Spring Concert 2012

The Trinity Camerata gave one of its scheduled concerts in the beautiful St Edburg’s Church, Bicester, on the first day of spring. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny – and the orchestra’s programme was similarly warm and full of joy.

The programme started with William Boyce’s Symphony No 5, first performed in 1739. Boyce, a boy chorister at St Paul’s, organist at significant churches and composer to the Chapel Royal was, after Handel’s death, the pre-eminent British baroque composer and his works were extremely popular with the general public as well as with court and cathedrals. Like Handel, he composed for events in the Vauxhall Gardens, where his gift for melody found a ready audience. Boyce’s Symphony No 5 is a short three-movement work, brimming with good humour, gorgeous tunes and rhythmic intricacy. The trumpets and strings alternated the themes of the first movement with vigour and accuracy. The second and third dance-like movements were played with good variety of dynamics and a warm, sympathetic spirit.

Mozart was 21 years old when Boyce died, and though his second horn concerto was first performed in 1783, only four years after Boyce’s death, the music comes from a very different style; the concerto is classical, not baroque. Julian Faultless lived up to his name in performing the concerto elegantly and engagingly and the orchestra accompanied him with accuracy and sensitivity. Mozart could write tunes as well as any composer and the concerto brims over with cheerfulness and good humour. The opening Allegro Maestoso gave opportunity for balance and interplay between the horn and strings. The Andante middle movement provided opportunity for the orchestra and soloist to communicate one of Mozart’s most ravishing, wistful tunes. In the final, rondo, movement, the orchestra brought out splendidly the humour between violins and horn – a very human link for us with the Mozart who wrote the concerto so affectionately for his friend Joseph Leutgeb.

Beethoven’s 7th Symphony was first performed in 1811 and it was one of the composer’s favourite works. Composer and author Antony Hopkins wrote: “the Seventh Symphony perhaps more than any of the others gives us a feeling of true spontaneity; the notes seem to fly off the page as we are borne along on a floodtide of inspired invention.” Trinity Camerata conductor Tom Molloy certainly set cracking paces for the three fast movements and his splendidly judged allegretto second movement was expressive and moving – no wonder that this movement was encored at its first performance. All sections of the orchestra have opportunity to shine in this symphony – the brass, woodwind and strings alone and in combination with each other – bringing colour and novelty to the symphonic form. The symphony is immensely demanding for the players, who gave 100% concentration at all times – and a vigorous, accurate and engaging account of a great work.

It was fascinating to hear a programme of works separated by only 72 years yet so very different in style. The Trinity Camerata is clearly at home in baroque, classical and romantic repertoire as well as with music from more recent times.

I really enjoyed the concert this afternoon... I don't think I've ever heard the last two movements [of the Beethoven] sound better, although, of course, I'm no expert.

Thank you for your very kind compliments and thank you for giving me the great opportunity to play with the orchestra. Do send my congratulations to the whole orchestra. The Beethoven, which is terribly hard, was given a very convincing performance.

Even my nine-year-old daughter didn't resort to doodling during the second half.