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Bravo! - an unusual word with which to begin a concert review maybe, but one perfectly befitting this sparkling performance.
I must be allowed a little contextual aside here. When Gerry Doyle had the original idea to pull together a group of local and regional musicians to form the ‘Haffner’ orchestra it began life, as the name suggests, as a chamber group performing a broadly Classical repertoire. But it has always bravely stepped outside that brief. As an example, I remember within the first few years playing in Arnold Schoenberg’s Op 34 ‘music for an imaginary (silent) film sequence.’ However, who could have imagined at that time not only that this group might be extant almost half a century later, but that it would still be introducing new dimensions to its repertoire.
Concert performances of Opera need to be convincingly executed. There is nowhere to hide within the obvious distractions usually associated with the genre. So it was a great joy to witness such a consummate performance last Saturday. Conductor Alex Robinson must take great credit for bringing together a group of soloists who enthralled us not only with masterful individual performances but also as a team clearly enjoying bringing the characters to life and projecting the plot so engagingly. Alex Jones (bass) as Don Pasquale superbly portrayed the blustering Pantalone character with both comedy and pathos. Jack Dolan (tenor) as Ernesto was his convincing youthful and enthusiastic nephew, bringing the part to life perfectly. Simon Wallfisch (baritone) as the plotting go-between, Dr Malatesta, carried the role with great characterisation and humour. The scene in which he tutors Norina (soprano) played by Daniella Sicari, to play the role of Sofronia was a highlight as were Daniella’s wonderful coloratura gymnastics throughout the evening! Henry Page (bass) as Carlino, the notary, played a delightful comedic role within the fast paced action. Alex’s Furness Bach Choir made up the chorus of gossiping servants
I touched on new dimensions earlier. The challenges with this one are multifarious and Alex Robinson is not only to be congratulated for bringing the performers together but for keeping them together. The nature of Opera is its flexible tempo - it is anything but ‘four square.’ If the performance is to work the conductor must have a secure technique combined with the will to assert his and the soloists’ intentions in a way to give the orchestra confidence. Only then does the chemistry between director and players balance the equation. Alex and all involved produced exactly the result needed. Thank you all. And again, Bravo to the Haffner Orchestra!
David Prescott
Concert Review 22nd June 2024
The Haffner's June concert offered something a little bit different from the standard concerto opening, replacing an instrumental soloist with a narrator for the ever-popular Peter and the Wolf.
Graeme Kirk, a local actor who was well-known to Archers fans back in the day as the voice of Kenton Archer, took the many children in the audience through the story, ably accompanied by Alex Robinson and the orchestra.
It was an enjoyable first half for the packed Ashton Hall audience. A perhaps slightly tentative opening for Peter on the strings warmed as the piece progressed and all the orchestral characters were ably performed, from the oboe (or duck) to the French horns (wolf!). I particularly enjoyed the final triumphant procession, which was played with a good sense of grandeur.
After the interval, something perhaps more serious, but no less enjoyable, as the Haffner tackled Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony, in one of the finest performances of any symphony I've heard them give.
Alex and the orchestra both clearly put everything they had into it, and as they mopped the sweat from their collective brows at the end of the evening, we all left with a renewed appreciation for this wonderful piece.
A. McCafferty 26.6.24
Concert Review 2nd March 2024
We set off on a cold and bleak Saturday evening to the Great Hall at the University of Lancaster, thankfully to be warmed to the core by an engaging programme with the promise of better days to come. It was excellently performed by the Haffner Orchestra and their guest soprano, April Koyejo- Audiger, conductor Alex Robinson and leader Julian Cann The hall was packed with an audience consisting of all ages and it was great to see how well loved and supported our local orchestra is by the people of Lancaster.
Debussy’s sensual tone poem Prelude a l’apres midi d’un faune was the first piece to evoke the heady warmth of a summer afternoon. The faun is a mythical flute playing beast, half man and half goat remembering or perhaps dreaming of two nymphs. The faun is introduced by a haunting, sinuous solo flute. Christine Lorriman’s tone was gorgeous in this very exposed start to the piece. The flute is soon joined by interweaving wind instruments, shimmering harps and tremolo from the strings. A sumptuous start to our evening.
