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Warmest congratulations on the triumphant way in which Gerontius was performed last night! It's difficult to imagine a work for choirs, orchestra and soloists that calls for more concentrated attention from the conductor, and this could not be achieved without an enormous effort of study and preparation. The sound was indeed Elgarian – the range in the orchestral playing was immense, and I particularly appreciated the passages when the strings were on their own – the two choirs came over very well from their raised setting. The high quality of the three soloists contributed a great deal to this very moving performance.
AWB
28 April 2019
Reproduced with permission
 Music lovers prepared to travel beyond Henley were in for a treat when Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius was performed to a packed and appreciative audience at the Sheldonian Theatre.
This work is generally considered Elgar's best piece of choral music, and by some the greatest of all choral music.
It is a big work, written for two choirs, a semi-chorus and a large orchestra of late Romantic proportions.
Both the South Chiltern and Wantage choral societies provided the choirs - well over 100 singers - and Wantage Choral Society the semi-chorus as well.
St Giles Orchestra and choirs were conducted by Geoffrey Bushell.
This wonderful late Victorian work, first performed in 1900, expresses both high drama but also quiet soul-searching contemplation.
It is based on Cardinal Newman's poem concerning a dying everyman, Gerontius, and the travels of his soul with the Angel to Paradise or maybe Purgatory.
Along the way we hear his friends and priest praying for him, the Angel who guides his soul past tormenting demons, the Angel of Agony, and a spectacular collection of Angelicals.
The rich and glorious music is full of expressive contrasts. There is fear of the unknown and pious reflection as well as great joy and a glimpse of God.
This intense drama, manifested in complex multi-layered music, presents a challenge to all performers.
The three soloists, tenor Oliver Johnston (Gerontius), baritone Benjamin Bevan (the Priest and the Angel of Agony) and Claire Barnett-Jones (a mezzo-soprano late substitute for the Angel) were all excellent.
Johnston sang with a tender, contemplative style, quietly reflective, identifying with text and music, but unfortunately the orchestra was not always responsive to his interpretation.
Bevan's warm baritone voice conveyed the Priest's powerful dignity yet was sufficiently differentiated to inspire awe as the Angel of Agony.
Barnett-Jones gave a truly touching performance, always on top of her brief and singing with her heart as well as great technique.
The Angel's beautiful "Softly and gently" was exceedingly dolcissimo and surely touched all our hearts.
The complexity of the choruses' multi-layered parts plus the tricky venue were testing for the choirs.
Despite a rather untidy start and a few shaky bits, they mainly coped with singing from opposite sides of the auditorium.
When balanced and woven together correctly, they produced a great sound, especially in the dramatic eight-part "Praise to the Holiest" passages ensuring the "fff" parts were indeed very loud.
The dramatic contrasts demanded by the text and music throughout tended to get lost under the orchestra, but as always it was a pleasure to hear this magnificent music..
Susan Edwards
Henley Standard
3 May 2019
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Concert 158: Saturday 30 June 2018
St Andrews Church, Oxford
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| Grieg |
Overture: in Autumn |
| Grieg |
Piano Concerto (Olga Jegunova) |
| Sibelius |
Symphony no 2 |
Enthusiasm constantly renewed.
There was an interesting programme from the St Giles Orchestra on Saturday where the late Romanticism of Edvard Grieg was coupled with the altogether more cerebral Jean Sibelius. The In Autumn overture is an arrangement of a song revised more than 20 years after the latter was written. No doubt conductor and orchestra mover-and-shaker Geoff Bushell, well-known for delving in cobweb-wisped storerooms for half-forgotten pieces of merit, looked for some Grieg to accompany his Piano Concerto that was a bit more recherché – and of course shorter – than, say, the Holberg Suite. This was a lively opening lollipop, and quite dramatic. There featured a tuba – surprising in an overture – a plaintive oboe and a jaunty tune with something of the fairground about it. The orchestration is florid and put me in mind of Rimsky Korsakov's Golden Cockerel.
When the time for the Grieg Piano Concerto arrived, soloist Olga Jegunova strode forth boldly down the aisle and proceeded to give either a speech of welcome or perhaps an introduction to the work. Alas, neither I nor any of those around me could hear one word of what she said. Nice idea, but to little purpose without microphone and a mite of planning beforehand. Her bold striding was a foreshadowing of her approach to the work. The familiar opening timpani roll in the first measure announced Jegunova's entry, taken quite slowly but with emphasis as she tumbled down three octaves.
It emerged that the billed timpanist had been unable to play at the 11th hour, and Paul Eccleston, one of the trombones, had nobly volunteered, despite not having played the timpani since the 1990s! Fortunately, the part is not too taxing for the Grieg, though the Sibelius later was a bridge too far and our hero later resumed his trombone duties. There was no denying the soloist's almost muscular energy and faithfulness to the drama. The applause at the end was unconfined. Yet I myself wished for something a little more nuanced, a little more light and shade, so that the romantic touch of the 'adagio' did not come over almost as forcefully as did the playing of the surrounding movements.
I noted a fine brace of trumpet fanfares (the instrument was notably well played all evening by Vere Lintern-Smyth, Deb Sanders and Scott Gladwell, and after the interval, at the start of the final push in the Sibelius' finale, they were to generate admirable power) and the bassoons were prominent. Geoff Bushell, twisting round, monitored the piano very closely throughout, of course desiring no lacunae to develop between it and the orchestra, a familiar pitfall for amateur bands where rehearsal time with the soloist has been of the minimum. His watchfulness was rewarded by neat dovetailing.
In her 3rd movement cadenza, announced by a five-bar outburst from the orchestra, Jegunova produced left-hand arpeggios, followed by a descending cascade of double octaves and then thunderous rumbles in the bass. At the start of the finale came another fizzing arpeggio, but when a folk dance intervenes, the soloist again to my taste rather overdid the volume when something nimble and a little fancy might have been the better option. The encore was an excerpt from Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto.
Sibelius' Second Symphony presents a serious challenge for a non-professional orchestra. The way that every gay melody or serene reflection is offset by some surge of doubt or melancholy makes the decipherment of a consistent tone difficult. And then there are the constant hesitations, switches of tempo and pauses that we Sibelians know and cherish. So Geoff Bushell had a task and a half on his hands. There was in the opener a sprightly dance from the woodwinds with the oboes prominent, then an unusual bassoon fanfare and then a violin recitative, all carried off with aplomb.
