Christmas music
Garth WilshereTHE NZSO splits into two for a tour of smaller centres at this time of year and we in Wellington were the start of the Mainland Tour which takes the orchestra to Gore, Wanaka, Balclutha and Alexandra.
The small orchestra played interesting instrumental pieces, not all especially Christmassy but certainly summery and fresh.
The two Christmas carol medleys enthusiastically led by the inimitable and irrepressible mezzo-soprano Helen Medlyn blew the cobwebs away. Medlyn brought fun and rich singing to Anthony Ritchie’s and Sir David Willcock’s arrangements, coaxing and cajoling audience participation.
A witty commentary and answer session in the form of letters back and forth as gifts arrive gave a new zip, humour and finally exasperation at the strange gifts in the Twelve days of Christmas.
Attractively played instrumentals demonstrated young Australian conductor Alexander Briger’s credentials.
The Scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Corelli’s Christmas Concerto struck the right chord, if a little old fashioned in style, and some rarely heard these days, but beautiful, Frederick Delius Two Pieces for Small Orchestra were a nice touch. Each of these miniature tone poems, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Summer Night on the River were deliciously done.
The finale to Haydn’s last symphony, No. 104 London worked well to conclude the concert.









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