Westmorland Orchestra, Kendal Leisure Centre

THE recent Westmorland Orchestra concert brought the orchestra’s 70th season to a fitting end. The evening had a distinctive Irish feel: an Irish conductor, Sinead Hayes, a Belfast-born piano soloist, Michael McHale, and An Irish Symphony (1904) by Sir Hamilton Harty, whose roots were in Northern Ireland.

The concert began with Tchaikovsky’s dramatic Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet. There were some thrilling moments in this performance, marred only be some lapses of ensemble and some uncharacteristic out of tune playing towards the end from the normally reliable and excellent woodwind section. In Mozart’s lovely Piano Concerto, K488, which followed, Michael McHale gave a careful, clean reading; his playing was sensitive and rhythmically well controlled.

After the interval came three of Grieg’s well-known Norwegian Dances. These were delightfully played with some notable contributions from principals in the wind department.

Finally, the performance of Harty’s Irish Symphony, colourfully orchestrated as one might expect from a former long-standing conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, and stuffed full of Irish folk melodies, making great demands at various points on individual soloist from all sections of the orchestra. Guest conductor, Sinead Hayes, directed with clarity, energy and obvious enthusiasm and the orchestra responded with reciprocal enthusiasm and panache.

Congratulations to all for another season of fine music-making.

Clive Walkley