** Positive Notes about Selected Concerts **
Season - 2023/2024
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11th Aug 2024 - 14:00 hrs - Christopher Gradwell (Clarinet), Alex McNeice (tenor), Nicholas Brown (piano)
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
A first half of two clarinet show pieces (Finzi and Weber) was followed by a more relaxed set of lighter (more jazzy) melodies. Nicholas Brown's composition "Three Cats" based on the poems of T S Eliot were well performed by the young local tenor Alex McNeice. Very likely a name to watch for the future.
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6th Aug 2024 - 17:00 hrs - Ghost Light: Between Fall and Flight - The Lafayette
Fringe Big Top, Edinburgh, Scotland
The unusual is what the Fringe is perhaps all about. Two mysterious folk performing high acrobatics in dark lighting (great heights and almost olympic standard somersaults and twists). Maybe as a piece of theatre it didn't quite come off but as a good show it provided a curious hour's entertainment.
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6th Aug 2024 - 14:30 hrs - Voices of Lions Choir (Hampton School) - Daniel Roland (director)
St Paul's Church, Edinburgh, Scotland
Having gently given us the hard sell on "The Royal Mile" with a leaflet and a smile, this choir impressed completely with their intonation, dynamics, diction and wide range of material.
All soloists were drawn from within the group. A special mention to Sam Moshi for his superb arrangement of Garner and Burke's "Misty"
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5th Aug 2024 - 19:40 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director)
SpaceTriplex, Edinburgh, Scotland
A sell out performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. When you see the competition out there (ie the sheer number of Fringe events) you realise this is no mean achievement.
The venue was hot - the audience were shuffled in and out very efficiently if somewhat brusquely - but the choir gave there all and sounded great!
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5th Aug 2024 - 14:30 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director)
Brewhemia, Edinburgh, Scotland
An unofficial promotional concert (ahead of the evening's official performance) in an excellent venue opposite Waverley Station.
Good beer, good music and good atmosphere! Great for getting in the festival mood!
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30th July 2024 - 19:30 hrs - BBC Prom
15 - BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - Nicholas Collon - Steven Osborne (piano) - Cynthia Millar (Ondes Martenot)
Royal Albert Hall, London
The premier of Anna Klein's "The Gorgeous Nothings" featured the seven "Swingle" singers. They didn't seem entirely comfortable with the workings of singing with an orchestra. Anna Klein's use of live electronic processing did introduce some interesting orchestral colours (was that an organ? no, it seems (according to the programme notes) it was double bass notes transposed down an octave by the electronics). But the use of reverberation on the singer's voices seemed to make a mush of the text and meant every tight chord strike finish (and there were many) lose it's crispness with the artificial echo "hanging on".
The Swingles did do one of their standards for an encore and here they shone, singing like they loved the music and were a happy team indeed!
Olivier Messiaen's Turangalila-Symphonie is a seventy-five minute blast of colour. Eight percusionists were spot on throughout (the visual display of all the Maracas going up together is quite something!). Nicholas Collon offers a clean clear beat and a real strong sense of rhythm and this resulted in a tight well paced performance with all of Messiaen's very distinctive orchestration made to feel natural and flowing.
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20th Jul 2024 - 11:10 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director)
Honiton Charter Day Festival, Honiton, Devon
Heavy rain and cold strong wind meant this was a stern test for both audience and Carey Camel.
As always the joy and pleasure communicated by the singers was palpable and almost made it feel like a warm summer's day!
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St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
A concert presented by The Friends of St Andrew's Church, preceede by some excellent canopes on the lawn on what turned out to be a bit of damp cold June evening.
The music making was far from cold and damp. A first half of two standard repertoire pieces was followed by two fascinating works with Syrian connections. Aleppo Songs by Syrian American Kareem Roustom and The Syrian Suite by Syrian French Dia Succari.
Both seemed to combine a sense of middle eastern melody with perhaps western classical harmony. Both were played with complete conviction by Syrian English Riyad Nicolas. He is not frightened to vary tempos at every bar and loves to give music space, perhaps toying with the audiences need for resolution?
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Brixham Theatre, Brixham, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Predictably the lighting design was poor and the dry theatre acoustic made balance very tricky but these factors didn't seem to deter the audience from enjoying a programme of a mixture of well known works.
Soloist Ofer Falk seemed unphased by the unsympathetic environment and gave a relaxed flexible and moving performance of Beethoven's violin concerto.
Photograph: The orchestra and soloist at the afternoon's rehearsal. Yes they really did leave that shoddy scruffy background in place for the concert !
