Review | Solent Symphony Orchestra 30th anniversary concert at St Thomas' Cathedral: 'A wonderful evening with a fantastic orchestra'

The orchestra opened with the little-known Overture Cyrano De Bergerac by Johan Wagenaar.

The opening section had the resemblance of a Richard Strauss tone poem with splashes of Brahms here and there but clearly with an early 20th Century Germanic feel. It had sweeping chromatic string and woodwind lines interspersed with brass heroic fanfares. The whole orchestra played it with aplomb with Steve at the helm clearly enjoying himself.

The highlight of the evening came with the work Konzertstück for four Horns and Orchestra by Robert Schumman. It is one of the most challenging and demanding pieces for the French horn and was played by the horn group, Cornucopia-Fiona Brockhurst, Bridget Holton, Ieuan Davies and David Ansell.

The group gave a well-balanced and assured performance with beautiful phrasing throughout. Fiona Brockhurst’s superb playing made light work of the extremely high lines and notes.

However, some of the clarity and detail in the first and third movements became a little lost in the cathedral’s acoustics.

In the second half the audience was treated to an electric performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.4. The energy was evident throughout the whole orchestra.

The brass blazed the opening theme with the strings playing with a clarity and passion, this was particularly evident in the second movement with the cellos.

The finale was joyous with expert interaction between the woodwind and strings with Steve letting the brass off their leash to bring the symphony to triumphant conclusion.

Steve then gave us an emotional and poignant extra, the final part of Mussorgsky’s, Great Gate of Kyiv, in support of the Ukrainian people.

It was a wonderful evening with a fantastic orchestra.

Here’s to another 30 years.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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