The next piece, Les nuits d’ete by Berlioz further took us to the heady days of summer with love in the air. These songs were settings of six poems describing the highs and lows of love. Our soloist, April, magically reflected this with a voice that ranged from the deepest depths of despair to the heights of ecstasy. She had beautiful stage presence, and captured the powerful emotions of the piece. For those that went to the pre -concert talk it was a pleasure to hear both April and the conductor, Alex Robinson speak of their love for this piece of music. It was also surprising that April learnt the piece by ear, feeling that this approach in some way ingrains it into your very being. The orchestra supported April sensitively and we certainly felt the heat of those summer nights and our heart strings being pulled in every direction.
Elgar’s Enigma Variations in the second half took us away from French composers and poetry, but it continued a theme of music written as tone poems. Each section of the piece is a musical portrait of a friend of Elgar and as every person is different the sections vary from light-hearted to warm or sometimes poignant. All parts of the orchestra get a chance to shine. We catch glimpses of the theme throughout but it is a pleasure to hear the full force of the orchestra as it builds to the well-known Nimrod describing Elgar’s great friend A.J.Jaeger on their walks and talks in the Malvern hills. The orchestra enjoyed playing this piece and that feeling was transmitted to the audience.
A truly lovely evening and thankfully the promise of warmth, love and friendship was met by a glorious spring day on the Sunday following the concert.
Siobhan Tough
Concert Review 25th November 2023
The Haffner’s November concert was sold out. The audience packed into the University’s Great Hall anticipating an exciting performance of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano concerto and Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony from the Haffner with their new musical director Alex Robinson, and veteran pianist Martin Roscoe. A pre-concert talk from Roscoe and Robinson set things up nicely, with both men giving interesting details about how they came to have their respective careers
There was no overture, so we went straight into the Rachmaninoff. The concerto starts with ominous opening chords from the soloist, and Roscoe opted for a more strident approach than some I’ve heard, building up to what turned out to be quite a restrained tempo once the orchestra came in
One feature of Rachmaminoff’s writing is a “big” string sound, and the Haffner were definitely up to the challenge.
After the interval, Alex gave a brief but useful introduction to the Sibelius. After the string introduction to the Sibelius, the oboes coped well with their thrust into the limelight, setting up our journey into the Finnish landscape.
All Sibelius symphonies have a lot going on, and I thought Alex did a good job of steering the ship through some of the thornier passages, especially in parts like the section of the 1st movement where the strings sound like they’re fighting through a thick forest. There were some exciting moments for the brass too.
As always, it was an enjoyable evening with the Haffner. I think they’re in good hands with their new Musical Director Alex, and I look forward to seeing him guide the orchestra to new heights!
A.McCafferty
Unmasking Mozart 14th October 2023
As part of the wide ranging and brilliant October Lancaster Music Festival, the Haffner Orchestra gave a rousing performance that was both interactive and interesting. This was the first appearance at the helm for our newly appointed musical director, Alex Robinson, and he took the opportunity to share and explore the magic of Mozart's 40th Symphony in G minor with the festival goers. He broke the music down and then built it back together again, adding a dusting of history to put it all into context.
The Orchestra played beautifully and to a big crowd of intrigued shoppers, music goers and new converts. The icing on the cake? That very many of the audience took up the challenge to conduct the orchestra. And they did so with gusto! Together we created a hugely enjoyable afternoon of live music. Bravo!
Concert Review 24th June 2023
I was slightly apprehensive at the start of the Haffner’s concert on June 24th, not for the orchestra’s sake, but for the fact that my 8-year old nephew was experiencing his first orchestral concert next to me. I needn’t have worried though because the varied programme and vibrant playing had him tapping his toes, and even inspired him to write his own review, which I may occasionally quote from in mine!