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Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Joel Munday in action featuring his brand new fiddle recently completed by Andreas Hudelmeyer and working with his talented pianist friend Lucas Krupinski drew a good sized audience. No compromises on programme content here, Bach and Chopin are more or less obligatory but the real meat was in the Bartok solo violin sonata, the Scriabin piano preludes Op 11 and the intensly anguished Sonata for violin and piano by Janacek.
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Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Opening with Strauss' Die Fledermaus overture always gets a concert off to a good start. This was followed by Lucas Krupinski's performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 (Op 37). Lucas Krupinski has a very wide dynamic range at his fingertips and he uses this to great effect, gettting some exquisit pianissimo moments in the slow movement. All the fast passages were likewise perfectly and tastefully executed. This was Beethoven as it should be played.
If the Strauss is a popular concert opener, Dvorak's New World is an even more popular concert second half! The orchestra and conductor Roger Hendy gave a good account of this well known work.
The horn section (left to right): Simon Thomas, Roger Swann (principal), Hilary Gunn, Mike Ogonovsky
(Photograph: Karen Eaves)
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13th Jun 2024 - 19:30 hrs - A Midsummer Lyme's Dream
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, Dorset
The Lyme Regis Community Play was cleverly written by Andy Rattenbury, directed by Tessa Morton AND Nicola Kathrens (two directors ? not sure how they made this work) and drew on Shakespeare's play of the same name.
It featured significant roles for those confident with this challenge and many minor roles for other members of the community that enjoyed the opportunity to perform. Three young "Pucks" had no sign of stage fright.
The band was also drawn from the community (two horns, a 'cello and a harp) : MD Chris Gill. The result made a splendid (and at times educational) evening's entertainment.
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8th Jun 2024 - 15:00 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director)
Scarecrow Festival, East Budleigh, Devon
East Budleigh is widely famed for it's annual scarecrow festival and wandering around the streets it is easy to see why. A great number of locals contribute with imaginative (and sometimes very witty) creations (we didn't see any crows so they must work).
In the midst of this the festival music was provided by Carey Camel's East Devon Rock Choir who presented some new numbers as well as some established favourites. They were on form with some tight singing, good intonation and joyous smiles. A good turn out (and strong bass section) meant that their efforts in the open air carried effectively to the large audience.
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19th May 2024 - 15:30 hrs - The Axe Vale Orchestra
- Walter Brewster
The Minster, Axminster, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
A concert full of good tunes. Exerpts from Delibes' Coppelia (lightening fast piccolo playing by Suzanne de Lozey) and Bizet's L'Arlesienne (sultry saxophone playing by Chris Gradwell) are both full of recognisable melodies.
Good to include two of the less frequently (if not exactly obscure) Strauss waltzes: Village Swallows (Josef Strauss Op 164) and Voices of Spring (Johann Strauss II Op 410).
Excellent coffee and cake afterwards !
(Photograph: Julie [very trendy capturing of sunlight shafts too!])
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30th Apr 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Lucia di Lammermoor - Conductor: Giacomo Sagripanti
Lovely tight playing from the ROH orchestra as always. Donizetti's music is light and attractively understated and the musicians play with the sensitivity that this approach demands.
Nadine Sierra in the title role had the power (and the high notes) for the big moments but, again, it was the quieter more restrained moments (the two solos with harp and flute being strking examples) which were demonstrations of singing of the highest quality.
It might be considered frivolous froth by some, but if it is then it's frivolous froth in the A1* bracket and it makes for a very enjoyable evening's entertainment.
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20th April 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Anna Im (violin) - Chiao-Ying Chang - piano
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
Anna Im has a silky smooth glow to her fiddle. She also clearly has a perfect working partnership with her sensitive and accomplished pianist, Chiao-Ying Chang. The two played both Faure and Grieg's Violin Sonatas (no.s 1 and 3 respectively) with technical perfection and with joyful lyricism. Wonderful.
But they also included Lutoslawski's "Subito" and demonstrated some spikey aggressive (and fast) exciting style too. Equally (or even more?) wonderful!
This concert was presented by The Friends of St Andrew's Church who seem to consistently show case quality musicians.
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18th April 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Sarah Beth Briggs (piano)
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
It took Ms Briggs a little time to settle but her performance of Mendelssohn's Variations Serieuses op54 was full of life and passion. She was fortunate when aged 17 to have had the chance to give the premier of Britten's 3 Character Pieces (at the time of the discovery of the manuscript in an archive) and it was her performance of this work that really had depth and character.
