piano work.

The Philharmonic at UH is led by conductor Robin Browning who described both the Bernstein and Prokofiev's works as stretching the Romeo and Juliet story of passion and conflict to the limit.

A pre-concert talk is being held at 6.45pm and tickets for that are £2.50 with free entrance to Friends of the Orchestra. Concert tickets are £15 with concessions £12 and students and children £6, available from the box office on 01707 281127.