A packed audience at Ripon Cathedral was enthralled by a magnificent concert of 20th-century American music performed by the St Cecilia Orchestra on Saturday, 17 October.
The established Ripon orchestra, which has been performing for more than 30 years, delivered an evening of musical contrasts, from the infectious energy of Bernstein and Gershwin to the sweeping emotional power of Rachmaninov. Under the direction of Xenophon Kelsey, the concert proved a memorable occasion.
The programme opened with the overture to Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. Although it was the most recently composed work on the programme, it was full of originality, energy and enthusiasm.
An arresting percussion opening gave way to joyful horns, leading into the dance-like passages that flowed between the different sections of the orchestra. The playing was clear and delicate, with precise articulation throughout.
The music evoked a sense of space and freedom reminiscent of the Wild West. A quieter, lyrical section offered a moment of respite before the return of the jazzy dance theme, building towards an immense crescendo that showcased the orchestra’s power.
Martin Roscoe was the soloist in Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, bringing considerable flair to a work that demands both technical brilliance and expressive sensitivity. A longstanding friend of the St Cecilia Orchestra, Roscoe is also a familiar performer at Ripon Cathedral.
He drew an extraordinary range of colours from the piano, moving between heavy, vibrant chords and the rich, extended melodies of the concerto. The second movement was particularly evocative, with its heartrending romanticism and luscious melodies, contrasted with lighter, more delicate passages in which his fingers seemed to dance across the keyboard.
The orchestra responded beautifully, sometimes producing sweeping waves of sound and at other times stepping back to allow the piano to take centre stage.
Despite the density of Gershwin’s orchestration, individual instruments remained audible. The piccolo cut through the texture, while the bassoons played an important role throughout. The orchestra embraced the jazz idiom with real pizzazz and stylish confidence.
Muted trumpets added tension, particularly before the piano’s entrance in the second movement. The calm stillness of this section contrasted sharply with the final movement, marked Allegro agitato, which fizzed with energy and exuberance. It was a fine performance.
The concert concluded with Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2, a work whose emotional depth was particularly compelling in the magnificent surroundings of Ripon Cathedral.
The opening was breathtaking, with rich brass chords supporting the emotional descending motif that introduces themes heard throughout the symphony. The Cathedral provided a suitably grand setting for the work, although its acoustics presented some challenges. The horns carried particularly well, while the lower-pitched violins occasionally struggled to project their melodic lines. The balance varied depending on seating position.
There were numerous outstanding solo passages. The cor anglais produced a haunting sound, while the horn solo was mellow and expressive. The first violins demonstrated remarkable precision in their unison passages linking different sections, their playing distinguished by a pure, gentle sound.
One of the evening’s highlights was clarinettist Emily Ferguson, whose superb, ethereal solo playing, particularly in the third movement, was deeply moving. It was the sort of performance that could bring tears to the eyes.
The woodwind players were beautifully coordinated, while the brass section played with impressive accuracy and a strong sense of ensemble. The cellos and basses provided a rich foundation, and the percussion was effective without overwhelming the other sections, although the cymbals might have been more prominent during the final climax.
Rachmaninov’s symphony is a work of extraordinary emotional range, and Kelsey drew a committed performance from every player. The music moved between moments of despair and passages of light-hearted exuberance, with dramatic contrasts in dynamics and mood. The orchestra explored these peaks and troughs to powerful effect.
The concentration of the audience throughout the performance was palpable, culminating in rapturous applause at the end.
Congratulations are due to Xenophon Kelsey and the entire orchestra, including some musicians who have been playing with the ensemble since its foundation in the 1990s.
The St Cecilia Orchestra continues to go from strength to strength. This was a stunning concert, delivering an evening of musical richness and emotional power that lived up to its programme’s American theme.