She preceded each piece with an eloquent introduction. In each case well judged in terms of length and content and well delivered, serving as a demonstration of excellent microphone technique.
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14th April 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Lulu
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Last chance to hear the scottish lass on tour. She is hanging up her boots having reached the age of 75. Still bounding around the stage, still singing with vivacity, power, sound intonation and that unique voice. Still bubbly and immediately attractive and visibly enjoying every minute on the stage and saddened to (wisely) be acknowledging to herself that she can't go on forever.
A tight band and a pad full of good songs. Two hours of top class showbiz entertainment. A great night!
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13th April 2024 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble - Roger Hendy - Thomas Kelly (piano)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Thomas Kelly had learnt Brahm's First Piano Concerto especially for this performance (lots of notes!) and his quality playing perhaps deserved a less routinely mezzo-forte heavy handed performance by the orchestra.
Dvorak's Sixth Symphony requires careful shaping and the rare moments of quiet need to be just that otherwise it is in danger of sounding a little over long and repetitive.
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24th Mar 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Duke Bluebeard's Castle - conductor: Lidiya Yankovskaya
Billed as a semi-staged production but stretching the definition to the limit. True there were no doors but the staging was oppressively gloomy and the blood (contrasting with the white dress) flowed. A powerful, moving, production. Alison Cook as Judith created the necessary increasing anxiety and fear as the evil of Duke Bluebeard was revealed.
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21st March 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Zoe Tweed (horn) and Julian Chan (piano)
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The fifth concert of the "Seaton Music" 23/24 season. Zoe Tweed chose a series of rarely heard horn and piano works and is to be applauded for this. But they were all from the French (and Belgian) school of early twentieth century and the recital quickly took on a feeling of "more of the same" which was a shame as her playing was secure throughout and she made the many stopped horn passages sound simple to execute (which they are not!).
Your reviewer is well known for his lack of enthusiasm for the French style of music represented this evening. Take this into account when you read the statement that the most musically interesting (both challenging and emotionally stimulating) moment was Julian Chan's playing of Berg's opus 1 piano sonata.
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17th Mar 2024 - 18:30 hrs - The Passion of St John by CPE Bach - Director: Peter Parshall
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
Presented by the South Wessex Organ Society this event had historic significance in that it was the first performance of this setting of the passion by CPE Bach since 18th Century.
An introductory speech by Paul Cornielson included a lot of dates such that you wondered if the information would have been more effectively communicated as a programme note.
The music included much recitative for Evangelist Robert Foulkes. The most interesting parts were the moments where the choir briefly interrupted drawn out periods with short almost fanfare like sections.
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16th Mar 2024 - 14:30 hrs - The Full Monty - Director: Michael Gyngell
What an excellent play Simon Beaufoy created from the original film of the same name. A piece of theatre that works on many levels at the same time. Some wonderful character acting brought the sadness and poignancy of all the main male characters to life. The (many) ladies in the audience enjoyed the mild titilation, but your reviewer left the auditorium with sadness and sympathy for the industrial workers of England who lost their livelihoods and heritage with the pit closures and steel works closures at the end of the last century.
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St Peter's Church, Shaldon, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Starting with an arrangement of Bach's Ricercare from "The Musical Offering" in an arrangement by conductor and musical director Richard Gonski set the tone for this concert. A well crafted orchestration with a definite sense of direction and pacing throughout. The picec gave a chance to savour the fine string playing of the Torbay Symphony Orchestra (leader Chris Eastman).
Without doubt the highlight of the concert was Ligeti's 'Cello Concerto. A masterful performance by both Valerie Wellbanks as soloist and the orchestra who seemed entirely comfortable with Ligeti's challenging writing. Some great moments of stillness and subtle harmonic and soundscape development held the audience captivated. Richard Gonski's programme notes showed his understanding and empathy for this great composer's works and his direction of the orchestra further demonstrated this. It was definitely worth enduring the very cold church (broken heating?) to hear this rarely performed piece.
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25th Feb 2024 - 15:00 hrs - The Axe Vale Orchestra
- Walter Brewster
The Town Hall, Colyton, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
A challenging programme for the orchestra (even after the disappointing news that the plans to include Smetana's "From Bohemia's Woods and Fields" had been changed) which went remarkably smoothly. Beethoven's Sixth symphony (Pastoral) is a piece with deceptively tricky sections for virtually every musician in the ensemble so to successfully negotiate this masterpiece was a fine achievement.
