Review
On Saturday 22nd May, Gracie Fields Theatre was host to Rochdale Youth Orchestra’s annual ‘Springtime Spectacular’ concert. Audiences were treated to a diverse programme which included Abba, Beethoven and almost everything else in between.
First on stage were the Junior Orchestra who presented a programme with a theatrical flavour to it and included the ‘Anvil Chorus’ or ‘Pots and Pans’ chorus where the young percussionists use pans and spoons to create the sound of the anvil. Musical Director Sue Verity said afterwards “The children always rise to the occasion on these concert nights – they all thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening”
The Senior Orchestra, led for the first time by their new conductor David Scott, featured many soloists including Ruth Betteridge, a singer from the Royal Northern College of Music. Ruth sang ‘Somewhere’ from ‘West Side Story’ and Beth Haworth played ‘Dimitri,’ a flugel horn solo which she had specially arranged herself for the orchestra.
As well as the two main orchestras, the concert featured two smaller groups - in the first half the string quartet presented a short programme and in the second half a percussion trio performed ‘Three - Ply’, a piece written by percussion tutor Chris Jolly.
Special guests for the evening were Meanwood CP School with musical director and pianist Elaine Marsden and conductor Elisabeth O’Brien. They delighted the audience with an upbeat programme and then joined with the two Rochdale Youth Orchestras for a grand finale which had audiences singing along and flag-waving to ‘Rule Britannia’, ‘Pomp and Circumstance’, ‘Jerusalem’ and other proms favourites. Audiences left on a high note and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, commenting on the high calibre of the musicians involved.