To add to the thrill of this November evening in Poole, she was soloist in the UK premier of the Saxophone Concerto by BSO ‘Celebrated Composer’ for 2025/6, Dani Howard, who was in the Hall to watch over events. Ms Gillam is a brilliant advocate of the sax as an instrument. Its range, its power and sheer sexiness was full on display in this work – co-commissioned by the BSO. Described as “a homage to the instrument’s inventor, Adolphe Sax”, the work illustrates aspects of Sax’s life and art, but stood perfectly well as pure music in the way it conveyed searching and strength in each of its three sections.
In the first movement we heard the solo instrument diving in and out of the orchestral sound fascinatingly, the rhythms all the while smiling shyly. The second movement was like a summer dawn from which the solo instrument emerged into a mesmerising cadenza. The fiery finale involved everyone in a party where communication between all the players and the conductor was strongly in evidence.
Ms Gillam’s encore was Pedro Iturralde’s Pequeña Czarda, which she explained, was a piece she played in that unforgettable 2016 BBC Young Musician competition, when the orchestra conductor was our very own Mr Wigglesworth.
This was definitely a performance to seek out again via the BSO’s online concert videos at bsolive.com.
The evening had started with the sort of rarity we love hearing at the BSO – Wagner’s Forbidden Love Overture. Who knew that Wagner wrote a comic opera? Well here it was: percussion-led jollity and some slickly managed gear changes into sweeping string-led themes, pointed with resounding brass fanfares. All rather fun in a slightly unexpected way.
The second half of the concert consisted of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Wonderful instrumentalism produced vivid storytelling in a sparkling performance. The orchestra seemed able to play with a great sincerity, so that the rather overwrought narrative, which is by now pretty well known by many listeners, sounded fresh and new. Also, the links between sections were vividly pointed out to bring the whole grand scheme into clear focus.
This was an evening that is sure to be looked back on as one of the highlights of the season.
At the start of the second half, CEO Dougie Scarfe marked the retirement from the orchestra of Karen Leach, after 31 years as a mainstay of the first violin section. This was her last main season concert in Poole and a presentation was made amid loud applause.
Member and Supporter Tom Wickson
We also received reviews from:
The Times 4-star review
“He [Mark Wigglesworth] put his stamp on the rest of the concert with the BSO playing tautly and often thrillingly throughout.”
“This performance, which featured some exceptional woodwind playing, perceptively understood the music’s dark heart.”
“An evening of enthralling music and world-class playing: the finest I have heard from Wigglesworth and the BSO. I can hardly wait for an opportunity to hear them again.”
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