Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra - Brighton Dome Saturday 18th April 2026, 6pm Review by Janet Lawrence

This was because, while the orchestra played familiar classical pieces, to begin and end, the central gourmet sensation, metaphorically speaking, was Afro-Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale.  In a longstanding bond with Artistic Director Joanna MacGregor, the two have worked together for over 20 years - no surprise, then, that tMacGregor’s composition  “Para Adriano”  would be giving its first performance with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra.

A collection of different shaped drums was already laid out on the stage, for Adriano to join when it was his time.

Without preamble, Joanna MacGregor took the podium to conduct Benjamin Britten’s famous piece “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”.   A marvellous beginning for a concert.  Full of instrumental diversity, needless to say highlighting each instrument in turn - a work that even gave the harp its own lively moments, instead of the occasional plinks that have featured in other works.

It begins with the mighty timpani at the back; a couple of flutes tease a tune, the clarinets perform a playful sequence; brass, violins and other strings join in, backed by trombones and trumpets. We get instrumental coughs and sneezes, the harp comes in with great plucks and trills, violins have a short solo then whisper in the background, while at the back the timpani has a couple of thumps, there’s a bit on the xylophone, sticks hit each other and random percussion pops in now and then.  The harp plays a big part and we end with a cymbal clash.

So that had us all sitting up and concentrating, including some youngsters in the upper circle’s front row, dancing to the music. Good to see so many young people,  I spoke to some of them afterwards - one an 11-year-old called Ainhoa. They all enjoyed the concert and one or two were learning their own instruments. They are, of course, the future.

Then the ‘pièce de résistance’ - African-Brazilian Adriano Adewale and his percussion composition.  The set of drums was already laid out, and he came on wearing jeans and a long white shirt.  Just the part.

The work for percussion and orchestra, was especially composed by Joanna MacGregor for him.   Joanna played her piano parts; Adriano came on, starting on his cymbals with a couple of bangs.  We were riveted.   With different rhythms on his assortment of drums, he was in a world of his own.  A large ball featured among the drums, a long stick thing attached - couldn’t figure out how it was being played.

The first movement - “Lundu, for Mario Andrade’, starts with two hefty drum hits followed by Adriano’s voicing an African sequence, drums continuing the story.  Joanna accompanies on piano.  There were, at times, some solo piano without drums, and drums without piano, with plaintive motifs from Adriano’s voice.  This pattern of sequences continued as he proceeded through the following five movements, showing an unique ability to play and create mesmerising atmospheres and soundscapes.  We heard MacGregor’s freestyle piano alternating with random drumming from any one of Adewale’s percussion instruments.  An intriguing piece that kept us focused and marvelling at the way he told stories through his music.  Just as we settled down to hearing drum/piano arrangements, the violins crept in.  In Joanna’s programme words: “The work encompasses orchestral string writing with space for Adriano’s extraordinary improvisational skills”.   We were mesmerised by his unique ability to create atmospheres and soundscapes.

This talented, unique performer, will have affected our views of the way music can be created and adapted.  Between MacGregor and Adewale, we learned something new.

After the interval, we had a collaboration piece of high drama by Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov:  “Night on a Bare Mountain”, followed bye Stravinsky’s Concert Suite from Petrushka.

You can tell it’s a stormy night on a bare mountain in Mussorgsky’s work, a loose collaboration between Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov,  by the way the Phil handled it.

A lively set of tunefulness brought this early evening performance to an end - the three movements by Igor Stravinsky (b,1882) of his Concert Suite from Petrushka.  For this, an extra piano, placed left of stage, is played by Xiaowen Shang.   

It opens with a Russian Dance, featuring the puppet Petrushka, who is playful, naughty and quarrelsome.  Stravinsky brings to life the puppet of the Moor, the flirtatious Columbine and the Magician.  Petrushka loves the ballerina but she prefers the Moor.  In a big scuffle, the Moor kills Petrushka with his scimitar and Petrushka’s ghost haunts both the Moor and the Magician.

Once again our Artistic Director, Conductor and Pianist, Joanna, conducted a spirited performance that captured the fun and essence of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet.  This wonderful, bubbly piece sent us out in high spirits and a sense that, this being the last concert of the season, we know that the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra will never disappoint us.

Thus the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra has ended. We now look forward to next season's Orchestral programme, for us to look out for.