On Saturday 12th March St. John's Church welcomed the return of the Southport Orchestra who performed a fund raising concert in support of the local branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The concert, which was played to a capacity audience of 300, included three works, two British and one Russian.The Orchestra (leader Melanie Foster) as usual under the baton of its popular musical director, Jeff Rimmer, set the scene with the bright and lively Overture, "The Wasps" by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
This was followed by Tchaikovsky’s great B flat minor Piano Concerto in which members of the Orchestra were delighted to welcome once again the local virtuoso Tom Kimmance. Following the mighty opening chords in the first movement, Tom astounded everyone with a bravura performance, combining power with tenderness. The poetry of Tom’s immaculate interpretation was matched by the players under the watchful eye of the conductor Jeff, who guided the performance through the final movement to a monumental ending, at the conclusion of which the audience rose spontaneously to its feet in rapturous applause.
After a short interval, the Southport Orchestra performed the Symphony No.2, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, entitled, "A London Symphony" in which the composer explored in musical form the variety of moods to be experienced in the capital. It is a work which requires absolute concentration from opening to conclusion. The players rose to the challenge and received well deserved audience appreciation. This was a concert which will live long in the memory.
Readers of the Blog may wish to note in their diaries that the Southport Orchestra's next concert will be a light music Extravaganza at The Atkinson on Lord Street on Saturday 25th June 2016, featuring some of the best and most loved light classical music with beautiful melodies and tunes that everyone will remember and enjoy. Tickets are already on sale at The Atkinson box office.
St. John's looks forward to Southport Orchestra performing another concert in our church in 2017.
