Highland Chamber Orchestra

5 Sep 2005 in Highland, Music

High School, Inverness, 27 August 2005

Edward McGuire.

THE HIGHLAND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA has courage, enthusiasm, lots of musical skill, and no fear of tackling a selection of works from the professional repertoire. The orchestra, led by Donald Goskirk and under its regular conductor, Susan Dingle, romped their way joyfully through Mendelssohn’s ‘Scottish Symphony’ with remarkable skill and a tight ensemble. As a performance, it was quite astonishing.

This is one of Mendelssohn’s major works, and is not for a faint-hearted orchestra because it presents all sections with technical and musical problems in every bar. So how do they achieve this high standard? It falls to their conductor, Susan Dingle, to guide them through the music in a restricted but well-structured rehearsal schedule that would be unthinkable for many orchestras of similar size. This highly competent lady has achieved wonders with this orchestra.

This same success was highlighted when they chose to perform, with great courage, ‘The Meadows’ Muse’ by the contemporary and internationally known Scottish composer, Edward McGuire. It’s a picture in sound (entitled ‘A Symphonic Rhapsody’ by the composer), of the famous Meadows area of Edinburgh and its history.

It is a beautifully written piece from 1997 with enormous complications for any orchestra, but the players tackled them all with relish. With increased percussion, the orchestra, now numbering 42, found their way successfully through the entanglement of demanding heaps of notes and effects, including a washboard, and produced a very creditable performance.

The reduced orchestra handled the light touches and dancing tunes beautifully, and the delicate scoring was a pleasure to hear.

However, not all the events described in the composer’s programme note were successfully depicted in the performance, there being problems of imbalance, which prevented some of the many softer delicate sections of the work emerging with clarity.

Alas, this music did not cut much ice with the audience, because the applause at the end was merely polite.

The concert had opened earlier with a delightful performance of Mendelssohn’s popular ‘Hebrides Overture’, which gave much pleasure to the audience. This sailed along with fine rhythm, and the finer points of the composer’s range of musical expression were well achieved. The balance here between strings, woodwind and brass was excellent.

Also in the concert was music by the Earl of Kelly, entitled ‘Periodical Overture No. 17’. He was a composer of some stature in the 18th century, but, like so much music of that period, his music fell into disuse. It has now been resurrected by scholars and, deserves to be heard more frequently. The reduced orchestra handled the light touches and dancing tunes beautifully, and the delicate scoring was a pleasure to hear.

The orchestra would like to increase its violin section, so if you have a standard of around Grade 8 or higher, please get in touch with them on 01463 223171. You will be made most welcome by this fine Highland orchestra.