THE BRENTWOOD Philharmonic is one of the mayor’s charities this year, and this concert raised much-needed money for a new set of timpani.
Interspersed with informative chat from conductor/arranger John Hawkins, we heard two pieces of Debussy, a jokey metronomic Beethoven and Grieg’s marching Trolls.
The full symphony orchestra give their next concert on Saturday. In the intimacy of the Brentwood Theatre, they fielded two dozen players, led by Charles Clark – ideal forces for a Palm Court or a theatre pit.
There were salon favourites, too: McDowell’s Wild Rose, and Ketelby’s Persian Market and a splendid arrangement of Ezra Read’s fantasia Fire Fire, with plenty of work for trumpeter Colin Handley.
To finish, Viennese encores, including the Blue Danube – recalling the traditional New Year greeting from the Musikverein, which I endorse here with the necessary amendment: Die Brentwood Philharmoniker und ich wunschen Ihnen – prosit 2016!
MICHAEL GRAY
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