It was only with the start of the 'andante' that things became tricky, with laborious pizzicato figures from the basses that didn't really gel with the lugubrious bassoons, before the brass lashed out (and the timpani were sorely missed hereabouts). In the third movement there was a telling trio for solo oboe – Matthias Winkel, whom I know to be a fine player. Towards the symphony end, first cellos, then cellos sotto voce, then brass and flutes, then upper strings, then growling horns built the tension as Geoff led his players on with passionate thrust as they approached the pounding, driving end to the symphony, always a thrilling experience; and here the orchestra did itself full justice.
A final word on Geoff Bushell. This is a musician who has given 35 years, half a lifetime, to this orchestra and more widely to music in Oxford. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that in their cause he's played just about every instrument bar a ukelele and the bagpipes. Far from easing down his activities or at least marking time, he's now engaged in bringing classical music to Didcot. Enthusiasm constantly renewed, hard work leavened by a light touch and humour – he's an inspiring example to the rest of us.
Andrew Bell
Daily Info
2 July 2018
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 154: Saturday 1 July 2017
St Andrews Church, Oxford
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| Dukas |
Fanfare pour précéde "La Péri" |
| Svendsen |
Symphonic Legend: Zorahayda |
| Mozart |
Sinfonia Concertante K297b (Matthias Winkel, oboe; Jackie Bushell, clarinet; Steve Guard, horn; Jonathan Ross, bassoon) |
| Elgar |
Enigma Variations |
Rising arpeggios by the banana plant.
St Andrew's Church in N. Oxford is the base for St Giles' Orchestra. It sits at a crossroads of four of the characteristically wide avenues of the area, is adorned by a pretty garden containing hardy geraniums, day lilies and a banana plant, and the church's apse contains examples of the Mid-Late Victorian stained glass in which Oxford is rich, including a fine polychrome panel of Paul on the road to Damascus.
The programme commenced with Dukas' Fanfare from La Peri, just the sort of delight to wake the spiders lurking up in the roof rafters, unclog the arteries of the audience and give the brass players a workout. We passed on quickly to Norwegian composer Johann Svendsen's Zorahayda, named for the eponymous princess of a folk tale recorded by Washington Irving, he of Rip Van Winkle fame. The pathetic story is from 1,001 Nights inspired by Rapunzel, in which we learn that timidity never pays. This is an instance of the kind of interesting programming in which conductor/programmer Geoff Bushell specialises. I know Svendsen's Romeo and Juliet incidental music but not this work. Poor old Svendsen had the misfortune of having the one and only manuscript of his 3rd Symphony dumped in the fire by his wife after she intercepted a bouquet of flowers from an unknown woman who declared her love for him. Irving recorded three princesses locked in a tower by their father to safeguard their virginity (not to say their marketability). The music's tone is not unnaturally sombre, and dwindles away to the pathetic at the end, descriptive of the wasting away of the hesitant Zorahayda, left behind by her bolder siblings as they escaped the tower.
But Mr Bushell was able to up the pace and cheeriness quotient as the escape was effected via a rope woven from the sisters' own hair. Throughout, the conductor was a distinguished, upright and vivacious figure with the baton, giving precise direction to his discrete sections and refusing to allow tempos to drag – both virtues just what an amateur ensemble requires. He's in his 35th year as the orchestra's director, a noble effort, and here he came up fresh as a daisy like a man of half his years. Such energy and dedication!
For Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante K297b we acquired four soloists in Matthias Winkel (oboe), Jackie Bushell (clarinet), Steve Guard (horn) and Jonathan Ross (bassoon) – and four gems they were, too. In the 'allegro', Mr Winkel's oboe rang out loud and true above the enveloping strings, a pin-sharp sound and with perfect breathing control, soon combining strongly with Mrs Bushell's clarinet both here and in the charming 'adagio' which I thought the conductor took surprisingly fast, almost at an andante pace. The clarinet came over with great flexibility, and the sound of the oboe swirled around us in rising arpeggios. Mr Guard also did really well with his difficult horn part which demanded suppleness of articulation.
Elgar's Enigma Variations was the item after the interval. The helpful programme notes mentioned briefly the identity of the dedicatees for each segment, and I'd say that further investigation of the relationship between their persons and the nature of the music that suggests or represents them can perhaps be left to the cruciverbalists and Sudokumanes. The strings got off to a rather scraping start that had me a little worried, but after the melodic variety in G of the initial section, the segments tripped by briskly until Nimrod sounded as a call to attention. Here Mr Bushell squeezed a decent crescendo, then diminuendo from his players, though their number seemed somewhat depleted by comparison with the first half of the concert, and once or twice I thought the string section could have used a few more willing bows.
Mr Bushell teased out smooth solos from the woodwinds - the pungent punch of the bassoons for GRS as his bulldog went pell-mell down the hill and into the River Wye, then Variation 12 for cellist Basil Nevinson was sonorously delivered with the cello section appropriately prominent. There were the sprung hesitations in Dorabella floating away in the silence with, I thought, nods to The Nutcracker, and the fine blare of brass rang out loud and clear in the culminating EDU (Elgar himself). This was balanced by the ode to Lady Mary Lygon in the penultimate variation, where Elgar hauntingly evokes an image of his secret beloved leaving on a ship: we discerned in the tympanum the soft throb of the engines as she pulls away from the shore.
Andrew Bell
Daily Info
3 July 2017
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 152: Saturday 29 April 2017
St Andrews Church, Oxford
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| Wagner |
Das Rheingold: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla |
| Bizet |
Carmen Suites 1 and 2 (Mary Pope) |
| Shostakovich |
Jazz Suite no 2 |
| Wagner |
Gotterdammerung: Brunhilde's Immolation Scene and Finale (Mary Pope) |
 Swagger and noble thundering.
The St Giles Orchestra programme informed us that conductor Geoffrey Bushell "is renowned for introducing players and audiences to lesser-known and unjustly neglected repertoire". I think Shostakovich's Suite for Variety Orchestra can be placed in that box. To my shame, I was entirely ignorant of the work. I'm tempted to use the confusion that surrounds its more common naming as Jazz Suite 2 - the details need not concern us here - as a handy fig-leaf behind which to hide, but alas Robert Browning tells us that ignorance is not innocence but sin. The work opens like an Oom-pah-pah band from St Moritz; it's an immensely attractive collection of waltzes, a polka, a march and other swing music, the sort of thing to be played at a tea dance by a big band on the Palace Pier, Brighton on an August bank holiday. It kicked off the second half of the programme and by now the SGO was thoroughly primed and delivered the rhythms with a bit of a swagger. I enjoyed the perfectly timed xylophone work in the 'Little Polka', and also the tutti moments, particularly in the second element, 'Dance 1'.
