Reporter: Dr Joe Dawson
Date online: 12/06/2008

Tomorrow’s musicians, who will also be tomorrow’s audiences, showed the way in a sure hit from the Music Society.

Founded in September 2002 the Hallé Youth Orchestra provides a great opportunity for youngsters across the region, who do not benefit from the specialist music schools, to rehearse and perform to a very high standard.

Conductor Rory MacDonald is still in his twenties but has a lot of experience under his belt. His direction is clear and his youthful energy and enthusiasm also communicates to his players.

The first thing that impressed in Sibelius’ Spring Song of 1894 was the fabulous string sound and the capacity to sustain long phrases.

The rest of the programme had a pre-Soviet Russian flavour. The eight numbers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite demonstrated their vast range of orchestral colours with superb solos from harp and celeste, amongst others. Two of Four Orchestral Studies by Stravinsky brought us proficiently and vividly into the C20 from the C19 (it would be great to see them venturing into the C21.)

Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition is one of the great orchestral masterpieces and here was a mature performance that would do an ‘old pros’ group proud.

Could this be a regular feature of the Music Society programming in future years? Judging by the size of the audience and their applause it would be a good idea.

This concert was sponsored by the Friends of Rochdale Music Society.

Hallé Youth Orchestra
Gracie Fields Theatre
Saturday 9 December 2006