Ambitious programme planning seems to be a feature of the Westmorland Orchestra’s concerts these days.
But the successful concert in Kendal Parish Church on Saturday June 15 proved that the orchestra can rise to the challenge of presenting large-scale works.
It was a brave move to open the concert with Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from his opera Tristan and Isolde.
The opening movement is a nervous moment for cellos and woodwind but it came off. The large cello section produced a lovely cantabile line and the woodwind section responded expressively with well-shaped phrases.
The huge climaxes of the Liebestod were very effective with the brass section making a significant contribution – not forgetting, too, the important harp arpeggios.
This is a passionate piece of orchestral writing and the performance was entirely convincing, releasing all the pent up emotions that Wagner must have felt when he wrote the work.
It was good to hear all four of Grieg’s Norwegian Dances; no. 3 with its jaunty tune is the one usually favoured in concerts. The final Allegro molto peasant dance brought the first half of the concert to a successful conclusion.
How fortunate Kendal Parish Church is to have such a fine organist as Andy Plowman. His playing of the first movement of Widor’s Symphony No.5 for organ was masterly. Audience enjoyment of this piece was enhanced by video shots of Andy at work.
Kendal Parish Church was the obvious venue for this concert. With a programme requiring an organ as part of a large orchestra there was no other concert venue in Kendal with the necessary space to allow us to hear Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony in all its glory.
The climax of this work, of course, is the point in the last movement when the organ comes crashing in and, in spite of the organ being positioned at the other end of the church far from orchestra and conductor, modern technology ensured that this treasured moment was achieved effectively.
The whole church was filled with sound which brought an instant and well-deserved response from the audience when the final chord was reached.
In spite of the rather boomy acoustic (and uncomfortable pews!) the Parish Church proved a good venue for this programme, all so ably directed by conductor Melvin Tay who must have been immensely proud of what he had achieved.
We look forward to more concerts by the talented and dedicated players who, week by week, give up their time to prepare large orchestral works for the benefit of residents of South Lakeland.
