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SIX IF THE BEST

Review of 8th February 2025 Concert - by Paul Nash

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Tonight’s programme was based on the BBC’s popular music show ‘Friday Night is Music Night’, despite it being Saturday night, in which it presented a varied selection of classical favourites. Our evening programme was, as always, very well curated with some wonderful pieces from well known and also under-rated lesser-known composers. For me this is an absolute joy, discovering fabulous music and to go away and explore their other works.

Mendelssohn’s Hebrides set the tone of the show with wonderful sweeping melodies evoking those rugged Scottish highland landscapes and Fingal’s cave. The majestic theme swells and falls like the ocean surging up the coast, played beautifully by the whole orchestra.

Next up was the Suffolk suite by Doreen Carwithen, four short pieces taking us on a journey evoking scenes around the county, an unpretentious work with simplistic but delightful melodies.

Before the break came the real treat of the night, Walter Ross’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra, with accomplished soloist Max Lamprecht on Double Bass making his return to the SSO where he began his musical career. Despite his young age Max showed a mature eloquence to his interpretation of the piece, really showing off the instrument to the maximum and beyond. An absolutely stunning performance backed as always by some wonderful playing from the orchestra with special mention to first violin Tony Mason.

Frank Bridge’s Dance Rhapsody brought us back from the break with a bang! An all out full orchestral scoring, motoring along so you hardly notice the breaks in the four sections. Themes weave in and out throughout and with the addition of the beautifully played Harp (Anita Aslin) and celeste (William Oseland) the sound was just immersive and huge.

Shades of Ralph Vaughn Williams from the under-rated George Butterworth with his piece ‘The Banks of Green Willow’ brought us down a notch with smaller orchestral forces, utilising folk melodies and atmospheres, delicate textures and lilting melodies, this was just exquisite.

And so to the final piece, and what a finale! Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody (as featured in the Tom and Jerry cartoon ‘The Cat Concerto’) but tonight there were no mice or cats here, just incredible Hungarian folk melodies, slow (lassan) and fast (friska) interweaved to form a fantastic full force finale. With great emotional depth and technical complexity for the orchestra, this is no easy piece to play, but conductor Shaun Matthew had drilled his players well and they certainly rose to the occasion giving one of the best performances I have seen, just brilliant. Special mention must go to the soloists Julie Alder on clarinet, Helen Mitchell on Flute, Peter Walser on Oboe and once again Tony Mason on Violin, who all simply knocked it out of the park.

I left with a bucketful of earworms and a smile on my face, what a night! Tonight’s show was deservedly full, so I suggest getting tickets early for the next concert on May 10th available from scarborough-orchestra.org – do not miss out!

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