Concert performed by the orchestra
CHARNWOOD Orchestra performed a most interesting concert on Saturday, September 23, at Holy Trinity Church, Barrow-upon-Soar.
The programme featured some familiar pieces and some that are rarely heard. The opening Symphony in D by CPE Bach is a really challenging piece for any ensemble, frenetic in places and with some unusual features, but the strings coped well while the oboes brought a warm tone.
The bridge into the second movement gave the bassoons and flutes a chance to shine, while the cellos and flutes played really well in the largo.
The joyful finale is repeatedly interrupted by a seven note winding question from the strings which they han- dled well, receiving warm applause from the audience.
The highlight of the evening came next with guest soloist, Timothy Taylorson, featuring in Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1 in D.
It is rare to hear a flute concerto performed, partly because the repertoire is not large, with many major composers writing nothing for the instrument and several of the pieces coming only through commissions.
This commission for Ferdinand Dejean, a doctor and amateur flautist, was rushed through while Mozart was distracted by his enthralment with Aloysia Weber, and yet it remains a wonderful piece of music.
The entire orchestra played superbly throughout while the soloist was a joy to hear, particularly in the cadenzas in the first two movements.
The conductor, Nic Fallowfield, was in total control, the horns were on top form and the orchestra were just having fun with an outstanding performance.
A couple of extracts from Gluck’s opera Orpheus and Eurydice opened the second half and the orchestra played the harmonies well with the flutes carrying the melodies beautifully.
The final piece of the evening was Schubert’s familiar and hugely popular Symphony No. 5 in B flat major.
This is almost half an hour of the most wonderful music which the conductor led without a score and with complete assurance.
In the opening movement the first violins carried the melodies well, with the cellos and bass supporting powerfully and the woodwind clear and confident, while in the andante the horns and bassoons brought a lovely deep tone.
The third movement had some great changes of pace, while the final movement was played faster than any recording I have ever heard, but with good accuracy and enthusiasm.
The large audience applauded warmly, several of them having brought cushions.
Without one, I had forgotten how church pews can sometimes be as hard and unforgiving as a music critic.
Nic Fallowfield has been the orchestra’s conductor for almost 20 years and is clearly not only very able, but also hugely popular with the ensemble, selecting a mixture of popular and challenging pieces.
Their next concert on November 17 is at Emmanuel Church where no cushions are required. Details may be found on the orchestra’s website.