We had begun with Wagner's 'Entry of the Gods' into Valhalla from Das Rheingold, a tough opener since it calls for expert dovetailing by the orchestra of its discrete sections, and for the strings to be instantly right on the button. The presence of no fewer than three harps was a pleasant surprise. The whirring violins did not fail us, but the presence of two tubas, one a Wagner tuba, a rotary horn hybrid, may have been a slight over-egging of the pudding since from where I sat their booming had a tendency to suffocate the rest of the brasses.
Bizet's Carmen Suites 1 and 2 followed, with 11 components. 'Aragonaise' was played at an exotically rattling tempo by Mr Bushell, just right for a castanet-edged piece. All evening I thought the wind section to be especially good, and here in the 'intermezzo' the clarinets showed dexterity in exploring the registers, and the flutes came into their own. Charlotte Purkis and Catherine Wilde demonstrated excellent breathing control, quick fingers and clarity of tone - it was a treat to hear them. Then in the second half Ms Wilde abandoned her flute and played the alto sax. Such versatile talent! Soprano Mary Pope was called on for her first solo in the famous 'Habanera', and handled her passages at the bottom of the register faultlessly; not invariably the case with sopranos I've heard sing the aria. Mr Bushell alternated between coaxing and driving his players on, an undemonstrative but strikingly composed figure with the baton.
The interval gave a chance to look round the church. Pevsner in his Buildings of England: Oxfordshire dismisses it as: "Norman, of all improbable styles". But the mellow, yellow brick, wide arches and modern glass atria create an airy interior with no visual impediments and excellent acoustics. On the walls are several plaques for benefactors of the parish, often linked to the Indian civil service or army, and a modern tablet for Lady Young (1926-2002), noted as the first woman leader of the House of Lords who "strongly defended Christian values ".
Wagner's 'Brunnhilde's Immolation Scene and Finale' from Gotterdammerung, the very end of the mammoth Ring cycle, was the culmination of the programme; heady stuff for an amateur orchestra. Mary Pope told me she had commenced practising the piece in Florence last August, and her careful preparation paid handsome dividends. At the outset the horns and trombones were a touch over-exuberant, overshadowing her voice, but soon the balance was redressed, allowing the broad range of her warm voice to ring out over Wagner's heavy orchestral textures. She threw herself wholeheartedly into the wild drama, if not the actual flames, ultimately accompanied by first echoes from 'Siegfried's Funeral March' and then by a noble thundering on the timpani.
The fresh programming choices and the more than competent musicianship on display, coupled with the convivial atmosphere and super-warm welcome offered by Robert Peberdy, Sheila Doel and Geoffrey Bushell himself added up to an experience I'm eager to repeat.
Andrew Bell
Daily Info
1 May 2017
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 147: Saturday 23 January 2016
St Andrews Church, Oxford
 "Whitgift Connections" 
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| Suppé |
Light Cavalry Overture |
| Sibelius |
King Christian Suite: Elegie |
| Korngold |
Violin Concerto |
| Dvorak |
Symphony no 7 |
 One of the winners of Whitgift School's 2015 International Music Competition, Leo Appel, gave a magnificent performance of Korngold's Violin Concerto, with St Giles Orchestra under the masterful direction of Old Whitgiftian, Geoff Bushell (OW 1968-76). The concert took place on Saturday 23 January, at St Andrews Church, Oxford.
The performance brought the audience to their feet, in obvious appreciation of Geoff's skilful conducting and Leo's playing.
Old Whitgiftians Michael Proudfoot (OW 1956-63) and Stuart Dryden (OW 1961-69) were present, as was Whitgift's Director of Music, Rosanna Whitfield.
Whitgiftian Association News
16 February 2016
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 146: Saturday 7 November 2015 at 19:30
"Magic and Mystery"
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| "Magic and Mystery" - a programme of Halloween-inspired classical music that goes bump in the night. |
| Mussorgsky |
Night on the Bare Mountain |
| Dvorak |
The Noonday Witch |
| Dukas |
The Sorcerer's Apprentice |
| Saint Saens |
Danse Macabre |
| Rachmaninov |
The Isle of the Dead |
| Williams, John |
Harry Potter Symphonic Suite |
Dear Geoff
We thoroughly enjoyed your concert last night and this was enhanced by your lively description of each piece. It makes the difference between a 'good' concert experience and a more rounded evening out.
Marcus Lapthorn
8 November 2015
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 144: Sunday 26 April 2015
Radley College, Abingdon
"Maestro 2015 Conducting Masterclass"
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| Strauss, J II |
Die Fledermaus: Overture |
| Suppé |
The Beautiful Galatea: Overture |
| Strauss, J II |
Emperor Waltz |
| Offenbach |
Orpheus in the Underworld: Overture |
 Dear Geoff
I was very happy with the way things went yesterday. The orchestra were in fine form and we had eight student conductors with very different personalities which made for a very entertaining day.
Thank you very much for making all the arrangements with the orchestra and organising the music etc - it was all most efficiently done! Please convey our thanks to the orchestra. They really engaged with the whole process and we are grateful to them for giving their time so generously. I hope they enjoyed the day and found Peter Stark good value as always.
Rosemary Joseph
Maestro Secretary
Abingdon Music Festival
27 April 2015
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 140: Saturday 14 June 2014
St Margaret's Church, Oxford |
| Liadov |
Baba-Yaga; The Enchanted Lake; Kikimora |
| Gliere |
Concerto for Coloratura Soprano (Yukiko Ishida) |
| Rimsky Korsakov |
Scheherazade |
| Bernstein |
Candide: Glitter and be Gay (Yukiko Ishida) |
It was just over 20 years ago that I last heard the St Giles Orchestra play, so it was with a sense of excitement that I took my place in the audience in St Margaret's Church on Saturday 14 June for the summer concert.
In a well balanced programme including Gliere's impressive Concerto for Coloratura Soprano sung beautifully by Yukiko Ishida, the orchestra sparkled! I was spellbound by their performance of Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade and impressed by the technical skill of the players, who under the expert musical guidance of Geoffrey Bushell, made this challenging piece seem easy.
It was a wonderful evening and I shall make sure I don't wait so long before hearing the orchestra again!
Mary E Pope
Soprano
23 June 2014
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 139: Saturday 5 April 2014
Oxford Town Hall |
| Verdi |
Requiem, with Wantage Choral Society and Bicester Choral and Operatic Society |
 Dear Geoff
Many thanks to you and St Giles for a great experience: the orchestra were sounding fantastic and your control over the massed forces of choirs, instrumentalists and soloists was impressive. It's a concert I'll remember for a long time to come!
Congratulations on an excellent show!
Karen
Karen Richmond
Soprano soloist
10 April 2014
Reproduced with permission
 Dear Geoff
Just to send a congratulatory reply to your kind email. I thought it was a spectacular evening and clearly a heck of a lot of work had gone into it. Well done!
