"Cellist's playing drew in audience"

Orchestra of St John's

Shrewsbury Music Hall, Shrewsbury

Thursday 19 April 2007, 7.30pm

Shropshire Star, 22 April 2007

As part of the Orchestras Live series
Shropshire Music Trust presented a concert by the Orchestra of St John's under their conductor John Lubbock.

It was a well chosen programme for a spring evening, starting with two works by Delius and Red Leaves by John McCabe. Sadly, the ethereal nature of Delius's music was not realised because the strings were not allowed an appropriate degree of flexibility in their phrasing.

When cellist Raphael Wallfisch joined the orchestra to play Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme all changed.

Mr Wallfisch plays with an enormous rubato and an open, soaring sound which instantly drew in his audience and energised the orchestral players.

There was an intimacy between soloist and the leader of the orchestra of chamber music intensity.

The second half consisted of two works, December from The Seasons by Tchaikovsky and Schubert's Fifth Symphony in B Flat.

Fortunately the raised spirits which were evident when Mr Wallfisch joined the orchestra were carried through to this second part of the concert.

Mr Lubbock's conducting was an important contributor, his tempi were well chosen and the woodwind was impressive.

The dancing, vivacious approach to the Schubert brought the evening to a joyful end.


Andrew Petch

Last Updated : 28/05/2007