One of Britain's finestThe Capitol, Horsham19th November 2011 Horns Anthony Halstead and Philip Thompson Violin Rachel Ellis Conductor Steve Dummer In their latest performance the Horsham Symphony Orchestra demonstrated why they are becoming known as one of Britain’s finest amateur orchestras. Conductor Steve Dummer provided expert attention to detail alongside a sense of comradery with members of the ensemble that enabled each player to shine. First on the programme was Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn in which the composer delves inside a simple melody and discovers remarkable musical treasures. The HSO navigated the complexities of Brahms’ score with elegance and humour, sparkling especially in the exuberant finale. Hornists Anthony Halstead and Philip Thompson provided a highly spirited performance of Haydn’s Double Horn Concerto that brought to life the rustic hunting calls and folk-style melodies on top of a bouncy and sensitive accompaniment by the orchestra. The second half was given over to Rimsky-Korsakov’s Persian sound-picture Scheherazade in a performance movingly dedicated to an ex-orchestra member celebrating a fairytale romance of her own. Leader of the orchestra Rachel Ellis despatched the violin cadenzas with panache and finesse, inspiring the entire string section in a watery richness that ideally caught the nautical air. The wind and brass section brought some beguiling musical spices to the voyage, while the harpist and percussionists injected the festive scenes with a few shots of rum. The capacity audience was clearly enraptured, and cheered each time the conductor brought a soloist to their feet. Now that the HSO has created a training orchestra (amusingly named H2O!) and is also preparing their first tour next summer, their enterprise and enthusiasm is clearly permeating the Horsham community and beyond. Surely we can expect at least a thousand-and-one more nights like this? Dr Adam Swayne Senior Lecturer in Music University of Chichester
Triumphant Eveningby Jane ThomasThe Capitol, Horsham 18th June 2011 Piano Alison Farrant Conductor Steve Dummer There was a lovely moment at the beginning of the second half of the HSO concert when Steve Dummer asked the rhetorical question: “Why does anyone need to travel to London to a concert when they could come to Horsham’s Capitol Theatre and hear our wonderful orchestra and superb soloist? Well no, they couldn’t – because we’re sold out!” It was a moment of tongue-in-cheek triumphalism, and totally justified by the terrific performance of Tchaikovsky’s second symphony which was to follow, not to mention one of the most memorable renditions of Chopin’s first piano concerto that I have been privileged to hear. Alison Farrant is no stranger to the HSO, having played Rachmaninov with them three years ago. Her enviable local reputation as both player and teacher ensures a packed house, with many youngsters thoroughly enjoying a full symphonic programme for the first – and hopefully not for the last - time. Confident in a superb technique, Alison performed the Chopin with a perfect combination of brilliance and lyricism, wringing every ounce of beauty from Chopin’s expansively cantabile themes one minute, and frisking around the keys with sparkling dexterity the next. Accompanied most sympathetically by the HSO, led by Alison’s husband Barry Sutton - what a combination of musical talents! - the concerto romped to its joyous conclusion, to an ecstatic audience reception. After the interval, Steve Dummer showed exactly why the HSO concerts are so well attended. Using his charismatic “ring-master” persona, he demonstrated the folk-themes on which much of the Tchaikovsky symphony is based by getting the HSO to sing them – in Russian, no less! Then, with the audience already in the palm of his hand, we were treated to a beautifully-controlled, haunting horn solo – Richard Gamlen at his best – leading into what proved to be a thoroughly engrossing performance. The HSO played with total commitment, the strings providing a rich, warm palette punctuated by tight, crisp brass and colourful woodwind. Timpani and percussion were spot-on, as they had been in the Rossini overture which preceded the concerto; and after the triumphant conclusion of the fourth movement one was left wondering quite why this delightful symphony is not performed more often. It certainly proved a winner with this audience!
