Amersham Festival Chamber Orchestra - Review (From Bucks Free Press)

Amersham Festival Chamber Orchestra - Review

9:38am Tuesday 5th May 2009

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From the first moments of the Hebrides Overture, one realised how fortunate it was that Mendelssohn was able not only to see the island of Staffa from the sea, but also was able to enter Fingal’s Cave itself, not always achievable, writes Stan Meares.

Throughout it, the Overture is dominated by the atmospheric sounds of the waves as they crash on to this tiny island, yet the magic of the cave itself is surely reflected in the lovely central melody woven into it.

This work began the last of three orchestral concerts provided by the Amersham Festival of music, 2009, notable for their consistently high standards.

The following Haydn Trumpet Concerto was blessed by a young soloist, Huw Morgan. who (despite unacceptably ignoring the established dress code) gave, in my view, an almost faultless performance. The last movement, which the audience would have known from the cradle, is notoriously difficult.

The final work, Mendelssohn’s Third (Scottish) Symphony, is a fine piece inspired, initially, by Mary Queen of Scots’ ruined chapel in a storm. There follows a “suggestion” (to quote the programme notes) of a Highland Reel; a marvellous heartfelt melody inspiring the third movement; to be followed by a vigorous and somewhat warlike finale.

In all three pieces the Amersham Festival Chamber Orchestra (or in military parlance conductor “Iain Ledingham’s Own”) not only excelled but many players seemed to be enjoying themselves. They really were a credit to the Festival, and - indeed - the Bicentenary of Mendelssohn’s birth and Haydn’s death.

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