With pieces from Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and a special piece composed by Christian Morris, Marlborough Concert Orchestra’s Winter Concert on Saturday evening at St Mary’s transported the audience through a range of moods, emotions, and places. Conducted by Philip Singleton and led by Karen Sancto, the concert showed the fabulous musical talent Marlborough’s community has to offer.
The first piece of the evening, Sibelius’ Karelia Suite, took us to Finland. This nationalistic, folk-based music written in 1893 to accompany a patriotic tableaux had a rousing, upbeat feel. The final movement, which originally accompanied the scene of a battle, certainly conjured images of soldiers marching with its lively percussion.
We then came much closer to home with Where the bones of Merlin lie…A Marlborough Fantasy, a piece written specifically for Marlborough Concert Orchestra by composer Christian Morris. Morris was inspired by Marlborough’s history including the Great Fire of 1653, the town’s motto ‘Ubi nunc sapientis ossa Merlini’ (Where now are the bones of Merlin) and the ‘Marlborough Mound’ as the possible burial site of Merlin. As an arranger who often works with folk music, Morris was also keen to incorporate some Marlborough folk pieces and found two during his research: The Duke of Marlborough which narrates the heroic exploits of the Duke in the 1706 Battle of Ramillies and All in the Town of Marlborough, a tale of romance between Nell and John.
Where the bones of Merlin lie…A Marlborough Fantasy certainly created a dramatic image of Marlborough history. The piece opened cinematically with white noise created by the musicians tapping and scraping their instruments accompanied by delicate melodies. A tense atmosphere built, and it was if we could almost feel the beginnings of the flames of the Great Fire crackling. As the piece continued, this tension gave way to the lively, colourful melodies of the folk pieces and created a real sense of joy. A special piece, which was made more special by being premiered in St Mary’s Church, which has stood since the 12th century and witnessed the civil war, the Great Fire and many more moments of Marlborough history.
Composer Christian Morris, when asked about hearing his piece for the first time, told Marlborough News, “It’s aways a bit of a scary moment for a composer hearing a piece performed live for the first time—wondering whether what you wrote on the page will sound as you imagined it. But it’s also a moment of joy and exhilaration, especially when the musicians give such a committed interpretation as they did tonight. I’m delighted with the performance. It’s been such a joy working with this friendly and open-minded group of musicians and their conductor Phil Singleton”.
After the interval, the orchestra gave a haunting performance of Sibelius’ Tapiola. The work, named after Tapio, the forest god of Finnish mythology, stands in place of Sibelius’ eighth symphony which he was never able to complete. Marlborough Concert Orchestra’s musicians brilliantly captured the melancholic and despairing mood of this piece.
The final piece, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, then took the mood in a much more cheerful direction and rounded off the evening with a decidedly festive feel. As someone who grew up dancing, these pieces signify to me, and many others, that the start of Christmas magic is here. The orchestra performed beautifully, and the soloists took on their parts with elegance and confidence.
A wonderful evening celebrating Marlborough’s history and current musical talent.
Marlborough Concert Orchestra’s next concert will be on 14th March and will include a performance of Schubert’s Symphony No.9 ‘The Great’.
Donate a children’s gift for Christmas
