The Brunel Sinfonia's summer concert on 24th June was a tremendous success, pulling in another bumper audience - though the clash with Glastonbury and two other Bristol concerts did mean a small dip in numbers. In terms of the standard of playing, however, the Brunel Sinfonia managed to hit new heights, with Tom Gauterin controlling things wonderfully.
Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis opened the concert, and a more perfect setting for the work could not easily be imagined. The soaring strings filled the cathedral with a hymn that resonated down the ages before dying away to a thundering silence. Chris Golding's Flute Piece followed, and it was such a pleasure for the orchestra to play work by one of its own. Kevan Boll did a cracking job on the solo part and Fletch losing the first horn part meant that the composer sat among the orchestra turning the pages of the score.
One wonders how Elgar would have felt sat among the orchestra for his First Symphony. This hugely demanding work was brought off with high rushes of adrenaline and stretched the orchestra to its utmost. At 50 minutes it is quite a long haul, but lips, arms and fingers were up to the task and it was great fun.
All limbs got further exercise at Roger's party, for which we are always extremely grateful, or on the subesquent dancefloors of various Bristol nightspots. Frank's wallet apparently went home bulging after his casino visit, so the first round of drinks next season are definitely on him!
