Westmorland Youth Orchestra stage excellent celebration of British music (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Westmorland Youth Orchestra stage excellent celebration of British music

11:00am Friday 6th July 2012 in Gig and concert reviews By Gazette newsdesk

Westmorland Youth Orchestra

Kendal Parish Church

THE Westmorland Youth Orchestra rounded off the Jubilee celebrations with their ‘Best of British’ concert.

The programme took us through British music from the baroque era up to a medley of Beatles tunes. The vocals were performed by Keir McGregor and Joelle Campbell, who soon had the audience singing along.

The concert celebrated the composing skills not only of the conductor, Roland Fudge, but also of orchestra member David McGregor. His ‘Intermezzo’, in which he performed the clarinet solo, made a haunting backdrop to the orchestra’s premiere performance of Three Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten.

Libby Gibson, who played the flute solo in Valse Caprice by Daniel S Wood, was appearing in her last WYO concert as was orchestra leader Hannah Foxcroft. Their outstanding contribution was recognised by receiving the Probus Millennium Shield, which was presented by Norman Burnell of the Probus Club. The orchestra was sad too to see several other members leave after many years of playing together, such as Heather Storer, who is joining the Scottish National Youth Orchestra.

The evening ended with the classic Greensleeves by Vaughan Williams, a fitting end to a truly excellent celebration of British music.

Grace Ormerod