Heroics in Horsham
by Paul Holland 20 November 2010 Violin Rachel Ellis Conductor Steve Dummer What a fine orchestra we have, resident here in Horsham! Once again a very willing public trekked out on a cold November evening to be treated to a feast for the ears: A brace of classic favourites paired with the less-known Galánta Dances by Kodály; superb team-playing within the vast architecture of Beethoven’s epic Third Symphony, alongside a virtuosic solo-performance in Mendelssohn’s sublime Violin Concerto. A concert often opens with a lightweight, even fluffy, overture, not merely to whet the audience’s appetite, but also to warm up a nervous orchestra… None of this for the Horsham Symphony Orchestra, who opened with the magnificent Galánta Dances, fully symphonic in both scope and orchestration. This brilliant, sparkling set of contrasting variations on pre-war Magyar themes sweeps us breathlessly through a series of landscapes, and that an orchestra in the middle of Sussex can convey a complex, Hungarian voice so assuredly is to be admired. Rachel Ellis, herself a regular player with the orchestra, played the role of soloist thrillingly in the next piece. She brought a personal and confident flair to her performance  Under the indomitable and ever-energetic baton of Steve Dummer, the HSO has tackled plenty of great symphonies over the years; so it was a fitting end to this concert that they should take on Beethoven’s Eroica. How different this is, despite its familiarity, from the Mendelssohn; here is a composer who has only just found his true voice, an artist still struggling to forge something from the moulds he is himself smashing. The orchestra easily captured the majestic sweep of this vast, new music, especially in the shock and violence of the opening movement and in the despair of the funeral march. Once again, the HSO has reminded us how fortunate the town is to have dedicated players and performers putting on such memorable cultural events three times each year.
Charm Personified
by Jane Thomas 19 June 2010 Violin Sara Stagg Conductor Steve Dummer There was an essentially "local" feel to the HSO concert last Saturday, the Capitol Theatre being packed with supporters for their own town orchestra, a local soloist, and the world premiere of a commissioned work by a Sussex-based composer. Added to that, the Brahms symphony which constituted the second half of the programme was dedicated to the memory of long-time HSO player and supporter John Harry, who died two months ago. His widow Audrey, also associated with the HSO for very many years, must have been immensely moved by the performance of the symphony, the orchestra obviously playing their hearts out in tribute to their dear friend John. But back to the beginning! It is often difficult to "sell" a contemporary work to its first audience, but conductor Steve Dummer managed it excellently, with a brief introduction which left us in no doubt as to the treat in store for us. Julian Broughton's Symphony in E is composed in the traditional four movement structure, but there tradition ends and his own original voice beings. He writes on a big scale with enormous attention to detail, and the wind parts especially provided brilliant shafts of colour to the script - and a real challenge to the HSO wind section, which rose as always to the occasion. The second movement, starting with shimmering strings reminiscent of Saint-Saens' "Aviary", was quite delightful, and the last passacaglia showed Broughton's skills both as a contrapuntist and an orchestrator. After such an intense listening experience, the Mozart 4th violin concerto proved perfect programming, with its light orchestration and irrepressible charm bringing the audience back to familiar territory. Here the soloist was local musician Sara Stagg, who played with sparkling dexterity and stylistically elegant approach throughout. The second movement showed a lovely breadth of line and real communication with the orchestra, and the final rondo - with its wittily contrasting dance episodes - was charm personified. It is easy the think of conductor Steve Dummer as a charismatic, ebullient frontsman for the HSO; but in fact this belies a steely grasp of even the most tortuous of scores and an extraordinary ability to focus the orchestra. The HSO last performed Brahms 2nd symphony in 1997, and I wrote then that they played it with conviction and panache. This time they again played with conviction and panache but with an added passion, making an unbeatable combination well deserving of the tumultuous applause at the end of yet another superb concert. Locally composedby Paul Holland The Capitol, Horsham28 March 2010 Clarinet Andrew Meredith Conductor Steve Dummer After the wild and majestic heights attained in their previous concert with Beethoven and Shostakovich, this latest outing for the Horsham Symphony Orchestra aimed to offer the audience a much lighter programmer, brining together a number of much-loved, popular classics with the gentler tones of mid-twentieth-century English ensemble-writing. Despite being a Sunday performance, there was still a fantastic turn-out in the audience. As ever, with each new concert under its exuberant conductor, the excellent Steve Dummer, the orchestra's playing is