There was an excellent atmospheric opening solo for the oboe d'amore played by Andrew Maries at the start of the concert (Holst's Somerset Rhapsody No. 2).
This concert marked the return of after show cakes (with tea/coffee) for the audience, the first time since the Covid years. The audience loved it!
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24th Feb 2024 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble - Roger Hendy - Joel Munday (violin) - Vanessa Hristova (Viola) - Joe Sharp (oboe)
St David's Church, Exeter, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Back with two established favourite soloists along with the Isca Orchestra's own Joe Sharp on oboe this was always going to be a successful concert.
A pacey somewhat romantic reading of Bach's Violin and Oboe concerto BWV1060 was followed by two great symphonies: Haydn's "La Passione" (No. 49) and Mozart's lively A major K201 (No. 29) (always fun for the horns!).
On paper it looks slightly strange programming to end with Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante (K364) but with soloists Joel and Vanessa playing with such charm and joy it was exactly the right thing to do for this occasion.
(Photograph: ISCA Ensemble web site)
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The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The fourth concert of the "Seaton Music" 23/24 season. A consumate demonstration of an ensemble playing "as one". No major histrionics, just lots of eye contact, simple clear body gestures and plenty of listening. All this combined with a love of the music being played. The group formed in 2006 and seem enthusiastic about string trio music from all periods.
Emy Frensel Wegener (1901-1973) is not a name your reviewer was familiar with but her witty and neat Suite for String Trio had the audience chuckling and certainly made you want to search out more of her music.
As is so often the case it was the towering figure of Beethoven that left the greatest impression with his String Trio Op 9 No. 3.
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18th Feb 2024 - 15:00 hrs - Abbey Brass
Stoke Damerel Church, Plymouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Your reviewer's first chance to play with the excellent Abbey Brass. Stoke Damerel church is perfectly suited to a brass quintet concert with a bright acoustic (complete with comfortably chairs and a warm environment). Presented as part of the "Plymouth Concerts" series a good sized audience seemed to enjoy the very varied programme performed.
It was especially enjoyable to play John Hammond's "Fanfare in D", Judy Whitlock's "Bright Lights in the Autumn Night" and Andrew Wilson's "Tropical Fruits". All three pieces well written for the quintet and all three by local composers who were all present to hear their own work and acknowledge deserved applause.
For a truly amazing story regarding Roger and concert promotor Clive Jenkins please see
this page.
Abbey Brass (left to right) Paul Thomas, Roger Swann, Martin Cleave, Jeremy Loysen, Tony Hindley
(Photograph: Julie)
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26th Jan 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Elektra - Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Sitting close to the horns and directly above the four wagner tubas with the Covent Garden pit covering opened above their bells meant that the sound was unbalanced in favour of the wonderfull horn section playing. True connoisseurs of Strauss' glorious orchestration might object but your reviewer is perhaps more of a connoisseur of fine horn (and wagner tuba) playing and what was on show was most definitely of the finest!
Nina Stemme (Elektra) didn't seem concerned deliverying the power required to carry over the large orchestral texture and Sara Jakubiak (Chrysothemis, Elektra's sister) was able to match this too. It was a very intense but hugely enjoyable evening.
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24th Dec 2023 - 16:00 hrs - Family Crib Service
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
Roger Swann = horn playing shepherd
The call up to take part in the family friendly Christmas crib service (an event with the added attraction of real live donkey and a sheep with lambs) saw your reviewer making a fashion statement as a shepherd.
(Photograph: Julie)
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22nd Dec 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Nine Lessons and Carols
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
Carols by candle light, very festive! The director of music at St Andrews, Nick Brown, was very creative: chosing some interesting carols for the church choir to include that came from all around the world.
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17th Dec 2023 - 17:00 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director)
Outside The Beach Pub, Exmouth Marina, Exmouth, Devon
A real festive feel was in the air with many revellers coming out of the pub to enjoy the Christmas music (and additional "Rockie" arrangements) with good cheer, good beer and (in some cases) good voices.
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Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Bizet's Carmen is an example of exquisite orchestration (as Roger Hendy's excellent concert programme notes point out) and the suites of music drawn from the opera make a great way of starting a concert.
Moving into realms more challenging for amateur players the orchestra perhaps slightly overwhelmed Joo Yeon Sir in Mendelssohn's Violin concerto and were guilty of taking a literal approach to Schumann's weighty orchestration (and equally weighty notation) in his Rhenish Symphony. Schumann's notes are (relatively) easy to play, but capturing the lightness and freshness that can be drawn from this music elluded the orchestra.
Good trombone playing in the third movment though: Charlie Flemming, Trevor Kirkin and Paul Rycroft.
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7th Dec 2023 - 19:30 hrs - "A Baroque Christmas" - London Handel Players
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The third concert of the "Seaton Music" 23/24 season. Of the series this one has the most performers on the stage at one time. Interestingly it is a fair bet that this will be the quietest concert of the season too. A fascinating sophisticated example of music making, winning the audience over by charm rather than energy.
It was interesting to see Oliver Webber play is ultra-large viola using a neck band support rather than under his chin.
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25th Nov 2023 - 19:00 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director) - Tiverton Town Band
Christmas Lights Switch On, Uffculme, Devon
The Christmas Lights Switch On at Uffculme is a busy event ! Complete with snow men piloting artificial snow generating machines and temperatures only a couple of degrees above zero, the large crowds enjoyed Carey Camel's East Devon Rock Choir performances of classic rock songs and the odd carol. They were on good form.
Tiverton Town Band marched in the wheel barrow parade, all the youngsters had home made lanterns (some with real flames!). The band went on to also entertain the crowd (playing brass instruments at one celsius is not for the faint hearted!).
Too early to celebrate Christmas? maybe so, but it was easy to forget this gripe when downing excellent mulled wine served with stollen.
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16th Nov 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Zemlinsky Trio
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The second concert of the "Seaton Music" 23/24 season featured the Zemlinsky Trio, the unusual combination of piano, 'cello and clarinet.
In stark contrast to the power and energy of Julian Trevelyn's piano last month (see below) here we heard the same instrument played with delicacy and sensitivity throughout by Emma Abbate. Equally expressive was the clarinet playing of Peter Cigleris, particularly so in Beethoven's Clarinet Trio Op 11.
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Exeter Cathedral, Exeter, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Ben Goldscheider makes a true french horn sound (at least in the ears of your reviewer) and has technical agility and security to make his performance of R. Strauss' first horn concerto seem completely effortless. Superb long lyrical phrasing in the middle movement!
With a Wagner Tuba section joining us from Leicestershire we together had the pleasure of performing Bruckner's seventh symphony as the second half of the concert. There can't be a venue more suited to this expansive work. The Wagner Tuba section sounded perfectly ominously organ like in the slow movement.
The horn and Wagner Tuba players (left to right : Mike Ogonovsky, Chris Mayhew, Roger Swann, Ben Goldscheider (soloist in R. Strauss No 1), Roz Saunders, Hilary Gunn, Francesca Penny, Mark Penny, Julian Haslam.
( Photograph: Chris Gradwell)
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19th Oct 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Julian Trevelyan (piano)
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The first concert of the "Seaton Music" 23/24 season gave Julian Trevelyn a chance to demonstrate the huge range of colour at his fingertips: Bach sounding like a harpsichord and Schumann sounding germanic and beautifully phrased.
The centre piece of the programme was the awesome Piano Sonata No 6 Op 82. Played with appropriate energy and power such that the rare moments of a relaxed nature were like a glint of space in a claustrophobic world (one fears this is Prokofiev accurately protraying what it must feel like to be caught up in war zone), this really pushed the Seaton Music "baby" grand piano to (actually beyond) it's limits. But who cares? the force and expression were all there in spades!
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11th Oct 2023 - 19:00 hrs - Peter Grimes - conductor: Martyn Brabbins
Plenty of reasons to come out thinking after this production. With Captain Balstrode (Simon Bailey) and Ellen Orford (Elizabeth Llewellyn with total security in all the high notes) the only two characters trying to give Peter Grimes (total convincingly played by Gwyn Hughes Jones) a chance and both being hopelessly out numbered by the "mob" culture of the remaining villagers one can think of too many parallels here in the twenty-first centuary world we inhabit.
Peter Grimes guilty or not guilty? In this production the death of the second apprentice is visibly shown as an accident caused by Grimes being distracted by the sound of the crowd outside his hut.
The orchestra were tight, vigourous and exciting under Martyn Brabbins. ENO's policy to attract a wide range of audience is visibly working judging by the variety of people (including many younger ladies and gents) present for this evening's show.
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7th Oct 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Adeos Duo - Joel Munday (violin) - Vanessa Hristova (Viola)
Temple Church, Budleigh Salterton, Devon
This concert jointly promoted by Roger Hendy and the Dulce Haigh Marshall Trust attracted a near capacity audience. Among the hightlights was Vanessa's playing of the Viola Sonata Op 25 No. 1 by Paul Hindermith. This robust and exciting work rather suits Vanessa's strongly edged viola sound.