Thankyou for inviting me to sing - it was a real pleasure for me (and the other soloists)!
Best wishes
Laurence
Laurence Williams
Bass soloist
15 April 2014
Reproduced with permission
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Recording session: Thursday 28 February 2013
St Mary's Church, Barton, Headington, Oxford |
| Saint Saens |
Cello Concerto no 1 (Jonathan Beecher) |
 As a solo cellist, I have had opportunities to work with many conductors, but it was a particular pleasure to perform the Saint Saens Cello Concerto no 1 with Geoffrey Bushell at the helm.
Not only did Geoff anticipate changes in tempo and subtle rubati, but he also brought the St Giles Orchestra along with him to complete the intensity of the musical ideas.
This enabled me as soloist to express the full canvas of imagination that this concerto offers.
Jonathan Beecher
Cellist
14 September 2013
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 129: Saturday 21 January 2012
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford |
| Dvorak |
Carnival Overture |
| Delius |
Double Concerto (Charles Mutter, violin and Katharine O'Kane, cello, both from the BBC Concert Orchestra) |
| Saint Saens |
La muse et le poete (Charles Mutter and Katharine O'Kane) |
| Grieg |
Symphonic Dances |
 St Giles Orchestra performed the Delius Double Concerto with Charles Mutter and Katharine O'Kane as part of the Delius 150th anniversary celebrations. SGO was awarded a certificate by the Delius Society for its contribution to this event and for championing Delius in previous concerts. We are in good company - other winners of a certificate include the Three Choirs Festival, The New London Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Mark Elder and The Hallé, Classic FM, Julian Lloyd Webber, Raphael Wallfisch, BBC Radio 3 and The Philharmonia.
"Dear Geoffrey
The Society's Committee has decided to present Certificates to those people or organisations that it feels made the greatest contribution to the success of the anniversary celebrations - and we would very much like you to have one.
It therefore comes with this letter, and a very warm 'thank you' for including various Delius works in your programmes last year. I'm only sorry that we couldn't get to all the concerts - it was an extremely busy 12 months, Delius-wise. Don't, however, forget him in the future!"
Yours sincerely
Martin Leighe-Browne CBE
Chairman
The Delius Society
28 February 2013
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Concert 127: Saturday 25 June 2011
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford |
| Mussorgsky |
Gopak from Sorochinsky Fair (orch Liadov) |
| Beethoven |
Violin Concerto in D (Vaughan Jones) |
| Tchaikovsky |
Symphony no 4 in F minor |
 I wanted to thank you heartily for all your support in the Beethoven performance last Saturday. The orchestra performed sensitively and the whole thing flowed very naturally.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Tchaikovsky and think you have done a marvelous job in training them to play so musically. There was a warmth to the sound that was evident right from the start of the concerto and your conducting meant that they could play with real security and put everything into it.
Oh yes, and what a lovely group of people!
Vaughan Jones
Violinist
25 June 2011
Photo: David Williams
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Concert 122: Saturday 19 June 2010
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford |
| Alabiev |
Salaviei (The Nightingale) (Yukiko Ishida) |
| Saint Saens |
Le Rossignol et la Rose (The Nightingale and the Rose) (Yukiko Ishida) |
| Granados |
La Maja y el Ruisenor (The Maiden and the Nightingale) (Yukiko Ishida) |
| Bax |
The Garden of Fand |
| Bushell |
The Nightingale (first performance) (Yukiko Ishida) |
| Strauss, J |
Voices of Spring (Yukiko Ishida) |
| Smetana |
Ma Vlast |
| Sherwin arr. Bushell |
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Yukiko Ishida) (encore) |
Preview of Oxford concert by the St Giles Orchestra
 Promotion from double bass player to conductor in one evening might sound like a Cinderella story, but that's what happened to Geoff Bushell – and he's been enthusiastically wielding the baton for St Giles Orchestra ever since.
"The conductor hadn't turned up to a rehearsal," he recalls, "and when somebody went to phone him up it turned he that he had decided he no longer wanted to be the conductor but hadn't told anybody! For reasons that I still don't understand, one of the founder members of the orchestra turned to me and said, 'Geoff, would you like to conduct?' If I'm honest, I'd always had a secret ambition to conduct, but didn't have the skills, so I said I'd see what I could do. That was 27 years ago!"
The orchestra was founded in 1980 by Nicholas Hooper, a guitarist and composer who has since written scores for Channel 4 documentaries and for Harry Potter films. Known then as the South Oxford Orchestra, it opened on June 28, with tickets priced at just £1. Today they cost a bit more than that, but the increase is justified. The orchestra has expanded from a membership of just 11 players to a healthy 54, and Geoff has completed a four-year conducting course [Conductors note: actually four years of annual two week intensive conducting courses], which has enabled him to take the orchestra to new levels.
"The technical standard has improved significantly over the years, which has meant that we can tackle increasingly difficult repertoire," he says. "There are some pieces that I never thought we'd be ready to play, and we have done them."
The orchestra has covered much of the popular classical repertoire over the years, and Geoff measures possible audience appeal of pieces by using the Classic FM Top 300 as a benchmark.
But he likes to explore less familiar territory as well. "It's nice to do something a bit different from time to time. I'm a fan of the late Romantic repertoire, so occasionally I offer the orchestra one of these pieces, and we slot it into an otherwise popular programme. So not only do the players get a chance to do something they wouldn't have done, we can also bring something new to the audience. I like to improve things – I'm always feeling that there's something better one can do, and I'm always slightly dissatisfied with the status quo. I think that's a helpful attitude to have as a conductor, because you can motivate the orchestra, to achieve more than it thought it was capable of achieving. You can motivate players to go away and work on the difficult bits, and come together on a Thursday evening and really make some nice sounds."
 Hopefully the orchestra will be making nice sounds on Saturday [19 June 2010], with its nightingale-themed concert of vocal showpieces, featuring soprano Yukiko Ishida, a music teacher based in Philadelphia. Among songs by Bax, Alabiev, Saint Saëns, Granados and Johann Strauss, as well as Smetana's stirring Ma Vlast, will be the world premiere of Geoff's own piece, The Nightingale, which he wrote for Yukiko. The Japanese-born singer's involvement with the orchestra came about by chance. "Some time I ago I wanted to do Glière's Concerto for Coloratura Soprano, which is a very demanding piece for a singer, and needs a very high register, which many singers don't have. I put an advert on our website, and I got an email from Yukiko, who was researching for her own performance of this piece in Philadelphia, and said that if we ever needed a soloist for this she'd be very interested.
