Usher Hall celebrates big birthday in grand style

TAKE A bow, those who organised the Usher Hall’s 100th birthday concert. From the lovingly-restored facsimile of the opening concert in 1914 to the last bars of Beethoven’s Fifth symphony, the evening was a resounding success.

The line-up of performers was as impressive as their performance — the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, Edinburgh University Singers and city organist John Kitchen— but perhaps I should start with organist Doctor Kitchen.

His Handel concerto was perfect, as was his choice of solo stops in an arrangement of Grieg’s Morning from the Peer Gynt Suite. But his crowning glory was the Bach C minor Passacaglia, and Fugue, the gradual increase of volume timed to perfection with a final full-organ sound showcasing the Hall’s magnif icent Harrison and Harrisonorgan.

The combined voices of the Choral Union and Kitchen’s university choir made a magnificent contribution, expertly guided by Michael Bawtree.

The choice of a selection from Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise fitted the occasion ideally, a vibrant and uplifting choral celebration that was performed with all the characteristics of a top-class choir, with telling contributions by sopranos Emily Mitchell and Deborah Rudden. The singing was even better in Parry’s Blest PairofSirens, achoralclassic.

Last but not least comes the RSNO, an orchestra who have graced the Usher Hall stage countless times. Having heard them the previous night, there was a touch of déjà vu with MacCunn’s Land of the Mountain and the Flood and Beethoven’s Fifth, and all that remained was to see if Thomas Sondergard would temper the tempo in the latter. He didn’t and it was another fast and furious interpretation.

It was an exciting end to an evening they had started in similar fashion, with a marvellous account of Wagner’s Prelude to act 3 of Lohengrin.