Westmorland Orchestra, Westmorland Hall, Lakes Leisure Kendal

There was much to enjoy in the Westmorland Orchestra’s recent concert for lovers of Russian romantic music. Stirring melodies, sumptuous harmonies, rich texture were there in abundance in music by Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky.

The opening item, Rimsky-Korsakov’s operatic overture May Night, was rather disappointing. It did not seem to have the sparkle that one normally associates with this composer’s music; or perhaps the orchestra had not warmed up. Whatever, the reason, it received a rather luke-warm reception.

But then the young Chinese violinist Jiafeng Chen joined the orchestra for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s famous Violin Concerto and the atmosphere changed. The audience was stunned by his warm tone, dazzling technique and the wonderful expressive qualities of his playing which drew thunderous applause. This was a fine performance, with the orchestra providing a firm support for the soloist . He made no concessions to amateur players when it came to matter of tempi: the finale particularly had everyone on the edge of their seats!

The programme concluded with Tchaikovsky weighty 5th Symphony. There were some thrilling moments here when the whole orchestra blazed forth with the composer’s great climaxes.

But there were quieter moments when the players of the orchestra’s excellent woodwind section, and the principal horn, excelled themselves as they indulged in the composer’s many fine melodies which are such a feature of this work.

Clive Walkley