"We can't afford to pay people's air fares, but she was prepared to do that herself, and the result was that she came all the way from Philadelphia to do that concert. We got on well with her, and she's been back since for another concert. She has a wonderful voice."
Looking ahead the orchestra has a Last Night of the Proms at the Cornerstone in Didcot, on November 6 and 7. "It's extremely popular with the audience and enjoyable for the orchestra," says Geoff. "I hope there'll be some audience participation in singing Land of Hope and Glory and all those other favourites. We're currently planning our purchase of Union Jack flags!"
Ultimately, Geoff believes his job is all about striving for what's best for everyone. "I've tried to create an environment where everyone is getting what they want from it. We want to do things that are enjoyable for the audience and rewarding for the players. We can't always keep everyone happy, but at least we think about it, and I think that's important."
Nicola Lisle
Oxford Times
16 June 2010
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 121: Saturday 24 April 2010
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford |
| Suk |
Fantastic Scherzo |
| Tchaikovsky |
Violin Concerto (Caroline Duffner) |
| Beethoven |
Symphony no 6 "Pastoral" |
St Giles Orchestra is 30 this year, and while Saturday's concert wasn't billed as an anniversary event, it easily could have been with this feel-good programme. The opening piece, Josek Suk's Fantastic Scherzo, certainly had a celebratory feel to it, and got the evening off to a rousing start with a performance that abounded with energy and warmth. Particularly memorable was the lovely fluid, sonorous tone from the cellos in the recurring waltz theme, but the brass and wind sections also made their presence felt in this joyful miniature.
Former orchestra leader Caroline Duffner, now a professional violinist based in Vienna, returned to the fold for Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto Opus 35. The composer's intended soloist, Leopold Auer, was apparently uncomfortable with the technical demands of this piece, but Duffner had no qualms, and she dazzled with her virtuosic handling of Tchaikovsky's melodic and rhythmic gymnastics, while her impressive double stopping and glissando in the extended first movement cadenza was mesmerising in its brilliance.
It was hard to believe, listening to the joyful outbursts during the first movement, that Tchaikovsky was recovering from depression when he wrote this piece. A darker mood pervaded the second movement, though, and conductor Geoffrey Bushell ensured a poignant contrast between the two moods. The third movement was a contrast again, with a rousing Russian Cossack march – here, Tchaikovsky the ballet composer was very much in evidence.
Beethoven's Pastoral symphony is arguably his loveliest, with that glorious opening melody that rises dreamily before breaking into a joyous crescendo. The players were clearly enjoying the lighter mood, and did full justice to Beethoven's evocative melodies that so effectively conjure up images of pastoral serenity. The second movement was played with great tenderness, while the final movement captured the exuberance of the opening and the sudden violence of the storm to great effect.
This was my first experience of the St Giles Orchestra but not, I hope, my last.
Nicola Lisle
Oxford Times
April 2010
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 114: Saturday 17 January 2009
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford |
| Bax |
Tintagel |
| Brahms |
Double Concerto (Charles Mutter, violin from the BBC Concert Orchestra and Katharine O'Kane, cello from the Philharmonia) |
| Prokofiev |
Romeo and Juliet |
Charles Mutter and I recently performed the Brahms Double Concerto with St Giles Orchestra in Oxford. This was an extremely enjoyable experience. The orchestra played with assurance and sensitivity and gave us a very warm welcome. Geoffrey Bushell conducted the orchestra with musicality and control, allowing Charles and me to play with freedom and expression. We both look forward to playing with the orchestra again.
Katharine O'Kane
Cello soloist in Brahms Double Concerto
Cello, Philharmonia Orchestra [now BBC Concert Orchestra]
January 2009
Dear Geoff
Thanks again for Saturday - Katharine and I enjoyed it so much, we felt thoroughly supported by you and the orchestra. When we were rehearsing it together beforehand I kept saying "we must be responsible, not expect too much in the way of flexibility etc." But I really needn't have worried! So refreshing to have a conductor that knows how to accompany - you're one of a very rare breed - and you've obviously impressed that upon the orchestra. Great work.
Charles Mutter
Violin soloist in Brahms Double Concerto
Associate Leader, BBC Concert Orchestra
January 2009
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Concert 110: Saturday 12 April 2008
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford
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| Elgar |
In the South |
| Delius |
Brigg Fair |
| Dvorak |
Cello Concerto (William Bass, cello) |
| The Delius performance was made possible by a generous grant from the Delius Trust |
I have had occasion to praise the work of the 'pro/am' orchestras before, and I am very glad to be able to do so again. The St Giles Orchestra in Oxford has a really valuable asset in its conductor Geoffrey Bushell. Not only does he (with the Orchestra's approval) include an interesting but unplayed, but sometimes quite unknown, work in virtually every concert – for example both its two previous concerts included concertos by Max Bruch! – but he also has a real gift for getting the players 'inside' the music, and to understand what any particular piece of Elgar or Delius, for example, or a part of a piece, is 'about'.
The main difficulty which affects virtually every pro/am orchestra is tuning – and if the tuning-up before the music begins is not really accurate, all sorts of curious sounds will emerge along the way. Regrettably that was the case at this concert, but it was nevertheless an extremely enjoyable one, because everyone was going in the right direction. The other 'down' was a couple of those unfortunate spells of 'collective panic' that sometimes strike pro/am performances; happily, however, they righted themselves quite quickly.
In many ways, the colossal first and last sections of Elgar's In the South are the most extrovert music that Elgar ever wrote – and there was real excitement and a sense of forward movement in the surging opening tune that goes up three octaves. The wistfulness of the first quiet section was well caught, the big 'Rome' bit was suitably imposing, and in the calm centre section, the viola solo was sensitively played – the moonlight on the sea, the warmth of an Italian night and the gently rocking boats beautifully evoked. Then the sense of excitement and urgency returned, and the elan of the final pages, crescendoing upwards and upwards, was authentic Elgar playing. The acoustics of the church, however, made it difficult for the brief pauses and the off-beat entries to tell as they would in a good hall.
In Brigg Fair, the hazy opening and the theme (taken a little more slowly than usual) were lovely, the latter sounding very much as Joseph Taylor might have sung it. The Lento variation in the middle was excellent – well balanced, with some sweet violin tone, and a well-played horn solo; the 'march' variation was not actually very solemn, or as maestoso as it could have been – and as the music quickened up towards the big climax, the prominent violin accompaniment to the tune (which then gets taken over by the clarinet) did lack that rhapsodic Delian feel. The flow of one variation into the next was, however, very well managed, and there was never any feeling of mentally stopping to adjust to the new tempo and atmosphere. The acoustics, again, did not help, and quite a number of prominent inner parts failed to come through the texture – but that was not, of course, the fault of the conductor or orchestra. To sum up – it may not have been echt-Delius, but it was nevertheless very enterprising programming, and they made a very good shot at it.
