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From the
Dundee Courier 10 February 2007
"Plenty to savour from all Sections"
Tayside Symphony Orchestra’s decision to call their concert on
Saturday night in Forfar's Reid Hall "February Favourites" was perfectly apt.
The programme was packed full of wonderful music and familiar melody from
Delibes to Khatchaturian, and for the audience it was simply a question of
sitting back and relaxing.
However, this was not the case with the orchestra who had a
taxing evening with a lot of technical difficulties to contend with.
In this, every section and every instrument was given a
thorough examination. Some extremely exposed passages were played with a
certain trepidation at first, but as the concert wore on, the confidence grew
and the performance sparkled.
Despite the considerable obstacles they faced, each section had
more than one moment to savour. I thought the strings shone particularly in
Sibelius' beautiful Valse Triste. The brass rejoiced in some typical
boisterous sequences, but the horn section showed a wonderfully gentle touch
in the opening to Humperdinck's Overture to Hansel and Gretel.
The woodwind were first class throughout, with every solo...and
there were several for each instrument...carried out in superb fashion. The
percussion section of an orchestra don't often get the plaudits they deserve
but in Claude-Michel Schonberg's orchestral suite from "Miss Saigon" they
provided a variety of sound and rhythm that gave a vital foundation to this
quite amazing and varied composition.
To be able to perform such a programme and in such an effective
way with only a maximum of seven rehearsals is quite an achievement. This is
due no doubt to the combination of excellent music, the commitment and
enthusiasm of the players and the drive and leadership of conductor Ron
Walker.