Horsham Symphony Orchestra review: “The concert was unforgettable, wholly and in part”

What makes an orchestral concert unforgettable? Is it the programme? The players? The venue? Ideally, a combination, plus three less tangible extras: passion, energy and enthusiasm, particularly when applied to Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. It needs uncompetitive soloists of equal calibre and an intelligent orchestra capable of providing a springboard, not just a background. Violinist Ionel Manciu brought an uninhibited sense of fun to the platform, joyously starring with cellist Leo Popplewell yet allowing Dominic DeGavino equal sunshine on the piano. Here was a shared delight in music-making of rare quality and their infectious exuberance, shared by a radiantly rhythmic Steve Dummer, lifted the orchestra, along with Beethoven’s composition, to realms above.

Vaughan Williams’ Fifth Symphony was premiered in 1943 and quickly acknowledged as a masterpiece. With infinite skill, Steve Dummer spun the opening thematic ideas into the symphony’s extended passages, where this felt like the pilgrims walk, from Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, the inspiration for the work. In the Scherzo, our pilgrims walk through a flickering forest of winds, ending abruptly before the wonderful mystique of the Romanza, most sensitively led by Rachel Ellis. The final Passacaglia has our pilgrims marching in joyful rhythm towards the sunlit uplands.

The concert was unforgettable, wholly and in part. The youthful energy of Mithras revived our delight in the Triple Concerto and local connections enhanced our pleasure in Vaughan Williams’ celebrated symphony; a most imaginative pairing for a programme and a very attractive venue in St. Mary’s. Horsham Symphony Orchestra led by their inspirational conductor Steve Dummer, were, quite simply, outstanding, bringing forth a mighty instrument of power, subtlety and precision. Passion, energy and enthusiasm? All of it!