The orchestra was conducted this time by Lauren Wasynczuk, a talented (and very busy) American conductor who I understand developed a strong rapport with the orchestra during her short time with them. It was really good to hear her speak to introduce herself, the music, and the soloist after the Prokofiev, a nice little touch I feel a lot of conductors miss!
The programme grounded itself firmly in the classical tradition, starting with Prokofiev’s take on the period, his 1st Symphony, nicknamed the “Classical”. The Haffner gave a fine performance of this perennial favourite, coping well with the exposed start where the 1st violins are thrust into the limelight, and holding it together (just about!) for the breakneck finish. The 2nd movement was particularly beautiful, with its sweet high string sound.
Next, Lauren introduced the soloist Lizzy Russell, making her debut to play Mozart’s Oboe Concerto. I always feel Mozart has a particular affinity with this instrument, perhaps because its singing quality fits his operatic style, and Lizzy definitely demonstrated that in her playing, particularly in the more lyrical moments in for example the slow movement. There was plenty of humour in evidence as well, with all those cheeky sudden stops in the last movement, before the soloist brings the music back to life. As Oliver noted “I’ve never seen such scill (sic) and talent”!
After the interval, the orchestra played Haydn’s last symphony, number 104, with great gusto. From start to finish they were clearly enjoying themselves, and the symphony’s at times quite “rustic” feel was very evident, especially in the last movement, where they really let their hair down. The symphony also provided a good opportunity once again for the Haffner to demonstrate a really big orchestral sound (or, to quote Oliver “it was very loud, and some of it was very tense”), which I’m always impressed by when I attend their concerts.
Andrew McCafferty 30.6.23
Concert Review 4th March 2023
The Haffner Orchestra’s March concert had me keenly anticipating performances of music by two composers who are favourites of mine, Brahms and Sibelius, and intrigued by the prospect of a contemporary piece harking back to Beethoven. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Sibelius violin concerto, and remembered an exciting performance of it from the Haffner and Leland Chen a number of years back.
The evening opened with the aforementioned piece by Britta Byström “A Walk to Beethoven”. A bold series of rhythmic pulses starting in the double bass section spreads through the orchestra, with the pattern eventually resolving into some clear quotes from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. As the “walk” progressed, it seemed to be like we might be in a forest, with birdsong coming from the woodwind, with the continued pulsing from the strings helping to propel the music along.
After the Byström, the audience welcomed Callum Smart to the stage to perform the ever-popular Sibelius Violin concerto. The opening of this piece is one of the most eerie and mysterious in the repertoire, but even so I was quite surprised at the restraint shown by Callum in his first passages. I found myself wanting a bit more expressiveness as the first movement continued, but this is probably a matter of taste!
The second movement is always a sunny gentle respite in an otherwise turbulent piece, and the Haffner and Callum put that over well, including the rich sound of the strings in the “shadier” passages of Nordic darkness, which I particularly enjoyed.
After an interval, the orchestra returned alone with Brahms 1st Symphony. This was my favourite piece of the whole evening, and despite the obvious challenges of putting on such a “big” piece, and the stamina required, the orchestra delivered a formidable performance. Some highlights for me were the way the strings enjoyed their cross-rhythms in the first movement, and the big moment in the last movement where that gorgeous rich tune comes in didn’t disappoint!
Overall, the concert was another highly enjoyable evening with the Haffner, and I look forward to their next outing in June!
A McCafferty
Concert Review: 19th Novmeber 2022
Rameau: Instrumental selections from Opera Suites
Cimarosa: Il Maestro di Capella
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Conductor: Alex Robinson
Soloist: John Ieuan Jones
Leader: Julian Cann
An impression from the audience, Haffner Orchestra – 19th November 2022
On a Saturday evening in November a friend and I made our way to the Great Hall at Lancaster University to attend a concert by the Haffner Orchestra. We took our seats and were pleased to be surrounded by people of all ages, all with an interest in classical music. Rameau Instrumental Selections from Opera Suites were delightful – we had not heard these before but we will be listening to them again. Welsh baritone John Ieuan Jones performed an English version of the Cimarosa operatic intermezzo Il Maestro di Capella. The singer directed the orchestra through song, including some singing of the sounds he wished to hear from various sections of the orchestra. Soloist and orchestra had great fun with this piece which added to the audience pleasure. The final piece, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, was known to us and we were tempted to sing along in parts of it – you will be pleased that we didn’t! We feel so fortunate to have such a talented amateur orchestra based in Lancaster and that this orchestra performed a varied programme under good leadership from their guest conductor, Alex Robinson.
The Bay Health Festival
The Haffner Orchestra provided a wonderful two concerts as part of the Bay Health Festival. They took place on Saturday 9th July, in the Ashton Hall, Town Hall, Dalton Square.
It was unusual in that the performances were free of charge, and they were only 40 minutes long. There was also some chat and “explanation” of the music, by conductor Bob Chasey. As well as being for lovers of classical music, it was designed for people who hadn’t heard such music before, or didn’t think it was for them. The idea was to show that wonderful music can lift the spirits, and might surprise you. The Haffner’s fabulous volunteers encouraged people to come in and try the music.
And they came in great numbers! People of all ages and abilities came and were enraptured. You could have heard a pin drop during the last scenes of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony the audience were so focussed.
Here are some of the comments:
“I have never been to a classical music concert before. It was fantastic. So moving, and also relaxing. I shall be coming to a lot more concerts in future"
“I don’t listen to much classical music, but this was something else! The live orchestra was amazing to hear, and my little boy was thrilled by the big drums and brass instruments.”
Another lady brought Ukrainian and Congolese refugees, who loved it, and were hugely enthusiastic.
Concert Review: 25th June 2022
The Haffner Orchestra returned to the Ashton Hall on Saturday for their first concert there since the pandemic. They were conducted by guest conductor Hilario Flores-Coni from Argentina currently based in Scotland. As a good-sized audience arrived at the hall the sun was shining but it produced nothing like the warmth of the mini-heatwave earlier in the week.
The warmth lacking outside was made up for by the warmth of tone and the ensemble achieved by the orchestra in Mozart’s overture to Don Giovanni which opened the concert. The portentous minor key introduction and the exuberant allegro which follows were executed in stirring fashion.
Zoltan Kodaly’s Summer Evening composed in 1906, revived and revised in 1929, was a revelation. The composer used folk melodies or folk inspired tunes to create a complex web of sound beginning with the plangent tones of a solo cor anglais in minor mode and ending with a hushed string chord in the major key. This was a fully committed performance which excited an interest in hearing more of Kodaly’s works in future concerts.
The Two Pieces for Small Orchestra by Frederick Delius bringing the first half of the concert to a close introduced a completely different sound world. On Hearing the First Cuckoo of Spring and Summer Night on the River show-cased the adventurous shifting harmonies of Delius’ unique musical language and gave opportunities for individual players to come to the fore. The beautifully played cello solo in the second of the two pieces was acknowledged with a special ovation for the principal cellist at the end of part one of the concert.
A Haydn symphony as the final work in a concert programme is comparatively rare so I applaud the Haffner Orchestra for devoting the entire second half of their programme to a performance of the Symphony No 101, nicknamed “The Clock”. It was a bold choice and although it cannot be denied that some cracks began to appear in ensemble particularly in loud passages involving the whole orchestra this performance certainly brought the evening’s entertainment to a resounding conclusion.
A Tribute to Italy
A group of wind players, members of the Haffner Orchestra, formed a Wind Quintet in 2016. It was with great pleasure that we were invited to perform at the Lancaster Grand Theatre as part of Lancaster’s ‘Festa Italia 2022’.
We were warmly received by a most enthusiastic audience at what was an exhilarating evening, performing Italian themed music. Apparently one of the audience member’s was moved to tears when we performed ‘ Nessun Dorma’ from Puccini’s ‘Turandot’ a theme put on the world map in 1990 when Pavarotti sang it as an opening to the 1990 World Cup.
Concert Review: 5th March 2022
Great Hall, Lancaster University, 7:30 pm
Conductor: Daniel Parkinson
Soloist: Rose McLachlan
Leader: Julian Cann
Vaughan Williams: Five Variants of Dives & Lazarus
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Beethoven: Symphony No 6 ‘Pastoral’
Lancaster‘s own Haffner Orchestra welcomed guest conductor Daniel Parkinson and piano soloist Rose McLachlan to their first concert of the year in the University Great Hall. A near capacity audience gathered for a musical journey taking us from rustic folk melody through the bustle of jazz age Paris then back to nature with Beethoven's walk in the woods, his Pastoral symphony.
Without delay conductor Parkinson led the orchestra into Ralph Vaughan Williams' Five Variations on Dives and Lazarus. Warm strings and delicate harp notes state the familiar theme which develops and diverts always returning to its source.
A musical whip crack transports us to a very different environment as boisterous sounds spring from all corners of the orchestra. Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major is rooted in the composer's fascination with jazz and the Basque inflections inherited from his mother. Following the opening fanfares and gambols a bluesy clarinet leads to an unaccompanied statement of the main theme by the soloist. Twenty-one-year-old Rose McLachlan was personally chosen by Daniel Parkinson who, in his youth, had been taught by her father. Her assured, wonderfully expressive playing shone in the flowing phrases of the slow second movement. The final movement awakens us with squalls and shrieks of city sound from woodwind and brass, the hectic whole skilfully supported by the orchestra.
After the interval we returned to the countryside with Beethoven's Sixth Symphony. The enjoyment that the musicians clearly felt in its playing was infectious. All sections take their turns playing the melody. In the second movement the strings evoke flowing water, before we heard bird song played by oboe, flute and clarinets.
The remaining three movements run together without pause. The scherzo of the third movement portrays country folk dancing, the tempo ever increasing. Their revels are interrupted by an approaching storm, the cellos and basses prelude to the mighty thunder of the timpani and the contrast of the piccolo depicting lightning. Trombones add to the rumble before the flute signals the rainbow at the storm's end. Serenity is restored in the final movement, described by Beethoven as A Shepherd's Song of Thanksgiving, an appropriate close to a thoroughly enjoyable evening of music.
Hearing and seeing orchestral music played live by skilled and committed local musicians is truly an experience not to be missed.
Mark Wildman
Concert Review: 4th December 2021
Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor
Beethoven: Symphony no. 7
Conductor: Jonathan Lo
Soloist: Christopher Jones
Leader: Julian Cann
In the cold December rain, music lovers gathered at the Great Hall to enjoy the first public performance by Lancaster’s own Haffner Orchestra since before the first lockdown. We were soon warmed by Mendelssohn’s Overture To A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written when the composer was but 17. Musical Director Jonathan Lo, conducting the Haffner for the last time, told how, distanced across the whole Great Hall floor, today shared with an audience of 400, the Orchestra had rehearsed the piece this summer following a series of Zoom collaborations. His heartfelt introductory words emphasised the true meaning of amateur, applied to the audience as at one with the musicians, those who do what they love and love what they are doing. Two flutes, apparently the hardest instruments to socially distance, beckoned us into the piece’s swelling theme and it was soon clear that here was a company playing with as much expertise as enthusiasm. Perfectly balanced orchestration and playing made this the ideal reintroduction to the communal listening experience.
Guest soloist Christopher Jones was faced with the challenge of a very exposed violin opening to the mature Mendelssohn’s Violin concerto in E minor which he rose to with verve and precision. He played a superb cadenza towards the end of the first movement, the orchestra exquisitely in support throughout.
Jonathan addressed us again after the interval. Particularly poignant, as he is moving on himself, was the tribute that he paid to Helen Price, who rose from the cello section to receive thanks for 21 years of publicizing the work of the Haffner. In introducing the final piece, Beethoven’s mighty 7th Symphony, Jonathan explained how Beethoven had been such a proponent of the communality of music, energy, dance, humanity. This encapsulated the whole atmosphere of the evening, fifty strong orchestra and audience united in the sharing of great, marvellously executed music. The Haffner has been Lancaster’s very own orchestra since the 1970s, many great local musicians then and now involved. A vital part of Lancaster’s cultural community which Jonathan Lo is leaving in fine form for his successor. At the end of his mid concert address Jonathan quoted his hero, Carl Sagan’s words so appropriate to the experience of the evening,
“For small creatures such as we the vastness is only bearable through love.” It was good to be back.
