Eastbourne Concert Orchestra in festive mood

The concert began with the overture to Zampa, a melodramatic French opera whose plot is essentially a pastiche of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. The music was fun and light until the brass whipped the tempo with a stirring fanfare led to a rousing conclusion. The overture was followed by the tender Fantasia on Greensleeves by Vaughan Williams, a request by audience members who were very much moved by the overlapping string melodies and harp and flute solos. The highlight of the concert, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite concluded the first half. His wonderful orchestration never fails to please, from quirky bassoon octaves in the Chinese dance to the pastoral flute in the dance of the mirlitons to the exotic roulades of the harp in the introduction to the waltz of the flowers. The orchestra performed with character to bring Tchaikovsky’s ballet music to life.

The Carol symphony by Victor Hely-Hutchinson followed the interval combining tunes of well-known carols to create a four movement symphony with the orchestra donning their Christmas apparel including silly hats, tinsel and lights. The symphony gave opportunities to the various sections of the orchestra to shine with joyous string melodies, haunting winds and powerful brass. The first movement was based on O Come All Ye Faithful, the scherzo second movement set God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in an uneven metre and the finale was based on Here We Come A-Wassailing.

The rest of the second half included a selection from the musical Camelot by Lerner and Loewe. The orchestral players enjoyed the rich orchestration by Robert Russell Bennett of the glamorous

Broadway melodies. The orchestra also performed the Intermezzo from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. The audience held their breath through the moving string melody with harp accompaniment and haunting oboe melody.

In the last piece in the programme, Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, the orchestra’s conductor, Simon Gower, juggled both a candy cane baton and the whip in an entertaining display of prestidigitation.

The ECO’s next concert will be on Tuesday 19th March 2024 at 7.30pm in Eastbourne Town Hall. A musical journey to Bohemia will include Smetana’s Moldau and Dvorak’s 8th symphony. Tickets will be available on the door, priced at £10 each and under 18s will be admitted free.

Programme

Overture: Zampa by Herold

Fantasia on Greensleeves by Vaughan Williams

Ballet suite: The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsk

Interval

A Carol Symphony by Hely-Hutchinson

Intermezzo: Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni

Orchestral selection: Camelot by Lerner and Loewe

Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson