"Players' concert a great success"

London Mozart Players

Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry

Shropshire Star 23/04/08

Live music by a professional orchestra is always well subscribed but even the most optimistic observer could not have predicted the huge turnout on Monday evening for the London Mozart Players directed by Tamsin Little in Oswestry's Holy Trinity Church.

As part of the Shropshire Music Trust season in association with "Orchestras Live" the concert featured Tamsin Little in three roles - conductor in Mozart's overture Marriage of Figaro, leader in Tchaikowsky's Serenade for Strings and, soloist/director in Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

The overture was a sparkling introduction played with vigour and splendid blend between wind and strings.

The acoustic in Holy Trinity is very firm and would be unforgiving of any blurring of the musical lines but Tamsin ensured a pacy and invigorating delivery.

The soundscape changed with Tchaikowsky's Serenade for Strings, the strings aiming for a "forte" dynamic much of the time but with much brilliant interplay between sections, most notably in the reflective Elegia. A quite extraordinary performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto followed.

Four prolonged curtain calls reflect well how the audience reacted to excellent playing by the London Mozart Players and a solo performance that will be long remembered.

Richard Duncan

Last Updated : 27/04/2008