Settle Orchestra,

Settle Parish Church

AFTER attending a concert by Settle Orchestra I wonder if people realise how fortunate we are to have so much talent focused on one small market town.

This was an opinion voiced by many after what was one of their most exhilarating and demanding performances.

Under the baton of Alexander Webb, they seem to have reached new heights in terms of their confidence to tackle demanding pieces and in their general performance as a whole. In short they are going from strength to strength.

The evening opened with Weber’s overture to Der Freischütz, a wonderfully theatrical summary of the whole piece it overflows with tension and drama and takes the listener through a whole gamut of emotions while certainly testing the ability of the orchestra as a whole.

This was followed by an outstanding rendition of Strauss’s Horn concerto No 1 with Royal Northern College of Music student, Sophie Bell, playing the solo part.

The soloist was involved from the very start of the piece and the orchestra provided superb support, complementing her playing perfectly throughout.

It is a piece of many moods which certainly allowed all aspects of the orchestra to excel but especially the brass section and the timpani.

Particular mention should be made of outstanding work by the younger brass players for their contribution to this sparkling performance.

The second half of the programme was given over to Schubert’s Symphony No 9, a challenging and complex piece with numerous repeats which demanded intense concentration by the orchestra.

This truly was a tour de force, and it is little wonder that the Symphony was dubbed 'The Great'.

Again this was a piece which provided opportunities for all sections of the orchestra to be shown with some particularly moving sections featuring horns and strings, as well as louder interludes which demonstrated the full power of the orchestra.

Sadly the acoustics of the building did mean that at times the sound was rather distorted.

The moods within the piece are many and varied, with playful moments in the Scherzo and Trio and some excellent pizzicato work earlier in the piece.

The final movement was particularly impressive, being a high speed and energetic race from start to finish and full of spontaneity.

Congratulations to all involved in such a splendid evening.

-Gill O’ Donnell