Strings, Wind & Brass Concert

Thursday 18th January 2018 marked the first music event of the new year, the ‘Strings, Wind & Brass Concert’. Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to a wide variety of outstanding performances as well as a couple of award presentations to complete, what was definitely, a fantastic concert.

Mr Osmond began with a very warm welcome to the audience, expressing his deepest condolences for the cancellation of the Carol Service. He then told the audience to grab a pen and listed multiple corrections within the programme making the audience laugh! He finished off by saying, “And now, let it [the concert] begin!”

The first performance of the evening was the String Trio. Sammeer Aiyar-Majeed, Hugo Max and Joshua Lee, played the beautiful A Minor Finale of Allegro di Molto, composed by Haydn.

Next to perform were the Clarinet Choir, coached by Naomi Thomas. The gentle and melodious sound of the Clarinet Choir filled the hall as the audience were treated to Elgar’s Salut d’ Amor.

Aidan Cham, Malcolm Parris, Aarav Oodit, Solomon Summer and Adi Vatsyayana, coached by Oliver Gledhill played They Say My Love is Dead by William Alwyn. After bringing tears to our eyes, the Cello Ensemble played Jolly Old St. Nick by Matt Turner which, in contrast to the previous piece, brought an upbeat and cheerful feel to the concert.

The audience were then left in awe as Sacha Holt, Kit Boulton, Shrey Shah and Arish Patel, coached by Naomi Thomas played Andante Grazioso by Howard Legge.

After a beautiful performance by the Woodwind Quartet, the Bass Ensemble played The Battle by Tielman Susato. Directed by Caroline Maguire, Theo Sibtain, Purushot Sadagopan and Theo Michail all played tremendously as the basses echoed throughout the hall.

The audience were treated to yet another Woodwind Quartet who played Serenade from España by Allbeniz (arr. Bill Holcombe). Henry Colbert, Benjamin Adams, Max Goodkind and Alex Jones, directed by Howard Legge played a phenomenal piece!

The final performance before the interval was a harmonious and beautiful Violin Solo played by Sameer Ajiyar-Majeed. Sameer, accompanied by Isabel Mair played Sonata in A – Movt. 4 by Franck. The way Sameer played was beyond elegant and his performance ended with a long, loud and well-deserved applause.

After the interval, Philomusica, conducted by Richard Osmond played. The sounds of the strings, brass and gentle Woodwind drifted through the audience as Philomusica performed Polka (from the opera Schwanda the Bagpiper) by J Weinberger.

Yet again, the audience were treated to another Woodwind Quartet! Luckshman Sivathasan, Riyan Lakhani, Petroc Hauser and Howard Legge performed Divertimento in F – Minuet, Allegro by Haydn. The staccato notes and general melody of the piece resulted in the audience bobbing their heads and tapping their feet!

Directed by Joanna Reveley, the Flute Ensemble played two pieces, both of which were played to an extremely high level. The two pieces played were Nola by Arndt and Danse des Mirlitons by Tchaikovsky (arr. Holmes).

One of the last performances of the evening was the Trumpet Ensemble directed by Philip Bainbridge. They played Sonata a 7 by Biber, which, similar to the Woodwind Quartet, got the audience members swaying and bobbing their heads to the rhythm! In their next piece, the combination of the brass, percussion, double bass and the almighty Seldon Hall organ brought the piece to life. It was, without doubt, a phenomenal and empowering piece.

The final performance of the evening was the Symphony Orchestra strings playing:

Simple Symphony by Britten

II. Playful Pizzicato

III. Sentimental Saraband

IV. Frolicsome Finale

Conducted by Leon Gee, the plucking, elegant bowing, powerful chords and overall atmosphere of the pieces, the Symphony Orchestra Strings was truly a marvellous ending to what had been a spectacular concert!

However, before the evening came to an end, there were two awards to be presented.

‘The Sheila Watson Prize’ and ‘The Wesley Woodage Prize’, presented by Mr Watson, Sheila Watson’s husband was awarded.

‘The Sheila Watson Prize’, for being an outstanding member of the Symphony Orchestra for an extended period of time and holding up the moral values of Symphony Orchestra was awarded to Fai Li.

The Wesley Woodage Prize was awarded to Joe Vaughan for commitment to his brass instrument as well as to the Brass ensembles.

“Music is all about transporting people; speaking a language which languages fail to express.”

~A.R. Rahman

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