REVIEW: Chichester Symphony Orchestra with University of Chichester Conservatoire

It was very gratifying for the Chichester Symphony Orchestra to have a sell-out event for ‘Space’ - its first collaborative concert with the University of Chichester Conservatoire. The concert was conducted by Crispin Ward (University of Chichester) for the first half and by Simon Wilkins (Chichester Symphony Orchestra) for the second. Both took up playing duties when not conducting.

This was certainly a concert with a difference as became immediately clear when the house lights were dimmed, leaving the combined forces to perform, in semi-darkness, the opening fanfare from ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ by Richard Strauss. This was accompanied by astrophotography (compiled by Ivana Peranic from the University) projected onto the east and side walls of the nave. Whether seated downstairs or in the gallery above the visual effects were quite simply stunning.

There was more video projection to come in the pieces that immediately followed as the orchestra ran through the first half of the concert programme without a break. Next up was the stirring ‘Eve of the War’ sequence from Jeff Wayne’s 1978 “War of the Worlds” album. This provided a fusion of narration, haunting melodies, and powerful vocal performances by the Conservatoire’s Harmonix Choir – all bringing to Chichester the suspense and scale of a Martian invasion as described in H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi novel published in 1897.

Taking the exploration of space to new frontiers the combined forces then boldly went forwards in time with some of the themes from the Star Trek films, and with music composed and originally performed by David Bowie (Space Oddity; Life on Mars) and Elton John (Rocket Man). The theme to the film, ‘E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial’ completed the first half. The variety of the pieces admirably showed off the breadth and quality of the music-making and the evident enthusiasm and adrenalin of all the performers was a joy to watch.

After the interval, the orchestra reassembled, under Simon Wilkins, to perform music by Debussy (Clair de Lune), the second of two pieces by John Willams (this time, music from the “Star Wars” films), and music by Gustav Holst (Mars, Venus, and Jupiter from ‘The Planets’). The ‘Venus’ movement provided a great opportunity to showcase how quietly and sensitively the orchestra could play this lilting music after the thunderous and frightening ‘Mars’ movement that preceded it.

The excellent written programme, researched by Cara Steger who plays in the Symphony Orchestra, provided just the right amount of information to set the scene and to invite further exploration. Such exploration was also invited of the audience as the orchestra, accompanied by video projection of an astronaut alone in space, performed ‘Hey Mr Spaceman’ as a well-deserved encore.

On leaving St Paul’s it was obviously not just me who thought that the concert had been a stand-out success - others could be overheard talking about the great choice of music, how the very clever lighting displays had really enhanced their listening, and how energetic and energised the combined forces had been. It was a fabulous concert and surely paves the way for similar such collaborations in the future.