Review: Banbury Symphony Orchestra's Spring Concert provided another evening to remember

Banbury Symphony Orchestra – Spring Concert – Church of St Peter and St Paul, Deddington – March 25Review by Margaret Bulleyment

Banbury Symphony Orchestra can always be relied upon to provide an enjoyable evening of quality playing and their Spring Concert in Deddington Church was no exception, bringing us three lyrical works, which deserve to be better known.

The evening began in lively, foot-tapping fashion with Johan Halvorsen’s Norwegian Rhapsody No. I. Halvorsen (1864-1935) an accomplished violinist, conductor and later, composer, is as famous in Norway, as his friend and relative by marriage, Edvard Grieg. This joyous rhapsody features two popular Norwegian folk dances – the halling (a show of athleticism for the male dancers) and the springar (a dance for couples, in an uneven rhythm.)

From Norway, it was on to Bohemia for A Hero’s Song, the last symphonic poem that Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) was to compose, after returning from America in 1897. Under the direction of conductor, Paul Willett, the orchestral skilfully brought out the dramatic contrasts of this difficult work, as Dvorak leads his hero through pain, suffering, joy and hope, before emerging victorious.

From Bohemia, we moved on to America, for Amy Beach’s (1867-1944) Gaelic Symphony, which was the first symphony by a woman, to be performed by a major orchestra. Her work appeared a year after Dvorak’s, New World Symphony. Dvorak was teaching in America at the time and influenced Amy, whose ancestors were British, to use English, Scottish and Irish music, as source material making her symphony the first by an American composer, to use nationalistic themes.

There was some beautifully expressive woodwind and solo string playing, as the orchestra took us through a turbulent storm, an Irish jig and a melancholic duet, before pulsing strings and triumphant brass, led us into the exuberant finale. Amy’s music is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

We happily danced out into the rain – an evening to remember.