Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra

Archive reviews
- 2001/2002 season -

November 2001 - Arnold, Tchaikovsky, Bruch, Elgar
February 2002 - Berlioz, Walton, Brahms
April 2002 - Handel, Parry, Walton

Saturday, November 10th, 2001

"Blessed with inspiration"

Concert review by Patric Standford, Yorkshire Post

Once again, undaunted by technical challenge, the Philharmonic vaulted into a long and involved symphonic score and discharged the task with radiant splendour.

Elgar's First Symphony was directed on Saturday evening by their guest conductor, Andrew Constantine, who in 1992 became the first winner of the now-celebrated Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in association with the London Symphony Orchestra.

For the symphony, Constantine placed the violins to either side and the violas and cellos in the centre, enhancing the rich polyphony of Elgar's string writing. Any conductor who can make a non-professional orchestra sound so well and draw from them such a fine performance must be good - and Constantine certainly is.

Peter Dixon, principal cellist of the BBC Philharmonic, was the soloist in Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, a dull piece until its final diversion, but sounding far better when graced by Dixon's beautiful sound. Bruch's Kol Nidrei, which followed, was blessed with inspiration from both composer and performers and was captivating.

Saturday, February 9th, 2002

"Further excellent work"

Concert review by David Hammond, Huddersfield Examiner.

The programme began with a crisply articulated account of the Berlioz overture Les Francs Juges, recalling the dark doings in medieval Germany and presaging the composer's Symphonie Fantastique in the menacing orchestration before the close.

But it's not all doom and gloom, and the strings, echoed by woodwind, made the most of its attractive melodic content.

Jack Liebeck, soloist in Walton's Violin Concerto, brought the work a youthful flair and vigour and a rich, warm tone, highly suited to the evocative nature of the music, inspired by the glorious Neapolitan coast.

In the opening movement, the ebullient start led to lilting melody, with strong support from orchestral strings. The swift passages for the soloist were handled with technical expertise.

The colourful Presto capricciosa alla napolitana led into a finale in which dreamy, languourous passages gave way to a stirring climax with strident brass and heady percussion.

Jonathan del Mar drew further excellent work from the orchestra in the complexities of Brahms'Symphony No4 in E Minor, which received a convincing performance. In the Andante the lovely melody was gracefully handled by the strings before being taken up with equal success by the woodwind, with pizzicato accompaniment from from violins.

Sprightly woodwind and tuneful horns made their presence felt in the Allegro giocoso, while the concluding Allegro energico had a fine flute solo, then a gathering tension before the final denouement.

Saturday, April 20th, 2002

"What an achievement...."

Concert review by Robert Cockroft, Yorkshire Post

If medals are ever struck for courage in the face of musical combat, the shiniest must go to the Huddersfield Philharmonic.

It is of amateur status. It has, at present, no appointed conductor. Yet it chooses to tackle one of the repertoire's trickiest choral pieces, Belshazzar's Feast with a choir that generally enjoys accompaniment from professionals.

Trouble loomed. That, however, was to calculate without the charismatic presence of guest conductor Nicholas Cleobury, who turned what could have been a hairy experience into a convincing one, full of raw energy and glittering colour.

Initial signs were unpromising. The violins that introduced Handel's Zadok the Priest sounded to be playing in Dewsbury, so reticent was the tone. But the zeal shown by the choir in Parry's Blest Pair of Sirens was enough to stir the meekest soul to duty.

The orchestra responded, first in extracts from Walton's Facade, impressive for perky woodwinds, then in a soaring, urgent account of his Spitfire Prelude and Fugue.

Cleobury inspired his forces to yet greater things in a vivid Belshazzar: bright brass, terrific woodwinds, keen strings and a choir in splendid voice.

What a performance; what an achievement.