THE orchestra visited Aysgarth for the last of its Easter concerts in the Dales, performing an eclectic mix of mostly 20th century and less familiar music between two better-known works.

These were the Mozart divertimento, K318 in F, in which intonation and the ensemble took a little while to settle, and Dag Wirén’s Serenade, Op 11, part of which is remembered by listeners of a certain age as the theme music for the early 1960s’ TV programme Monitor.

This, played with vigour and panache, ended the evening on a rousing note, after which the orchestra was joined by musical director Xenophon Kelsey and administrator Jane Lomax on percussion for a well-deserved foot-tapping encore.

Simon Lewis was soloist in Malcolm Arnold’s second horn concerto. Written for – and initially declared unplayable by – the matchless Dennis Brain, this, like much of the composer’s music, is a sometimes disconcerting mix of the brash and the ethereally unsettling.

Lewis produced a lovely sound from his instrument and was well supported by the limited number of string players. That the technical demands of the piece never detracted from the music itself, and that balance was generally achieved, is a great compliment to the performers.

After the interval, Gráinne Devery was bassoon soloist in Villa-Lobos’s Ciranda das Sete Notas. Her eloquent, sustained tone perfectly suited the restrained, song-like music.

Two contrasting works completed the concert. In the first half, we heard Puccini’s increasingly popular Crisantemi, the elegy for a dead friend. Whether a deeply-felt outpouring or a sentimental indulgence – a case could be argued for either – it was respectfully and impeccably played, once past the tonal insecurity of the opening bars.

Three tango-based items by Astor Piazzolla were arguably the highlight of the evening.

This sultry music, redolent of smoky bars in the small hours, deserves to be heard more; while genuinely rooted in its popular dance origins, it transcends them and stands alone as pure music.

The young players responded superbly to its gorgeous sway and suggestiveness.

Vacation Chamber Orchestra St Andrew’s Church, Aysgarth THE orchestra visited Aysgarth for the last of its Easter concerts in the Dales, performing an eclectic mix of mostly 20th century and less familiar music between two better-known works.

These were the Mozart divertimento, K318 in F, in which intonation and the ensemble took a little while to settle, and Dag Wirén’s Serenade, Op 11, part of which is remembered by listeners of a certain age as the theme music for the early 1960s’ TV programme Monitor.

This, played with vigour and panache, ended the evening on a rousing note, after which the orchestra was joined by musical director Xenophon Kelsey and administrator Jane Lomax on percussion for a well-deserved foot-tapping encore.

Simon Lewis was soloist in Malcolm Arnold’s second horn concerto. Written for – and initially declared unplayable by – the matchless Dennis Brain, this, like much of the composer’s music, is a sometimes disconcerting mix of the brash and the ethereally unsettling.

Lewis produced a lovely sound from his instrument and was well supported by the limited number of string players. That the technical demands of the piece never detracted from the music itself, and that balance was generally achieved, is a great compliment to the performers.

After the interval, Gráinne Devery was bassoon soloist in Villa-Lobos’s Ciranda das Sete Notas. Her eloquent, sustained tone perfectly suited the restrained, song-like music.

Two contrasting works completed the concert. In the first half, we heard Puccini’s increasingly popular Crisantemi, the elegy for a dead friend. Whether a deeply-felt outpouring or a sentimental indulgence – a case could be argued for either – it was respectfully and impeccably played, once past the tonal insecurity of the opening bars.

Three tango-based items by Astor Piazzolla were arguably the highlight of the evening.

This sultry music, redolent of smoky bars in the small hours, deserves to be heard more; while genuinely rooted in its popular dance origins, it transcends them and stands alone as pure music.

The young players responded superbly to its gorgeous sway and suggestiveness.

Andrew Bennett