Music

It's sometimes assumed that orchestral music is for 'grown-ups'. Perhaps it's the lengthy pieces or the formality of some performances. Maybe it's the way that musical appreciation can mature with age. Whatever the reason, the sight of children at most orchestral performances is rather rare … unless, of course, you were at St James' on Sunday afternoon!

Babies, toddlers, children and teenagers packed into St James' Concert Hall alongside adults, in anticipation of the Guernsey Camerata's latest performance 'A Musical Fantasy'.

Guest conductor Richard Balcombe.

They were all eagerly awaiting an afternoon of musical story telling as favourite tales such as William Tell, The Chronicles of Narnia and the Selfish Giant were set to music.

The story telling began with Gioacchino Rossini's Overture to William Tell. This was Rossini's final opera and tells the story of William Tell who was famous for his skill with a crossbow. The finale was used as the theme for the radio and TV show 'The Lone Ranger'. 

Guest conductor Richard Balcombe took the piece at breathtaking speed, but the orchestra rose to the challenge. When the trumpets heralded the thundering finale, the faces of young and old in the audience lit up with delight at hearing one of the world’s best known melodies galloping towards a thrilling conclusion. 

Rossini's Overture was followed by Tchaikovsky's Suite from the Nutcracker. He composed this music in 1892. He supposedly had no enthusiasm for this story, yet this music is some of his happiest.

Each of the eight short movements is familiar in its own right, from the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy, which has been used in countless TV commercials, to the Dance of the Mirlitons, forever associated with a certain chocolate bar containing fruit and nut. Though the audience would not normally be encouraged to clap in between movements, this was not a day for concert protocol, and the orchestra revelled in the enthusiastic applause.   

Liz Courtney's oboe solo.

In contrast, guest leader Nick Miller’s hauntingly beautiful violin solo followed with the Theme from Schindler's List. This piece was composed by John Williams who won his fifth Oscar for the Schindler's List soundtrack.

The first half ended with Richard Rodgers' March of the Siamese Children taken from the popular musical 'The King and I'.

Guest conductor Richard Balcombe led the orchestra with enthusiasm and ease. Richard has worked with many of the world's leading orchestras and his extensive repertoire ranges from the traditional to the fanciful. He's also conducted for Bryn Terfel, Jose Carreras and Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorgiu on BBC television. 

The second half began with the Chronicles of Narnia Suite. This suite, composed by Geoffrey Buron, was written for the BBC television adaptation of C.S. Lewis' much-loved Narnia stories. Narrator Gillian Jackson's first appearance of the afternoon was to set the scene for each of the seven magical themes. 

An oboe solo played by Liz Courtney followed. Entitled Gabriel's Oboe, this piece was from the movie The Mission, composed by Ennio Morricone. The Mission tells the story of the conflict between Jesuit missionaries and native South American Indians in the eighteenth century. It's a beautiful melody which was superbly performed to bring a moment of serenity to a fun-filled afternoon. 

Gillian told the Selfish Giant's tale.

Oscar Wilde's tale of the Selfish Giant brought a well-known story to life. This story was skillfully narrated by Gillian Jackson. Both the orchestra and Gillian captured the depth of emotion in this story taking the audience with them through the highs and lows of the text.

Lastly, Leroy Anderson's light and fanciful piece The Typewriter left the crowd on a high note. Anderson is known for his quirky, light pieces and the orchestra appeared to thoroughly enjoy performing this short, vibrant piece.

First violinist Nicole Wyatt abandoned her bow to 'play' an old-fashioned typewriter. Typing furiously, she hit the 'return carriage', in time, to the musical 'trings', and started off, as any good typist should, by filing her nails! It was an animated performance which ensured the audience went home with smiles on their faces. 

The best stories have the ability to transport us to another world. They enable us to see things from a different perspective. The stories chosen for this performance certainly did just this, taking on a magical quality and drawing the audience into the drama and excitement of each piece. 

Looking around St James, it was lovely to see so many people of all ages enjoying this special performance. The musicians clearly enjoyed playing and left their audience delighted and entertained … no doubt they also inspired many younger members of the audience in their musical ambitions.