January 2011 - Trinity Methodist Church, Loughborough

(Review from the Leicester Mercury)

A large and appreciative audience filled Trinity Methodist Church for The Loughborough Orchestra's first concert under new musical director Trevor Lax; his enjoyment and enthusiasm clearly evident in the orchestra's performance.

The performance began and ended with an overture; Mendelssohn's Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream to begin, Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg to finish.

The orchestra settled into the Mendelssohn with a fine- sounding full ensemble contrasting well with some nicely blended quieter sounds from the string and flute sections to give a good portrayal of the many moods of the piece. .

Oboe soloist Rachel Rivers gave a captivating and beautiful performance in Cimarosa's delightful Oboe concerto in C, seemingly undeterred by a troublesome key on her oboe.

Malcolm Arnold's Little Suite for Orchestra took us from 18th century Italy to 20th century England with a superbly- played grand Prelude followed by Dance and March movements in a performance which would not have disgraced a professional orchestra.

The orchestra coped well with the rhythmic challenges of Borodin's Polovtsian Dances, giving a lively performance with movement and purpose.

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings produced a performance which conveyed the emotional charge of the piece.

The Wagner overture had poise and drama in a credible rendition, bringing an evening of fine music to a close in style.