The final work in the concert was the Dvorak Cello Concerto, with William Bass as the soloist. He was very good in the quiet music – a warm, sweet tone, and both the famous second subject of the first movement (initially played by the first horn) and the end of the whole work were beautiful; in the extrovert parts, however, he was less convincing.
Throughout the concert, the Orchestra – who are all amateurs or music teachers in local schools – obviously enjoyed themselves, and that certainly communicated itself to the quite sizeable audience.
Martin Leigh-Browne, CBE
Editor, The Delius Society Journal, Issue 144
The Delius Society
Reproduced with permission
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Concert 105: Saturday 13 January 2007
St Andrew's Church, Linton Road, Oxford |
| Delius |
Life's Dance |
| Kalinnikov |
The Cedar and the Palm |
| Bushell |
New England Idyll, op 34 |
| Tchaikovsky |
Swan Lake: Finale |
| Elgar |
Enigma Variations |
| The Delius performance was made possible by a generous grant from the Delius Trust |
As we have said before, how lucky the more serious-minded musical public are that there are pro/am local orchestras all over the country who are prepared to perform really out-of-the-way works by British composers written in the period between about 1885 and the late 1930s. The St Giles Orchestra in Oxford is one of them, and – 65 strong, with an audience of well over 100 – they opened this concert at the extremely fine Victorian church of St Andrew's in Summertown with Delius's very rarely played Lebenstanz. It is difficult to see why that should be so, for it is only 12 minutes long, brimming with boisterous energy very much like the last big climax before the end of Brigg Fair (both are, of course, in triple rhythm), the dynamics ranging from lots of fffs to pppp. It is, though, a very difficult piece for an orchestra such as this with which to begin a concert, for the players simply haven't yet 'warmed-up' and got rid of their understandable 'before it's got going' nerves. There are lots of very fast notes for everyone – in particular, for instruments that don't generally play that sort of thing, the contra bassoon, horns and trumpets – and it has to be said that the general ensemble and tuning, both here and throughout the concert were dubious. On the plus side, however, there was not only patent overall enthusiasm for everything they played, but also what seemed to be a genuine feeling for the Delian idiom. The audience will certainly have learned that all Delius is not slow and languorous!
Perhaps not surprisingly, that was truer of the very undemonstrative conductor, Geoffrey Bushell. He brought out the completely characteristics of, on the one hand, the con vigore of the beginning and the other fast music, and on the other the lento and tranquillo sections into which the former sinks, whose ebb and flow he caught nicely. Although the repertoire is based on suggestions from members of the Orchestra, they are clearly given a strong 'steer' by Mr Bushell – as witness the fact that the second item in this concert was a very Russian-sounding piece, The Cedar and the Palm by Vassily Kallinikova, a contemporary of Scriabin; the next concert, on 21 June will include the first UK amateur performance of Frank Bridge's Isabella; and Brigg Fair is to be played in 2008.
There were also included an attractive, gently rhapsodic piece by Geoffrey Bushell, the Finale of Swan lake, and an affectionate, if sometimes scrappily played, Enigma Variations. Here Elgar's skills as an orchestrator really helped the players achieve a very respectable balance in many places – and, as always, the organ added that almost indefinable something to the (for this listener really quite moving) last 99 bars. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and long may the orchestra continue its adventurous programming!
Martin Leigh-Browne, CBE
Editor, The Delius Society Journal, Issue 141
The Delius Society
Reproduced with permission
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- In 1988, the Oxford Mail discontinued reviews of concerts, so there's a gap here of 18 years. It's interesting to compare the reviews of the 1980s below with the reviews above.
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Concert 36: Saturday 15 July 1989
Grove Parish Church, near Wantage |
| Alfven |
Elegy from Gustav II Adolf Suite |
| Faure |
Pavane, op 50 |
| Svendsen |
Violin Romance (Emily Ormerod) |
| Beethoven |
Symphony no 7 in A |
On the Saturday evening, as part of the Flower Festival, there was a concert by St Giles Orchestra. The programme was varied and the performance was excellent. The Church was full, and the entire evening was enjoyed by all who came.
The Magazine of Grove Parish Church
Autumn 1989
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Concert 34: Saturday 21 January 1989
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Humperdinck |
Overture: Hansel and Gretel (conductor: Mervyn Keeble) |
| Mozart |
Symphony no 31 in D "Paris" |
| Brahms |
Symphony no 3 in F, op 90 |
Ambitious St Giles
With the charm and poise of leader Emily Ormerod, and the enthusiasm of conductors Geoffrey Bushell and Mervyn Keeble, the St Giles Orchestra gave a well-attended concert in Pusey House on Saturday.
Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel Overture had some excellent brass and woodwind playing, and Mozart's Symphony No. 31 was treated to some careful phrasing and dynamics.
Brahms's Third Symphony was far more of a challenge; but despite a fair share of wrong or explosive notes and some knotted-up cross rhythms, this had many beautiful moments, notably in the central movements.
In the end, though, this did leave me with the question of why so many amateur orchestras so often insist on offering such ambitious fare when easier and perhaps more performable works are available.
That is not to deny the educational value (in the widest sense) of such experiences as playing Brahms's Third; but from the audience's point of view the entertainment value of such experiences is often disproportionately small.
Paul Diffley
Oxford Mail
23 January 1989
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Concert 32: Saturday 16 April 1988
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Mendelssohn |
Overture: Hebrides, op 26 |
| Saint Saens |
Symphony no 2 in Am, op 55 |
| Delius |
Violin Suite (Harry Crooks) |
| Beethoven |
Symphony no 8 in F, op 93 |
The St Giles Orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey Bushell and led by teenager Emily Ormerod, gave us a chance to hear works rarely performed on the concert platform in Pusey House, Oxford, on Saturday.
After Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, they gave a persuasive account of Saint Saens' Second Symphony – a welcome change from the more popular Third.
Occasional technical problems – weak string intonation, unreliable brass, and an insubstantial orchestral sound – were more than compensated for by the hushed subdued feel of the second movement and the lively articulation of the last.
Violinist Harry Crooks then brought just the right warmth of tone to the third movement of Delius' Violin Suite.
A sunny extrovert performance of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony with well chosen speeds and reliable intonation brought the concert to a happy conclusion.