tighter and more precise than ever. The opening curtain-raiser, Mussorgsky's A Night On The Bare Mountain, simmered with almost shocking clarity, with even the densest moments of scurrying, bristling anarchy being cut off by sharp and absolute silences. With Andrew Meredith's solo performance on Finzi's Clarinet Concerto we saw once again what accomplished talent we have right here in Horsham. This is a relatively unknown piece, the soloist supported by strings alone, resulting in a typically English sound, by turns wistful, energetic, pastoral and rustic. The concert's second half began with two pieces by local Collyer's pupil, Ryan Hume, whos two pieces, The Night Before the Battle and Movement from a Trombone Concerto went down very well indeed with the audience. Ryan himself played magnificently in his own concerto, and both pieces suggest he has plenty more to offer us in the future. The grand finale took us back to the great Russian composers, this time Rimsky-Korsakov, but now via Spain. The Capriccio Espagnol, with leader Barry Sutton enjoying his moments of virtuoso flourishes, brought this whole springtime concert to a rousing conclusion, and shows us again how lucky we are to have such a talented and committed orchestra in our midst! Town should be proud of having such a fantastic Orchestra!by Jane Thomas The Capitol, Horsham
21 November 2009
Violinist Madeleine Easton Conductor Steve Dummer Four years ago I was writing a paean of praise to the musicians of Horsham for transforming several bleak November evenings into memorable, sell-out performances. Then it was Jesus Christ Superstar from HAODS and a wonderfully colourful programme – Sibelius, Rodrigo and Elgar - from the HSO. This November we have had a superb run of Fiddler on the Roof from HAODS, followed by a stunning evening of Beethoven and Shostakovich from the HSO under their charismatic conductor, Steve Dummer. And again, the Capitol was sold out! What an amazing achievement and how incredibly lucky we are in Horsham to have such wonderful and dedicated groups of musicians.  Then came the Shostakovich! Many years ago, Charles Hazelwood – who succeeded Malcolm McKelvey as conductor of the HSO - assured reviewer Peter Buchan that he could see the orchestra improving enough to tackle Sibelius. Well they have tackled Sibelius several times since then, but Shostakovich? His massive tenth symphony? I only wish Charles Hazelwood could have been there to enjoy their triumph. Although possibly “enjoy” is not the right word when faced with such a dark, difficult and desolate work, as Steve Dummer put it so eloquently as he talked us through the political setting and the programmatic content. It was certainly enthralling, and the players did a magnificent job of propelling us through the bleak wasteland of repression, the sudden glimpses of frenetic gaiety, the despair, the brutality and ultimately hope for a better future. The amazingly co-ordinated fury of the second movement, the “circus crossed with a firing squad” burlesque in the third, some most effective horn and woodwind solos plus terrific strings, brass and percussion – well, all I can say is that Horsham should justly be extremely proud of its symphony orchestra! A triumph for all concernedby David Briffett The Capitol, Horsham14 March 2009 Soprano Gillian Ramm Conductor Steve Dummer In my last review I had suggested that audiences might appreciate some rapport with HSO conductor Stephen Dummer. He took up the idea with a vengeance on Saturday giving us a virtual masterclass on Mozart and Mahler and the workings of the violin, ancient and modern, whilst even the classy soloist, Australian born soprano Gillian Ramm, was persuaded to introduce her own pieces. We learned too how the orchestra is receiving coaching from the world renowned Hanover Band.  It began with a very confident performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni overture, evoking all the drama of that great opera, swiftly followed by an aria from the same opera performed by the glamorous and highly competent Miss Ramm. This was followed by two more beautifully sung Mozart arias, a rarely heard love song from Zaide and a more striking piece from Cosi fan tutte in which Miss Ramm was at her most expressive. It is difficult to imagine anything able to eclipse Mozart. However, Mahler's Symphony No.4 in G, which took up the second half, did just that. The conductor talked of Mahler being "long, dull and depressing" but HSO's terrific performance of this intricate and difficult piece proved to be a most uplifting experience. Drawn from a collection of poems about peasantry, love, the military and faith, this hour long adventure is full of enchanting and mystical sounds. The kaleidoscopic first movement was at times electrifying and for me the highlight of the evening. The delightful second movement was charmingly melodic whilst the long third movement was simply spellbinding. The final movement depicted a child's version of heaven with Gilliam Ramm joining the orchestra for a gentle song that evolved into a peaceful and exquisite finish. The Mahler was first performed in 1901 and was being heard at The Capitol for the very first time, a real treat for all who were privileged to be there. A triumph for all concerned. |
