“An evening of brilliant new and old music in equal measure”

Review by Ed Hughes

March 8th, 2025

The Capitol, Horsham

Conductor: Steve Dummer
Leader: Rachel Ellis
Soloist: Luca Imperiale

Mazzoli: Sinfonia (for orbiting spheres)

Shorthouse: Angels on the beach at night

Elgar: Enigma Variations

The conductor Steve Dummer promised the audience an evening of brilliant new and old music in equal measure and the Horsham Symphony Orchestra delivered this in spectacular style.

The first half included many moments of surprise and excitement from the minds of contemporary composers Missy Mazzoli and Thomas Shorthouse, who was present to hear his new work receive its premiere, with soloist and recorder player extraordinaire Luca Imperiale.

Missy Mazzoli's Sinfonia (for orbiting spheres) has a haunting opening of shimmering colours, with sensuous exchanges between strings, wind and harmonicas distributed around the orchestra, adding to the sense of whirling spatiality. Then brittle piano and percussion sounds were added to chiming brass and exotic percussion, followed by a soft and tremulous close.

Thomas Shorthouse's Angels on the Beach at Night features a soloist in the tradition of concertos, but is otherwise completely unconventional. The recorder soloist goes on a journey from the lowest notes of a bass recorder to the high piercing sounds of soprano. Beginning with special bass recorder vibrato effects, echoed magically in the double basses, this dream-like work proceeds through a series of coloristic effects to reach its apex in dialogue between solo recorder and trombone. The orchestra's deft rhythmic playing became dance-like, even as lurking subterranean strings continued. This was an intriguing and original work, and fascinating to hear.

Horsham Symphony Orchestra then embraced the Capitol's detailed acoustic to give a  powerful account of Elgar's famous Enigma Variations (1899). Steve Dummer's profound knowledge of Elgar's music and expert direction powered the music's broadstrokes, searching melodies and sometimes overwhelming moments of beauty as well as the delicate filigree of the more whimsical character portraits. There were many lovely solos from the front desks, and an impressive collective musicianship, closing out an evening of thrilling musical adventure.