What orchestral music means to me
The orchestra met in July, but socially distanced and sadly without an audience. We met four times, and made a video of our playing, along with comments from our Chairman and some of our players, about what orchestral music means to them. You can watch the video on YouTube.
Playing together again
The orchestra met during the first few days of July 2021 for four playing sessions, with Jonny Lo wielding the baton. We worked at Haydn Symphony 104, and Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Great Hall at Lancaster University was big enough to accommodate us, socially distance, but sadly, with Covid restrictions and uncertainties, it was not possible to have an audience. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to be playing together again after such a long time.
Great thanks were expressed to Jonny, who has helped us so much during the pandemic, and inspired us with ideas, and also to our Chairman Alison Toy, who has kept the show on the road, and spent countless hours keeping everything well organised, practical and Covid-secure. Not an easy task.
A live concert at last!
Five wind players from the orchestra gave a live concert, after many months when we could not play live music together, on Saturday 12th June 2021 at Lancaster Priory. The quintet consisted of a flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and French horn. There was a large, very appreciative audience – online tickets were all booked out by the night before. The concert was part of a series of coffee concert series at Lancaster Priory. The programme was:
Bagatelle Beethoven
Quintet in Bb (1st, 2nd & 4th movts.) Franz Danzi
Bossa Nova & Charleston from ‘Dance Suite’ Norman Hallam
Quintet in C (1st, 2nd & 5th movts.) Claude Arrieu
Spanish Dance No 1 from ‘La Vida Breve’ Manuel de Falla
Oblivion Astor Piazzolla
Playing through the Pandemic
During the Covid 19 Pandemic year, we learned new ways of playing music together, and sharing it with our audience.
We made three recordings, with video, and so our audience could see familiar faces, and hear us without moving from their armchairs.
In February the string section and wind section recorded separately. The wind players recorded individually to a metronome marking, while the strings were sent a backing track prepared by section leaders. They then recorded their own playing while listening on headphones to the track. Not an easy task for everyone!
In April all the orchestra joined for a recording of “Nimrod” from Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Everyone recorded their part while listening to a keyboard backing track.
We were lucky that Jonny Lo, who was to have retired as Musical Director, stayed with us during the 2020 – 21 season, and he was an inspiration. It was Jonny who “mixed” the music, and created final videos that you can watch and listen to by clicking on the links below. Jonny can be seen “conducting” the Mozart strings, and “Nimrod” too. We are hugely grateful to him.
We also held Zoom sessions for Patrons, Sponsors and volunteer helpers, when Jonny presented the music, and there were enjoyable open discussions about how we’d done the recordings, and how we were getting on in general.
Here are some of the comments we received following the Zoom sessions, and also after recordings were emailed out to our many audience members on our mailing list:
"It was a real delight as well as an education to watch people who love music make music under such difficult circumstances"
"This was a lovely bright moment in a musically miserable lockdown. Congratulations to all!"
"Fabulous. Thank you. Can't wait to be able to see you again live."
"Thank you so much for keeping things together during lockdown. I look forward so much to hearing your next live concert."
"I absolutely loved that.Tears rolling down my cheeks in a few minutes! Beautiful! Thank you all "
"I would like to add how impressed I was with Jonny’s enthusiasm, presentation and explanation of what must have been a very time-consuming and complicated procedure."
Concert Review: 8th February 2020
Weber: Overture to Oberon
Haydn: Symphony no. 95
Mendelssohn: Symphony no. 5, ‘Reformation’
Ashton Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster Conductor: Jonathan Lo Leader: Julian Cann
The Haffner’s programme of concerts is an essential part of the rich tapestry that is the live music scene in Lancaster. As Jonathan Lo the fantastic, passionate and supremely encouraging conductor pointed out to us last night, it is a joint venture of listeners and musicians. It is a magical moment in time which makes this art form so exhilarating.
