News Update
Classical Charity Concert - Review from Andrew Carter September 2025WELCOME BACKIn the elegant surroundings of the Castle Hotel on 27 September, a sell-out audience were delighted to see the return to the concert platform after a period of reorganisation of Taunton's own professional orchestra - the Taunton Sinfonietta. The concert was held, with the support of Taunton Town Council, in the framework of the Festival of the World Art Games, currently taking place in Taunton, which brings together artists from up to 60 countries in pursuit of cooperation and peace. As Vanessa Garside said in her introduction, Taunton's aspiration to be a cultural hub is indeed being reinforced! The concert, ably directed from the harpsichord by Noah Mosley, offered performances of the highest standard in an informal and relaxed atmosphere helped by the witty and informative oral introductions to each piece from individual musicians. A Mozart Divertimento was played with poise and delicacy, contrasting vigour and tenderness. Helena Payne (mezzo-soprano) then joined the orchestra for a dramatic aria from Handel's 'Giulio Cesare' (an adaptation of which is currently on tour with Somerset Opera). Helena sang with warm and expressive tone, while conveying with fine acting the suppressed menace required by the piece. Then as a contrast, Uri Natanel, a cellist taking part in the Art Games, gave a soulful performance of Song of the Birds (popularised by the legendary Pablo Casals), as well as his own Rhapsody on a folk song. The first half of the concert ended with "Summer" from Vivaldi's ever- popular 'Four Seasons', where playing of remarkable virtuosity by the orchestra's Leader, Mary Eade, evoked a well-deserved standing ovation. After the interval we were treated to an intriguing novelty - the Finale from Uri Natanel's 'Arabian Symphony'. As Uri engagingly explained, the ideas for the work came to him spontaneously on a plane trip, and its success means that he must now compose the other movements! Rhythmic and tuneful, it is indeed an enjoyable piece. Helena then returned for a deeply moving performance of 'Erbarme Dich' from Bach's St Matthew Passion (with further fine playing from Mary Eade in the solo violin obbligato). As an unexpected bonus, the orchestra gave us a jaunt movement from a Handel concerto, followed by Helena singing the well-known 'Ombra mai fu' from his opera 'Serse'. The concert ended with a lively and satisfying version of Bach's third Brandenburg Concerto, which is so ingeniously composed that each of the ten players had an opportunity to highlight their personal skill, which they grasped with relish. It was great to see Sinfonietta back in action, enriching the region's cultural life, and to hear that another concert is planned for January. All that is needed is a firmer financial base. Sponsors, Patrons and Friends, step forward! Andrew Carter | |
News & Events - June 2025 UpdateDear allWe're delighted to share some developments and upcoming events as part of World Art Games (WAG) 2025 and Taunton Together that are due to take place later this year, as well as our own concert in October. Upcoming Concerts As part of the celebrations, a special musical concert is planned for Saturday, 27 September at the Castle Hotel, Taunton. The exact time is to be confirmed, but we are aiming for a 6:00-7:00pm start. In addition, we warmly invite you to our own concert on Sunday, 5 October at 3:00pm, held at Temple Methodist Church. This will be a chamber music performance by the acclaimed ensemble Divertimento. For more about the group, visit www.divertimento.uk.com. We hope you'll join us for what promises to be a wonderful afternoon of music. Taunton Joins the World Art Games as part of Taunton Together 2025 Taunton is proud to be participating in the World Art Games 2025, an international initiative that supports and connects artists around the globe. To learn more about the organisation and its mission, visit www.wagames.org. Welcome to Our New Treasurer We're pleased to announce that Anne has joined us as our new treasurer. We are very grateful to her for taking on this important role and look forward to working together. Looking to the Future Recent discussions have included the exciting possibility of expanding our orchestra to include regular woodwind and percussion sections. This would allow us to offer more varied and engaging programmes to a broader audience. However, this development would depend on securing additional funding and, if necessary, appointing a conductor. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you to our events and sharing more updates soon. Brenda Prentice Chair - Taunton Sinfonietta |