A night with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: full of “passion, flare and resolve”
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s concert in Chichester Cathedral on October 22nd was a beautiful, dramatic and spirited performance.
Conductor Gergely Madaras made a return to Chichester to perform Colour and Light, a concert tapestry rich in emotional depth that moved me personally. The concert began with Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in C minor orchestrated by Edward Elgar, followed by Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, Suk’s Meditation on ‘St Wenceslas’, and finishing with Respighi’s Church Windows.
The heat of enthusiasm that emanated from the BSO’s first drawn note of Fantasia and Fugue took me from what was a cold, rainy night and sat me in front of hundreds of years of musical narration.
Conductor Gergely Madaras and violinist Kristine Balanas in rehearsal at Lighthouse, Poole
Acoustically, the dancing notes of Sibelius’ Concerto felt like a lover’s quarrel, with such passion, flare and resolve that the church’s South Transept and other artistic installments grabbed my attention. Church Windows being based on Gregorian Chants felt almost spiritual in the church. However, what stole the show for me was Meditations on an old Czech Hymn ‘St Wenceslas’. My own interpretation was one of joy, and something tragically beautiful. With its chanting structure and overlapping strings coming in strengths, I couldn’t say no to being captivated.
If you’re based in Hampshire or West Sussex, click here to view upcoming performances across the Solent region.
We are proud to work in collaboration with partners across the region, including Portsmouth University. The Orchestra is based at Lighthouse, Poole and, in addition to performing in towns and villages across the South West, is resident in Bristol, Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton and Yeovil.