Hall Popular Classics, at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
THIS concert was like a delicious box of chocolates with all your favourite centres.
Conductor Carl Davis stirred them all around, delighting the packed house, who dived in headlong, applauding each offering, almost before the last note had been played.
Starting with two contrasting pieces from The Planets Suite by Holst - Mars, the Bringer of War and Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity - the Hall sprang to life playing fabulously and went straight into the audience's bloodstream. Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours from La Giaconda brought the pace down and Albinoni's lovely Adagio was like smooth melted chocolate.
La Calinda by Delius was charming. Tchaikovsky's March from Symphony No 6 finished the top layer in the box.
The wonderful harmonies in Sibelius's Finlandia broke open the second layer, and Mendelssohn's music from Midsummer Night's Dream, Lehar's Gold and Silver Waltz and Rossini's Overture to William Tell brought the audience to the last of the lip-smacking goodies.
For me the programme didn't have the Hall's usual adroit blend of pieces, but it left the audience yearning for more.
BRENDA KEAN
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