After months of preparations and rehearsals, the Gala concert took place on Friday 14 October in the Corn Exchange. It was an evening of Beethoven’s music which I love and I have to admit that I did help to choose the programme. What I did not know was that Kay Lawrence, the Southern Sinfonia Managing Director and David Hill, their Chief Conductor, had managed to get Melvin Tan, who has a formidable international reputation for playing Beethoven’s sonatas and concertos, to play at the concert.
Prior to the concert beginning, Chris de Souza the Presenter introduced me to say few words about the 3 charities which would benefit from the concert with – the Mayor’s Benevolent Fund, the Re-ordering of the interior of St. Nicolas Church and the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Families Association (SSAFA). The concert then began with the Overture to the only ballet music he composed, The Creatures of Prometheus. It was a great overture to begin any concert and the Southern Sinfonia did it great justice and the audience was very appreciative.
Melvyn Tan gave a masterly performance of the 3rd Piano Concerto and you could hear a pin drop as the audience was enthralled by his playing. After the concert, a friend of mine who is not a particularly great classical music follower, said that he had never seen such piano playing as Melvyn had given.
The concert ended with the ever popular 6th Symphony which Beethoven had composed in 1806, and which contrasted in style from the 5th. All five movements were performed exceptionally well under David Hill’s direction and control and at the end, the audience exploded with prolonged applause.
At the reception afterwards, I congratulated David Hill on a wonderful concert and was able to meet Melvyn Tan who promised he would return to Newbury when his extensive tour in 2008 permitted and I for one will be there with all his other local fans!
It was a great concert and many of the audience I met since said it was one of the best. I look forward to the next one.
Prior to the concert beginning, Chris de Souza the Presenter introduced me to say few words about the 3 charities which would benefit from the concert with – the Mayor’s Benevolent Fund, the Re-ordering of the interior of St. Nicolas Church and the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Families Association (SSAFA). The concert then began with the Overture to the only ballet music he composed, The Creatures of Prometheus. It was a great overture to begin any concert and the Southern Sinfonia did it great justice and the audience was very appreciative.
Melvyn Tan gave a masterly performance of the 3rd Piano Concerto and you could hear a pin drop as the audience was enthralled by his playing. After the concert, a friend of mine who is not a particularly great classical music follower, said that he had never seen such piano playing as Melvyn had given.
The concert ended with the ever popular 6th Symphony which Beethoven had composed in 1806, and which contrasted in style from the 5th. All five movements were performed exceptionally well under David Hill’s direction and control and at the end, the audience exploded with prolonged applause.
At the reception afterwards, I congratulated David Hill on a wonderful concert and was able to meet Melvyn Tan who promised he would return to Newbury when his extensive tour in 2008 permitted and I for one will be there with all his other local fans!
It was a great concert and many of the audience I met since said it was one of the best. I look forward to the next one.
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