Pack up your troubles

Review by John Sherlock

March 14 2020

The Capitol, Horsham

Conductor: Steve Dummer / Leader: Rachel Ellis

Mark Elvin: On This Day, In This Life (World Premiere)

Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major K219

Dvořák: Symphony No. 6 in D Major Op. 60

It’s hard to find joy in the current crisis, but for an hour or two on Saturday evening at The Capitol, we were reminded of the power of well-performed music to help us reduce anxiety.

And the effect endures. Dvořák offers melodies that echo for days after you’ve heard them. The second half of Saturday’s HSO Concert was devoted to his Symphony No. 6 – Steve Dummer told us that Brahms had admired Dvořák’s ability to write beautiful tunes, and this symphony is full of them. HSO transported us with this music – and the woodwind players deserve a special shout-out!

Steve is a master of turning a bad situation around. We were looking forward to hearing Christ’s Hospital student Mutsuki Seki playing a Mozart Violin Concerto, but rules changed and she couldn’t come. Instead, Steve did an extended interview with Mark Elvin, the composer of the opening piece.

And how illuminating that turned out to be. The suite portrays a typical day – with a dreamy start and end and all sorts of activity in between. Without his verbal introduction, would we have ever known that the 5/4 to 4/4 transitions of the second movement were inspired by a practical joke? Once again the Horsham Symphony Orchestra performed with passion and musicality – we are so fortunate to have such local talent.