Review of Peebles Orchestra concert by Kenneth McAllister

A welcome return to normality after these last two years of lockdown. This church has a great acoustic, and the playing was much enjoyed by an appreciative audience.

Before the performance began, Robert Dick made a brief tribute to three past Peebles musicians who had died within the last two years. The conductor for 30 years, Malcolm Porteus, and Robert’s early mentor. Also two violinists Eric Marchant, and Barbara Greenhill. All had been stalwarts of this orchestra over many decades.

An evening of two Beethoven’s. The Prometheus Overture started the concert. We were greeted with the slow, firm, wonderful opening chords, the scoring immediately recognised as his.

The violins with fast and delicate articulation opened the Allegro, great pairs of woodwind, particularly clarinets and bassoons melding, like the true Vienna sound. A great start, perfectly judged, we were already excited by hearing a live performance on our doorstep.

Peebles Orchestra earlier this year

Next we heard Donizetti’s Sinfonia for Winds, a charming serenade piece. Always a thrill for wind groups to perform. It was a perfectly balanced performance from the talented principals. A great plan to contrast this with the more serious works.

Then came the soloist Sarah Chapman playing Gerald Finzi’s Concerto for clarinet, and strings. She is an accomplished player, and this is a great lyrical and technically demanding piece.

She produced a warm dark sound in the expressive lower reaches of the instrument, and a brightness when required.

The part doesn’t lie easily under the fingers, however, she mastered the taxing sections with ease. Highlights included beautifully modulated strings taking over from the soloist, wonderful string pizzicati, especially from the double bass, with dark gems from the violas.

The soft epilogue in the last few bars of the slow movement produced sumptuous playing from all.

The style is very much mid 20th century, and deeply mournful, however the last movement’s bright, lively clarinet tune is pure happiness, Finzi riding through his Wiltshire countryside beaming!

All praise to Sarah and to Claire Taylor’s strings coping with a demanding score. Robert Dick balanced everything with an elegant control.

After the interval we had the giant Beethoven, an epic performance of his ‘Eroica’ Symphony, which was conducted from memory.

Many highlights from the orchestra, the powerful and sensitive, chamber like strings, glorious wind solos and duets, Hester Lean’s horn soaring like an eagle above the orchestra in the first movement recap.

A beautiful heartfelt oboe in the minor key Funeral March, what a marvellous, resonant double bass! When it changed to the major key, the oboe, giving us hope, it was as though the sun had come out. Terrific soft staccato strings opened the Scherzo, Beethoven loved rhythmical drive and syncopation, a Viennese trait.

Bravo horns in the difficult trio. A thundering opening to the last movement’s theme and variations. I have to praise the orchestra’s stamina, throughout this long symphony. It is an extremely challenging piece.

Morag Stevenson’s flute and Aled Owen’s bassoon, perfectly leading us all to the full orchestra’s final bars, with the trumpets crowning all.