Paul Diffley
Oxford Mail
18 April 1988
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Concert 31: Saturday 16 January 1988
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Beethoven |
Overture: Egmont (conductor: Sally Collings) |
| Geoffrey Bushell |
A Space Symphony, op 22 (first performance) |
| Mozart |
Piano Concerto no 21 in C, K467 (John Oxlade) |
| Vaughan Williams |
Toward the Unknown Region |
Tuneful new work
Under the baton of Geoffrey Bushell and with the able leadership of Emily Ormerod, the St Giles Orchestra has made notable advances in a short time as their concert at Pusey House on Saturday showed.
Perhaps Beethoven's Egmont (conducted by Sally Collings) was on the cautious side and lacked bite, but this was fully redeemed by the performance of Geoffrey Bushell's Space Symphony, conducted by the composer.
This work is substantial in bulk, but remains, despite its title, essentially a lightweight suite. It is unashamedly derivative (late Romantic sounds and textures prevail) yet it has the merit of being both highly tuneful and skilfully orchestrated – factors which make it fun to play and fun to hear. And the playing on Saturday was lively and atmospheric.
The orchestra then took a discrete backseat in a thoughtful account of Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto.
Here soloist John Oxlade, who can always be relied upon to bring the highest standards of musicianship to his playing, achieved something quintessentially Mozartian with his gentle limpid touch and his delicate bone-china tone.
The concert ended very well with a moving and spaciously conceived performance of Vaughan Williams' Toward the Unknown Region, in which the orchestra was joined by the St Cecilia Singers and the Oxford Purcell Consort.
Paul Diffley
Oxford Mail
18 January 1988
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Concert 29: Saturday 5 July 1987
St Nicholas Church, Islip |
| Arriaga |
Overture: The Happy Slaves |
| Geoffrey Bushell |
Romance for strings, op 3 |
| Mozart |
Oboe Concerto (Lara Taylor) |
| Geoffrey Bushell |
Strawberries and Cream, for wind, op 20 |
| Schubert |
Symphony no 5 in Bb |
| Gershwin |
Summertime (Sarah Moore, cor anglais) (encore) |
On Saturday, 5th July, an orchestral concert was held in St. Nicholas Church which provided a delightful evening for music lovers. It was given by St Giles Orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey Bushell. The programme covered a wide range of music, including two compositions written by Geoffrey Bushell himself. There was a beautifully controlled performance by Lara Taylor on the oboe in the Oboe Concerto in C by Mozart and a delightful rendering of Summertime from Sarah Moore on the Cor Anglais.
We are grateful indeed to Mrs Jenny Brown for organising such a successful evening. May we have a repeat please?
On the practical side, it contributed over £150 to the Church Restoration Fund.
Parish News (Islip, Noke and Woodeaton)
August 1987
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Concert 28: Saturday 4 April 1987
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Wagner |
Tristan and Isolde: Prelude & Liebestod (Anne Andrew) |
| Reinecke |
Flute Concerto in D, op 283 (Emma D'Cruz) |
| Handel |
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba |
| Grieg |
Peer Gynt Suites 1 and 2 (Anne Andrew) |
Soloist inspires
Emma D'Cruz provided the highlight of St Giles Orchestra's concert at Pusey House Chapel on Saturday with her marvellous playing of Carl Reinecke's D Major Flute Concerto.
This rarely-heard work was played with great artistry by Miss D'Cruz whose technical dexterity, flexibility of phrasing and rich tone made a deep impression. The central slow movement was similarly fine.
The orchestra led by Noreen Petrie and perhaps inspired by the soloist, also produced their best performance in the Concerto, under the assured conducting of Geoffrey Bushell.
In Grieg's two Peer Gynt Suites and the Prelude to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde the orchestra achieved a good sound in the full ensemble passages, with Mr Bushell capturing the sweep and architecture of the music in a most convincing way.
John Oxlade
Oxford Mail
6 April 1987
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Concert 27: Saturday 6 December 1986
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Elgar |
Overture: Froissart |
| Weber |
Bassoon Concerto (Pat Goddard) |
| Dvorak |
Symphony no 6 in D, op 60 |
St Giles Orchestra wave a very enjoyable programme of symphonic music by Elgar, Weber and Dvorak in the beautiful setting of Pusey House Chapel on Saturday.
The warmth and richness of Elgar's Froissart Overture was well caught by the players in a heady performance with especially sterling work for the brass. Conductor Geoffrey Bushell provided a well-balanced and sympathetic accompaniment to Weber's Bassoon Concerto where Pat Goddard seemed to make light work of the technical demands of the work.
Most satisfying of all, however, was Dvorak's D major Symphony where all sections of the orchestra had a chance to shine.
John Oxlade
Oxford Mail
8 December 1986
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Concert 22: Sunday 29 June 1986
St Leonard's Church, Sunningwell |
| Rossini |
Overture: Italian Girl in Algiers |
| Sibelius |
Valse Triste |
| Delius |
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring |
| Delius |
Summer Night on the River |
| Mozart |
Serenade for Wind, K361 |
| Elgar |
Serenade for Strings, op 20 |
| Haydn |
Symphony no 101 in D "Clock" |
| Gershwin |
Summertime from Porgy and Bess (encore) |
On Sunday 25th June St Giles Orchestra, conductor Geoffrey Bushell, gave a concert at St Leonard's Church, Sunningwell. I, at a somewhat late date, have been asked to comment on it. This I am not really equipped to do, and indeed two pieces I do not remember hearing before.
The overture, Italian Girl in Algiers (with its exposed wind playing at so early a stage!) was an excellent start, the conductor putting the crescendos and diminuendos to good effect.
The Delius (the pieces are mentioned below) was certainly appreciated. When, during the interval, I mentioned that he was not really my cup of tea, he is however for me still 'sound for thought'. On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring seemed to want more edge to the sound. In any case the cuckoo in this piece always sounds sad. Perhaps there has been a reaction from the fosterers' nest. The Serenade for Wind went well, with good support from the double bass.
During the interval we appreciated the flowers of the flower festival [*], kept fresh for us during the day by an occasional spray of water. this was followed by two pieces, Elgar's Serenade for Strings and Haydn's Clock Symphony. These two together made time a bit heavy towards the end, mainly I think due to the Haydn Andante and rather slow minuet. One might consider putting the Haydn in the first part of the concert and ending with the Serenade for Strings, its last movement being quite appropriate for this.
Somewhat unfairly, due to personal bias, the comments on the Valse Triste have been left last. It is probably the easiest to play, at least as far as the notes are concerned (but anyone who has recorded themselves trying to play a Strauss waltz will know what I mean), and I know nothing of Kuolema which the program notes mention. However my active interest in waltzing and my gene make-up results in the opening of Valse Triste arousing past memories which develop to the present as the music reaches standard waltz time and then calmly closes. The playing left me wishing for an empty ballroom, music and an experienced partner.