Last night was also tinged with a bit of sadness to hear in the pre-concert talk that this is Jonathan’s last season with the orchestra. His introductions to the pieces are always thought-provoking and full of delight in the music, which makes one eager to listen. His last concert with the orchestra will be on June 20th and if you have never been to a Haffner concert before I would urge you to put this one in your diary.
The concert started with Weber’s Overture to Oberon. The French horn bravely opened the piece with a magic call to the characters from the fairy world of A Midsummer Nights’ Dream. There was a quiet rustling of fairies brought to life by the strings and gradually the full orchestra participated and seemed to thoroughly enjoy a piece full of charm and vitality. The music gave no hint that Weber died of tuberculosis very shortly after the opera was premiered.
Next on the programme was Haydn’s Symphony no.95. We were urged by Jonathan to listen out for the silences and the sense of excitement that the pauses bring, never quite knowing what Haydn will fill the space with next. There was a feeling of fun and exuberance, which the orchestra captured beautifully as the different sections counterpoint and develop the themes. Especially smile-worthy was a brilliant cello solo performed by Mary Dainton. In the third movement. It was great to hear a cello take the centre stage like this and in such a joyful way.
After the interval, we were treated to Symphony no.5 ‘Reformation’ by Mendelssohn. The first quiet and reverential moments with the flute were played beautifully and built to a more intense calling between the brass and woodwind. The strings then joined in and the movement built to a point where the whole orchestra played together to make a great sound until falling away to a quiet end. In the Scherzo and Trio, the orchestra could be seen to sway to the sumptuous three time. They were obviously enjoying it as much as the audience. The Andante began with the strings and was a beautiful quiet reflective sound, although with some overtones of sadness. A solo flute opened the last movement with a hymn from Martin Luther. The stately bassoons and the woodwind were joined by the brass and cellos in a sombre deep sound and gradually the harmony was layered by the full sweep of the orchestra. This was the end of another excellent evening with the Haffner Orchestra and its many supporters.
Siobhan Tough
Concert Review: 2nd November 2019
Offenbach Overture to La Belle Hélène
Bruch Scottish Fantasy
Sibelius Symphony no. 1
Great Hall, Lancaster University
Conductor: Jonathan Lo
Soloist: Leland Chen
Leader: Julian Cann
We enjoyed a terrific concert by the Haffner Orchestra and their guest soloist, Leland Chen, on Saturday evening.
The first piece, Offenbach’s overture to La Belle Helene, was short and light hearted. The orchestra were playful and tuneful and gave us a good warm up for starters.
We then began in earnest to be mesmerised by the fine and exquisite playing of Leland Chen in Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. The piece begins slowly, giving us a chance to fully appreciate the beautiful tone and intensity that Chen brought to the piece. The orchestra buoyed him up beautifully with lovely chords and in places musical conversations between the sections and soloist. The quicker movements were also joyous and brilliantly executed. The harp was also lovely to hear and seemed appropriate because, as the title suggests, the Fantasy pays homage to some great Scottish traditional tunes. These were sometimes poignant and heartfelt and sometimes just fun. Chen was warmly applauded by the audience and performed a short, quirky, technically inspiring encore.
During the interval we encountered some members of the orchestra, who mentioned what a challenging piece Sibelius First Symphony is to play, as they prepared themselves for the second half. They needn’t have worried. This was the absolute highlight of the concert.
The fantastic and completely lovable conductor Jonathan Lo gave us a short introduction, which made us wish we had attended the earlier pre performance talk (although we had used this time to catch a bit of the brilliant Light Up Lancaster festival). Our senses I’m sure became keener as he described Sibelius bridging both classical symphony and tone poem in this wonderful piece.
Every part of the orchestra gave themselves fully and had moments of glory. The music soared and subsided as themes and motifs were interwoven amongst the different players. The energy and rhythmic vitality required at some points were matched by the feelings expressed at quieter more introspective moments. What a fantastic performance. We were transported to Finland and absolutely loved it.
