Spa Pavilion, Strathpeffer, Thursday 7 July 2005

IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE that many keen followers of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra living in the Highlands of Scotland have never heard them as they really are. At Eden Court, clearly the hub of most cultural activities in the Highlands up to now, we have heard the orchestra occluded by the trappings of theatre curtains, over-hot overhead lights, and, of course, the proscenium arch.

Eden Court’s technicians did all they could to allow the sound to be thrown out to the audiences with the use of flexible baffles, but they only stopped some of the sound going up into the flies and out to the wings of the stage.

Now, with Eden Court firmly shut for up to eighteen months for a much needed refurbishment, the SCO has searched out new venues. The orchestra, however, is no stranger to playing in small halls, but often the ensembles have to be string-only, or wind-only concerts.

After many years (twelve I hear), the SCO came back to Strathpeffer Spa Pavilion. This world-famous hall has emerged from its sad, parlous and lamentable state – and leaky roof – over so many years and is now glistening, sparkling and welcoming.  The seats are very comfortable, and it has a keen new director in Denise Clark.

Rhythms were fiercely attacked, the brass were encouraged, and the strings lashed their instruments with wild impulsiveness

[Editor’s note: As always, there will be some debate about this – I have to say I found the hall sound bright but not always very clearly defined in the bigger orchestral passages, a view shared by others I spoke to, including members of the SCO management. It is certainly the opposite of Eden Court’s notoriously dry acoustic.]

Haydn’ s quaint but wholly delightful 67th symphony was a sheer joy. At last we could hear all the beauties of the inner parts, wistful bits of oboe, the warmth of the violas, and the tiniest pianissimos from the strings when the players were using only half an inch of their bows; all this and more floated out to the whole audience without impediment.

The new leader of the orchestra, Christopher George, performed Mozart’s ‘Violin Concerto No. 3 in G’. All in all, this performance had much to commend it, but I felt a sense of tension in many of the solo sections, which resulted in a lack of coherence and consistency in many of Mozart’s fine phrasings. The orchestra supported their leader with relish, but the soloist produced too many rushed and often rugged lumpy bits in his playing for complete pleasure.

The orchestra ended the concert with a performance of Beethoven’s 8th Symphony which they tackled with gay abandon. Conductor for the evening, Roland Böer, having already established a towering command over his band, raged into this work with Beethoven sitting on his shoulder urging him on.

Rhythms were fiercely attacked, the brass were encouraged, and the strings lashed their instruments with wild impulsiveness. Trust the SCO, it all resulted in a radiant performance enjoyed by orchestra and audience. As a final party-piece, we were entertained by a performance of Mendelssohn’s superb overture, ‘The Fair Melusina’.

I asked some of the SCO players at the end – they genuinely liked the Spa Pavilion as a venue, and would like to return.

The SCO Highland Tour is now completed, but the SCO Strings and SCO Wind & Brass will tour separately in September. Full programme details will be announced in August.

© Arthur Brocklebank, 2005