After their hard work, as an appreciation by the audience, the applause suggested an encore. the conductor's arrangement of Summertime was given in which we had the unexpected pleasure of a Cor Anglais taking the dominant role.
Ralph Dawton
July 1986
[ * Note: The flower festival was organised by from conductor Geoffrey Bushell's mother Doris Bushell]
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Concert 20: Saturday 15 March 1986
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Svendsen |
Fest Polonaise, op 12 |
| Elgar |
Cello Concerto, op 85 (Ursula Smith) |
| Geoffrey Bushell |
Halley's Comet Fanfare, op 18 (first performance) |
| Debussy |
Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune |
| Tchaikovsky |
Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet |
St Giles Orchestra offered a varied and demanding programme on Saturday in Pusey House Chapel under conductor Geoffrey Bushell.
Johan Svendsen's light-hearted Fest Polonaise led to the more serious stuff of Elgar's Cello Concerto while the second half of the concert, after Geoffrey Bushell's own Halley's Comet Fanfare, comprised Debussy's Apres-midi and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.
Ursula Smith, cello, performed the difficult Elgar sensitively. Unfortunately the orchestra met only some of the demands made by this and the other music chosen. The intonation in parts of the string section marred too many of their more exposed passages and there was an overall lack of clarity in the faster parts.
However the full orchestra sound was pleasing in the more lyrical passages, the solo flute in the Debussy was pleasantly secure, and Geoffrey Bushell managed some impressive effects.
Christopher Brown
Oxford Mail
17 March 1986
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Concert 19: Saturday 14 December 1985
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Goldmark |
Overture: Sakuntala |
| Mozart |
Clarinet Concerto in A, K622 (Mark Etherton) |
| Duparc |
Aux Etoiles |
| Franck |
Symphony in D minor |
Pusey House Chapel resounded with the interesting sounds produced by St Giles Orchestra on Saturday evening. An unusual programme had been selected by the conductor, Geoffrey Bushell, but the performance of Carl Goldmark's Sakuntala Overture and Henri Duparc's Aux Etoiles left a lot to be desired.
Intonation seemed to vary between painful and excruciating with the strings being especially weak in both tone and discipline.
A happier time was had during Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, with the estimable soloist Mark Etherton playing very expressively and giving the small audience some moments of real pleasure.
The D minor Symphony by Cesar Frank rounded off the evening and was the most successful item with some resounding tutti playing especially from the woodwind and brass.
Richard Petchey
Oxford Mail
16 December 1985
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Concert 18: Saturday 27 July 1985
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Elgar |
Chansons de Matin et de Nuit |
| Debussy |
Golliwogg's Cakewalk |
| Holst |
St Paul's Suite |
| Mozart |
Horn Concerto no 4 in Eb (Marshall Stoneham) |
| Strauss |
Wind Serenade, op 7 |
| Bizet |
Symphony in C |
In tune with a summer night
An attractive programme for a summer evening's listening was provided by St Giles Orchestra led by Noreen Petrie in Pusey House Chapel on Saturday.
Conducted by Geoffrey Bushell, the programme offered some English music of the twentieth century. Elgar's mood pieces Chanson de Matin and Chanson de Nuit gave opportunities for some pleasing string tone. Holst's St Paul's Suite received some spirited treatment especially in the Dargason.
A performance by the wind of Debussy's Golliwog's Cake Walk was rather tentative though the arrangement by Geoffrey Bushell was an imaginative one.
The soloist in Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto was Marshall Stoneham. Mr Stoneham, who plays with the orchestra, appears frequently with both professional and amateur orchestras in the Oxford and Abingdon areas. He also plays regularly in his own ensemble, the Dorchester Wind Players. It was good to hear such lively playing in the famous concerto finale, immortalised by Flanders and Swann.
Richard Strauss' Wind Serenade and Bizet's Symphony made up the melodious second half of the concert, the orchestra showing itself in tune with this warm hearted and youthful music.
Eve Barsham
Oxford Mail
29 July 1985
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Concert 17: Saturday 13 July 1985
St Mary's Church, Kidlington |
| Elgar |
Chansons de Matin et de Nuit |
| Debussy |
Golliwogg's Cakewalk |
| Holst |
St Paul's Suite |
| Mozart |
Horn Concerto no 4 in Eb (Jonathan Barrett) |
| Strauss |
Wind Serenade, op 7 |
| Bizet |
Symphony in C |
Bravo Jon!
St Mary's Church, Kidlington, had as a centre piece to its weekend flower festival a musical evening presented by St Giles Orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey Bushell.
The lovely ambience of the church was matched by an excellent performance of Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto, with teenager Jonathan Barrett as soloist [*].
What an impressive technique he showed, with mellow tone flowing easily and musically. For such a young musician to be so fully in command of his instrument bodes very well for him in future performances – a well-deserved "bravo".
Also offered were two opportunities for the wind to display their talents in Bushell's own arrangement of Debussy's Golliwog's Cake Walk, and the Serenade op. 7 by Strauss. Here there were also many enjoyable moments.
Rounding out the programme was Holst's St Paul's Suite, Bizet's Symphony in C, and three shorter works by Elgar. In spite of the intonation problems, the orchestra showed some fine musical ideas.
The concert will be repeated on 27 July in Pusey House Chapel, with Marshall Stoneham as horn soloist.
Robert Judd
Oxford Mail
15 July 1985
[ * Note: Since leaving St Giles Orchestra, Jonathan Barrett has been Principal Horn with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Horn of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.]
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Concert 16: Saturday 23 March 1985
Pusey House Chapel, St Giles, Oxford |
| Jarnefelt |
Praeludium |
| Beethoven |
Violin Concerto in D, op 61 (Helen Cass) |
| Bruckner |
Symphony no 7 in E |
Solo sparkles
Pusey House Chapel proved to be a well chosen venue for the concert given by St Giles Orchestra on Saturday.
The sixty-strong orchestra led by Noreen Petrie and conducted by Geoffrey Bushell opened with a spirited playing of Jarnefelt's well known and catchy Praeludium.
Then the orchestra was joined by the young violinist, Helen Cass, for Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Helen, who has won several scholarships, is studying at the Royal College in London.
The performance had a great deal of freshness and vigour. In particular the soaring solo melodies of the slow movement over supportive orchestral accompaniment sounded at their most effective in the resonance of the chapel.
The finale, though less confident in entries, nevertheless had sparkle and gaiety.
Bruckner's vast Symphony in E was a daunting choice for the orchestra's last item, but the musical thread was always convincing.
Eve Barsham
Oxford Mail
25 March 1985
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