Royal Northern Sinfonia, Westmorland Hall, Lakes Leisure Kendal

Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte Overture and Piano Concerto K 467, Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony and Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending are works familiar to the Lakeland Sinfonia Concert Society’s devotees. The Royal Northern Sinfonia is always a welcome, much-loved visitor and so, when recently these elements were combined, a rare occasion was guaranteed. When the talents of Alexandre Bloch, the conductor, Francesco Piemontesi, the pianist and Bradley Creswick, the violinist were added to the mix, a banquet duly resulted.

The sinfonia was in peak form throughout. An exciting tempo ensured precision and sparkle in the overture, there was the most sensitive, minutely-detailed accompaniment in the concerto, purity of sound and utter dynamic control in The Lark Ascending and an exciting dynamism and vitality in the symphony.

Mr Bloch was a colourful revelation. An excellent communicator he knows his scores intimately and understands their structure, is always insistent on dynamic variation and is willing to take risks. Mr Piemontesi’s pianism and musicianship are awesomely-superb; refined and immaculate. The loveable Mr Creswick’s vision of the Lark, ‘ever winging up and up,’ is exquisitely beautiful.

Brian Paynes