Review of the Mid-Somerset Orchestra ‘Prom’ Concert - Saturday July 1st, 2005
It is July again and as usual the Mid-Somerset Orchestra ended the season with one of their ever popular Summer Prom concerts. Strode Theatre, Street, was packed for a concert which featured several works with a nationalistic flavour.The programme got under way with the rousing overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila by the "father of Russian music", Glinka. Conductor, Martin Freke, adopted a slower tempo than is normally the custom but, by doing so, avoided what could have been a scramble through this technically difficult piece and thereby enabled the orchestra to give it a well pointed and rhythmic performance. Mention must be made of the cello section which sang out confidently in the lyrical second theme. A promising start to the evening.
The main item in the programme was the finest of all cello concertos, that by the Czech composer, Dvo?ák. Written towards the end of his three year stint as Director of the New York Conservatory, the work reflects his longing for his homeland. It is by turn vigorous and lyrical and makes extreme demands on the soloist's technique and musical sensitivity. In Sarah Barnes we had a soloist who brilliantly rose to the occasion. A former winner of the string section of the Radio 2 Young Musician of the Year competition, Sarah has had a distinguished international career as a soloist. She is currently head of music at Crispin School, Street. After a spirited orchestral introduction she made her first entry with confidence and proceeded to dazzle us with her mastery of her instrument and then, on reaching the lovely second subject, impressed us with her lyrical qualities. Indeed, it was this latter aspect of her interpretation which remains uppermost in the memory. One recalls in particular those passages in the second and third movements where Dvo?ák gives the cellist duets with soloists form within the orchestra and these were sensitively realised by all concerned. The orchestra as a whole provided sterling support and their conductor steered them well through the many awkward moments of rubato. There appeared to be a slight disagreement over the tempo at the start of the finale where the soloist adopted a brisker approach to that set by the conductor. However, that was a minor detail and thereafter all went well particularly in the elegiac section in which the composer seems reluctant to bring the piece to a close. After the final flourish the audience gave the soloist an enthusiastic and well deserved ovation. We are lucky indeed to have such a fine artist in our midst and it is to be hoped that the MSO will call upon her again soon.
The second half of the programme began with Vaughan Williams' English Folksong Suite. Originally scored for military band, it was later arranged (with the composer’s approval) by Gordon Jacob. The suite, which includes such well known songs as Seventeen Come Sunday and Blow Away the Morning Dew, was given a sprightly and, in the middle movement, reflective performance.
In the Romance in G for Violin and Orchestra by the Norwegian composer Svendsen, a contemporary and friend of Grieg, the soloist was Hywel Jenkins who was celebrating thirty years with the orchestra, twenty five of them as its leader. The lyrical outer sections of the piece were played with beauty of tone and subtlety of phrasing whilst the faster central passages were delivered with urgency and accuracy. We should hear more of Hywel in a solo capacity.
The remainder of the evening was given over to the usual Last Night of the Proms fare. Sir Henry Wood's Fantasia on British Sea Songs was given complete including the fiendishly difficult Clarinet cadenza which was brilliantly despatched by first clarinettist, Louise Druce. Mention should also be made of the eloquent solos of cello Stuart Clark (principal cello) and Nerine Ozanne (first oboe) in, respectively Tom Bowling and Home Sweet Home.
It was refreshing to hear Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No.4 instead of the more jingoistic No.1 even if it did mean that we were denied the opportunity to join in the trio! I see from their brochure for next season that they will be playing No.5 next year so perhaps we shall eventually get to hear them all.
We were able to open our throats for the last item, Parry's setting of Blake's Jerusalem, thus bringing the concert to a rousing close.
Martin Freke and his players can take satisfaction from having given us a fine evening of live music making.
Brendan Sadler
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