|
Marlborough College’s Professional Orchestra in Partnership, London’s Southbank Sinfonia, kicked off their 2010 association with a performance for the final event of the 2009/10 MCCS season.
In a programme of music by Beethoven and Benjamin Britten we were treated to an energetic and spirited performance. To be really successful, Beethoven needs utter precision and attention to detail and Music Director, Simon Over, achieved just that; some of the wind playing was simply ravishing.
Someone once said, “There is no truly great English music….”. An interesting statement indeed: it was either said by a madman or before Henry Purcell was born and surely could never be applied to Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece ‘Les Illuminations’!
The soloist for this performance was the British tenor, James Oxley, and he gave a heartfelt and deeply moving rendition of this extraordinary piece. Southbank Sinfonia were in fine form here too, with some notable solo contributions; the final ‘Depart’ was breathtaking as Oxley expertly crafted the sumptuous phrases with sublime orchestral textures and shapes. |