Review of Summer Concert, 2010
Canterbury Orchestra
Summer concert
St Peter's Methodist Church
June 26th 2010
The city of Canterbury is fortunate in many respects with respect to its musical life, often punching above its weight in ambition and realisation of musical projects (with the promise of much more to come!). In the same way it is fortunate to have so many amateur music makers, literally people who are passionate about music making deriving and giving pleasure to many. This is certainly the case with Canterbury Orchestra whose forty four players were directed by conductor Andrew Lowen through some appropriately summer sounds in their concert given in St Peter's Methodist Church.
The delightful programme of a youthful Schubert Symphony no 3 , Wagner's passionate outpouring of love in his Siegfried Idyll and Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream (written at the age of 17!) was overall a joyful experience for listener and player alike. Whilst the intense heat presented intonation challenges for the wind players at times and the 'supportive acoustic' as with London's Barbican favoured the brass and timps over the strings, each work was shaped and phrased with care. The ensemble was very pleasing , obvious attention paid in rehearsal to the challenges presented in each of these works with strong solo playing when required, especially so in the Mendelssohn Nocturne with its demanding horn writing.
All in all this was a splendid evening, the orchestra proudly wearing its Canterbury badge and promising much more to come next season.
Musicus
Review for the Kentish Gazette
Next Concert
Saturday March 31st at 7.30 pm
St Peter's Methodist Church, Canterbury CT1 2BE
Our next concert features a selection of works by Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss, composers who effectively bracket the Romantic school of art music, with Schubert (1797-1828) as one of its pioneers and Strauss (1864-1949) one of its most notable 20th Century adherents. The programme begins with Schubert’s Quartettsatz, arranged for orchestra by our Musical Director Andrew Lowen; originally composed in 1820 as the first movement of a twelfth string quartet which was never completed, like several other works during this difficult period of Schubert’s life. Strauss’ Oboe Concerto was written in 1945 during the final stages of his career and is considered one of the finest works ever composed for the instrument; we are very pleased to welcome Rosie Lowen as soloist. In contrast, the Serenade for 13 Winds is amongst his earliest works and is clearly modelled on Mozart’s Gran Partita, to which it stands as a fitting tribute. Schubert’s Symphony no.6 is also an early work written when the composer was 20; exuberant, assured and clearly reflecting the musical ethos of the time with echoes of Haydn, Beethoven and Rossini. Tickets are £9.00 for adults and only £3.00 for children of school age and students. They are available on the door, from the Secretary on 01227 751196, and online through WeGotTickets by clicking on the button below..
Interested in playing with the Canterbury Orchestra?
Call Nicky Pound, Canterbury Orchestra Manager on 01304 812755 or email us to find out whether we have vacancies.
