Last updated 05:41, Friday, 03 October 2008

Northern Sinfonia for Keswick Music Society, Theatre by the Lake, KeswickKeswick Music Society’s 61st season got off to an auspicious start with a concert by the acclaimed and much-loved northern Sinfonia.

To a packed hall at the Theatre by the Lake, they performed a varied programme of music from the baroque, classical and modern periods.

It was good to have an opportunity to hear members of the woodwind and brass sections of the orchestra in a performance of Mozart’s Serenade No.11 in E flat.

With two each of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and French horns, there were many permutations of tone-colour, with Mozart giving particular prominence to the clarinets.

It is an attractive piece, with a central adagio framed by two minuets and lively outer movements, played with colour and panache.

J S Bach’s Double Concerto for two violins, strings and continuo is one of his most outstanding and best-loved instrumental works, here brought to life by Bradley Creswick and Kyra Humphreys. If the tempi of the outer movements were sometimes a little hectic, the largo had some beautiful lyricism and expression.

After the interval, Britten’s Simple Symphony was full of life, even though at times the ensemble could have been more precise. But there was a wide range of dynamics and very effective pizzicato playing.

Haydn’s Symphony No.99 in E flat is a good-humoured work, although with occasional darker moments in the adagio, and the varied moods and textures were convincingly conveyed.

There was generally a good balance between the wind and strings, but some details could have been more finely adjusted.

Overall, this was a most successful event, and a credit to the new secretary, Mary Cooke and the dedicated committee who work so hard to make these concerts possible.

IAN HARE