Macclesfield Symphony Orchestra

With an early start to our season on 3 September, enthusiasm was high with six events and exciting and challenging programmes in prospect.

It was good to welcome Julia Harding onto the Clarinet 2 chair, filling the vacancy left by Sue Hudson. Julia has long been a regular and active member of the orchestra, on her viola, when not needed on clarinet, bass clarinet or saxophone. Sadly we lost one of our longest serving members, Pam Wellings, who died in the Autumn, she was MSO principal horn for many years and a full-time member of the section for forty or so years right up to the last concert of the 2023/4 season.

To fill her place we were delighted to welcome Naomi Salt, who has brought her youthful expertise and vigour to the orchestra and proved a great asset over the year, showing her versatility and skill by playing in varying positions in the section and blending brilliantly both socially and musically.

In the strings we waved goodbye to cellist Marek who was off volunteering in his home town in Germany for a year before University…but were delighted that Erin, such a useful member of the second Violins, is with us for a least another year. Skilled violinists Andrew Winter and Issy Catherine joined us and we hope they will become full-time members and finally we were very glad that Robert Chalmers is to join us on Bassoon 2 on a regular basis.

The first Concert, built round the César Franck Symphony, a grand Romantic show-stopper, included the first performance of a short ‘Essay for Orchestra’ by Stephen Dodgson, whose hundredth anniverary was being celebrated and it was disappointing that the expected representation and support from the Dodgson Society was absent. However this was more than made up by the young soloist Marc Wang who wowed us all with his brilliant performance of Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. His beautiful tone, effortless technique and poise were remarkable for a lad still at School. This work, with its serene first movement and rhythmically complex and thrilling finale, was a challenge for all and it was a pleasure to be able to bring back Julian Davis to play the important piano part.

Following a month later was a Workshop day on Stravinsky’s Petrouchka Ballet music and as most of the orchestra were signed up to play and as it is one of the highlights of the Twentieth Century orchestral repertoire, I was glad to be able to introduce it to the players on some of the intervening Tuesdays alongside the Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov programmed for the later Christmas programme. The day itself was very successful musically and with 49 players in all, 21 of whom were guests, all parts were covered, we were a little disappointed that there weren’t more strings but learned that this wasn’t the best time of year for such an event to expect the best take up. The Community Centre (former Senior Citizens’ Hall) was perfect for such an event with its ample space for a large orchestra (even room for some listeners), acoustic, facilities and parking.

Our annual Family Festive Concert alongside the Singers went with its usual Joie de Vivre and everyone gave their all to create the celebratory feeling and the large audience enjoyed a good sing and were uplifted by the familiar music and Christmas party atmosphere.

After the Christmas break we were looking forward to working with Henry on the Barber Concerto and to tackle the glorious Great C major Symphony of Schubert with the added excitement of performing in the United Reformed Church, a new venue for us and we had big expectations. It was good to welcome an old friend of MSO, Kelvin Leslie, to play piano with us in the Violin Concerto.

Nothing disappointed in this Concert: the venue turned out to be ideal in size, facilities (a good piano) and with a lovely acoustic – it felt like a proper concert hall, and there were good numbers in the enthusiastic and appreciative audience. Henry sounded fantastic and won over everyone with his expressive and brilliant playing in the concerto and then charmed us further with his gentle and achingly beautiful improvised encore. Schubert’s Symphony is not easy and it is long with much repetition, demanding great concentration and staying power to sustain the flow and argument – the orchestra rose to the challenge amazingly, inspired as it was by the glow from Henry’s perormance in the first half, all were fully focussed, holding the intensity, quality of line and musical energy to the very last note – it was a triumphant performance, enhanced by the lovely acoustic and entirely deserving of the ovation it received from our enchanted audience! Thank you everyone.

This early February concert was followed with a well deserved week off for the orchestra, leaving us six Tuesday rehearsals to prepare the Choral Concert repertoire, which, using only half of the players and needing no more than four rehearsals, this was a problem – how to keep the full complement of players engaged as part of our ongoing team? My solution was to use the first two of those weeks to work with the whole orchestra on the main works in our May programme, so reducing the gap for unused wind and brass and to hold the interest of all players. I had then two weeks to acquaint the small orchestra with the four short choral works and rehearse the music for Mark to work with them in the next two weeks before the performance.

The programme for the 17 May I had designed around Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony, one of the most well-known of his wonderful symphonies full of the most joyous music, and I wished the whole event to amplify that uplifting feeling that music can give. The news these days seems to continually bring us stories of disasters and strife, so we all need reminding that there is also beauty, vitality and hope in our world and music can help us feel and believe that, and that is what my aspiration was for this last concert of our season. It began with Smetana’s lovely journey along the river Moldau from its source as two little bubbling brooks, portrayed brilliantly by our flutes and clarinets, through changing scenary as it grew, past a charming wedding dance, featuring strings and woodwind, passing a fairy dell before happening on some ferocious and dramatic rapids, time for our blazing brass to enjoy themselves, and finally to reach, at its most majestic between far banks, the now grand river marching through the wide open vista towards the ocean accompanied by a similarly grand orchestra in full nationalistic fervour playing triumphantly its Bohemian song. What an opener!

Then our soloist horn players, Bob and John from the Orchestra, relished the opportunity of stepping up into the limelight to play Beethoven’s gem of a duet for two horns and accompanying strings – they did themselves and the orchestra proud.

With a rarely heard piece by Twentieth Century Czech composer Leos Janacek, which I hope, with our infectious performance will have helped to bring it into the popular repertoire, we concluded the first half with four of its lively dance movements, wonderfully and colourfully score to get our feet tapping and dancing, just like Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances or Brahm’s Hungarian ones, towards the interval wine! All this before the main dish of the night, Dvorak’s glorious Eighth, with all those wonderful tunes. This final concert of our season was all I had hoped for, everyone giving of their utmost, joyous uninhibited music-making, wonderful playing, listening, producing a great sound and fully engaging with a large and appreciative crowd.

The Orchestra is really coming of age, thanks to you all and especially to Henry for your inspirational work leading us to new heights. Just one sadness, at the end of a very successful season, I have to report that we have to say goodbye to Gareth King who has led the trombone section so ably for the last two or three years. He has suddenly decided to leave, a great blow to the section and the orchestra, we wish him well and will welcome him back anytime.

Huge thanks to the team that allow us to enjoy the music; Tim and the Committee do a huge amount of work behind the scenes. Andrew for his librarianship duties this last two years, one of the most vital and essential jobs. We urgently need a member of the orchestra to take on this role. Then there is Moira and her publicity team, not even in the orchestra, who provide us with an audience. Eric who is doing a great job on the personnel front and many others of you who have taken on numerous essential tasks big and small – a huge thanks to you all….and remember there are always more things that need organising or practical tasks that have to be done than there are people to do them, so if you have any moments to spare or particular skills you can offer, please think about volunteering.

Looking forward, next season’s music programme promises to be at least as attractive as this has been. Just to pick out one highlight, is our return visit to Congleton Town Hall to play Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Brahms, and we are down to play twice at our new-found Macclesfield venue, the United Reformed Church. Please start putting dates in your diaries now. We are sadly outgrowing our familiar and friendly rehearsal home of St Peter’s and this has been addressed and it looks like we may be moving to the United Reformed Church from the first Tuesday in September. With the larger space for the sound and its lovely acoustic we should be much more comfortable, giving us ample room for our expanding string sections and a good piano when needed too.

So thanks again MSO for another memorable and musically fulfilling year; I wish you all a lovely summer break and look forward to seeing you all, refreshed and ready to do it all again, in September!