These musicans work especially well as a duo. Again it was the more rarely performed pieces that were particularly successful: Marinu's Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola H.313 and the enchanting set of variations on a Handel Passacaglia by Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen.
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The Minster, Axminster, Devon
A lovely autumn afternoon lunch time concert was presented by this established group. Music by Brahms, Mozart and Arnold meant much variety for the audience to enjoy. The acoustic of the Minster is perfect for a wind ensemble.
Roseanne Jardine, making her debut with the group, sounded perfectly at ease with both the fast passages and the legato melodies that Mozart gives the first horn in his Variations movement from K297b (wind sinfonia concertante).
It was good to hear Malcolm Arnold's "Hobson's Choice" (here in an arrangement for wind octet by Uwe Radok). This was played with the sense of humour and frivolity that suits the distinctive sound world of this composer.
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30th Sep 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Exeter Camerata - Tony Hindley - Joe Sharp (Oboe) - Chris Gradwell (Clarinet) - David Boorer (bassoon) - Roger Swann (horn)
Southernhay United Reformed Church, Exeter, Devon
Not often that you get a chance to play the delightful Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart (K279b) and Beethoven's Seventh Symphony in the same concert!
Your reviewer resisted the urge to overdo the afternoon rehearsal and as a result was able to deliver a standard of playing that (hopefully) didn't let down his other three esteemed colleagues in the Mozart.
The first horn part of Beethoven's 7th Symphony is always a tough challenge. It was made a little less overwhelming by the quality support (including good solos in the third movement) from second horn Mike Ogonovsky.
Soloists (Left to right) David Boorer, Roger Swann, Joe Sharp, Chris Gradwell.
( Photograph: Paul Painter)
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28th Sep 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Axminster Musical Theatre
- Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical
Axminster Guildhall, Axminster, Devon
A colourful dramatic production (Director Kelly Apps) of the Wildhorn (music) and Bricusse (book) version of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel.
All thee lead singers sounded great: Jekyll (Paul Matterface taking on this particularly demanding role), Emma (Kelly Apps) and Lucy (Silvey Webber). The less demanding supporting roles were also up to this high standard.
It is difficult to comment on the quality of the chorus singing. As soon as any volume of singing was taking place the sound system made it all an overwhelming blurr. Virtually no words were audible during any of the choruses (some of which are key to the plot). Even the final scene where Jekyll confronts Hyde (surely the real climax of the show) which was wonderfully portrayed visually was spoilt by 90% of the lyrics being unintelligable.
The review of "Evita" from 20th Nov 2021 voiced a very similar complaint. Musical Director Joseph Binmore seems only interested in keeping his band tight (he is successful at this) rather than taking care to ensure that the audience can hear the singers and their lyrics and hence enjoy the full impact of this engaging story. It is surely the responsibility of the musical director to serve his singing cast, rather than make their more than reasonable efforts be half wasted. Your reviewer wishes AMT would try using a different MD for their next show.
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22nd Sep 2023 - 19:00 hrs - L'Eliser d'Amore - Conductor: Sesto Quatrini
Donizetti's frisky romp about a peasant boy winning the heart of the girl of his dreams makes for an exceedingly enjoyable evening's entertainment. Especially so in this production (Laurent Pelly) with an attractive set (complete with full size lorry and tractor as well as copious hay bales) designed by Chantal Thomas.
The three key roles were all magnificently sung. Nadine Sierra seemed to have an endless supply of effortless top notes and combined this with an enticing portrayal of Adina's flighty nature. The impish but dedicated Nemorino was sung by Liparit Avetisyan, clearly relishing both the character and all the wonderful tenor arias. Bryn Terfel brought Doctor Dulcamara's capitalistic opportunism to life with just the perfect balance between humour and caring for the humanity that he joyfully exploits.
The two cameo appearances by the little scampering dog brought further chuckles from all the audience.
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14th Sep 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Das Rheingold - Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Barrie Kosky's new production featured the rather strange presence of Erda through all four scenes which neither added to nor detracted from the overall effect.
Sean Panikkar as Loge gave a particularly characterful performance flickering around the stage like the flame he is!
The horn section (and Wagner Tubas) sounded glorious, polished and tidy. The heavy brass were perphaps allowed to be a little less refined than need be by conductor Antonio Pappano. It was a great idea to get the whole orchestra on the stage to acknowledge applause as part of the curtain call sequence.
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