The Wolsey Orchestra has an admirable commitment to providing a platform for local soloists and the combination of an attractive programme and Ipswich soloist resulted in an enthusiastic audience in the Corn Exchange.
Before any thoughts on the music, a word of praise should go to Rosy Payne for her excellent programme notes.
In La Forza del Destino the brass and woodwind had power and bite and conductor William Carslake drew the differing moods and tempi into a convincing whole with his clear and authoritative beat.
Brahms' Violin Concerto is at the summit of the violin repertory (Beethoven or Brahms - Everest or K2? is an intriguing debate). Taking up the challenges of technique and interpretation was eighteen year old Rosemary Hinton, already with two years experience as co-leader of the National Youth Orchestra. The introduction allows ample time for soloist nerves but Rosemary was calmness itself as the downward semiquaver figures propelled her to her entry. The opening ascent was strong and confident, settling into a sweet toned reprise of the opening theme. She continued to play with astonishing command and control, the multiple stopping holding no fears for her. The woodwind distinguished themselves with accurate and sensitive playing in the wonderful slow movement while Rosemary weaved a delicate yet secure thread around the melodic line. She and the orchestra fully captured the earthy vigour of the finale and the performance was a triumph for everyone concerned. Rosemary is a violinist of outstanding abilities with the personality and poise to achieve a great deal in the future.
Elgar's first symphony opens with one of his finest tunes and conductor and orchestra invested it with just the right proportions of nobility and restraint. In the Allegro the depth and complexity of Elgar's orchestration was fully realised and the mercurial mood changes of the scherzo were effectively done. The slow movement and finale both enjoyed passages in which the orchestra produced a blazing, fully rounded sound and the hectic closing bars gave a final flourish to an excellent evening.
As soon as the opening bars of Britten's Evocative Four Sea Interludes, were heard, the audience knew they were in for a fabulous evening: From the rising excitement of Dawn, through Sunday Morning, the brilliance of Moonlight to the thunderous violence with powerful effects provided by the percussion section, of the Storm. This was a superbly atmospheric performance by the Wolsey Orchestra and Leader Jamie Foreman, in this new concert hall.
Elgar's beautiful Sea Pictures, a song cycle of five songs by various poets were performed with great expressive interpretation by soloist, Daniela Bechly.
Rachmaninov's Symphony No.2 in E minor was written in Dresden (1806-7). As from the beginning, the entire orchestra was in complete unity with conductor Ben Palmer, whose superb direction and encouragement were followed with absolute precision. This was a magnificent performance: From the intensity of the opening dramatic movement, the energetic scherzo, the breathtaking adagio with its beautiful clarinet solo, through to the summing up of the entire work in a grand sweeping finale. As it said in the excellent programme notes "The overwhelming feeling of a triumphant and joyous homecoming".
Thunderous applause was testament to an exceptional evening of wonderful music, exquisitely communicated to an appreciative audience.
First up was Momentum, by Woodbridge composer Christopher Wright, who described it as "a concert opener...which does not pretend to be profound, but offers a moment experience." It was much enjoyed and gave the orchestra the opportunity to show its virtuosity.
Gerald Finzi's gorgeous Clarinet Concerto requires delicate balance between the clarinet and the strings. This was beautifully achieved by James Meldrum, a young, local musician now rightly making a name for himself here and abroad, and conductor Andrew Morley, whose careful control of the strings created a wonderful strong, elegiac tone.
The second half of Saturday's concert comprised Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Suite No 3 in G Major. Composed when he was recovering from depression, it perhaps lacks the emotional depth of his symphonies. Nevertheless there was much to feel and enjoy in this performance; a great variety of mood and virtuosity, with the dance-like Polacca bringing the evening to a brilliant, triumphal end.
What a bright start to a wonderful evening of 20th century music.
Gershwin's An American in Paris is a blend of two different cultures and the Wolsey Orchestra captured both with the brashness of the big band and jazz sequences, plus the sensitivity of the orchestra, in a way that delighted the audience.
Kerenza Peacock is an Ipswich-born young musician now making good on the international
stage and
was greeted enthusiastically when she came out to play solo in Barber?s Violin Concerto.
The second movement is particularly beautiful and melancholic and she achieved a
breathtaking intensity, sustained in the quicksilver but all-too-short last movement.
Rachmaninov wrote his Symphonic Dances in the last years of his life, at the start of the Second World War, and while they do not necessarily have the fireworks of his earlier works they are full of beauty and innovation.
William Carslake was in total control of the orchestra's forces and mesmerised with his sensitive interpretation and expressive conductor?s dance on the podium.
Unable to put on their regular Spring concert at the Ipswich Corn Exchange whilst it is being refurbished, the Wolsey Orchestra were faced with a dilemma. Where can a symphony orchestra put on a concert in Ipswich during the month of February? Indeed future concerts are under threat as current plans state that the Corn Exchang is to be regularly mothballed during the late winter months. As a result Suffolk's major metropolis is now unable to host symphonic concerts and other large scale cultural events for a significant part of the concert season.
The Wolsey's answer to their dilemma, for this year at least, was to downsize to a small chamber orchestra and stage a delightful programme to a sell out audience at St Peter's by the Waterfront. Conductor Andrew Morley, on his third engagement with the Wolsey, is obviously very popular with the orchestra, with whom he exhibits extraordinary rapport. He is clearly a colossus of ability and musical leadership and with youth on his side is destined for success in the highest echelons of professional music making.
The evening opened with Mozart's Overture to Don Giovanni, whose brooding dramatic tensions and contrasts were brilliant exploited and conveyed by Andrew Morley who coaxed a wonderful response from the Wolsey with every nuance and sweep of his baton. Indeed this was merely the prelude to a joyful evening of music making that went on to encompass highly distinguished accounts of Mendelssohn's scintillating "Italian" symphony and the sublime Pastoral vision of Beethoven's 6th Symphony.
Ipswich is fortunate to host an orchestra of this calibre - ideas to support its mission of providing large scale and high quality symphonic concerts in Ipswich throughout the year to our letters column please!
Wolsey Orchestra is a member of the Ipswich Arts Association.To find out more about the Association, its members, events and activities, and to read Images magazine online, visit www.ipswich-arts.org.uk
The Wolsey Orchestra is a member of the National Federation of Music Societies
