REVIEW

A NUTCRACKER

Dorset United Church, Dorchester

DORSET Sinfonia, the more they change, they better they get, that is what is happening to this Weymouth based orchestra which started life as a modest arts centre group in the town and has now grown to be a 40-strong orchestra with a distinctly professional style.

Under the baton of the orchestra’s conductor David Ansell and leader Rachel Greenwood, their latest concert consisted of popular classics by Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky which gave the musicians plenty of scope to demonstrate their skills and certainly provided an evening of Russian splendour that delighted the audience.

Starting off at maximum volume with a brass ensemble, the amateur players quickly showed that their dedication and performing abilities were top quality as they went on to play Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibition, both compositions well known and much loved worldwide.

After the interval, the string players gave a remarkable performance with an emotionally charged ensemble followed by the whole orchestra pulling out the stops with excerpts from the Nutcracker Suite, Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece which rounded off the evening in suitably seasonal fashion.

The orchestra’s next appearance will be in March at a date not yet confirmed but anyone who enjoyed this Russian extravaganza will be queuing up to buy tickets for their concerts in the coming year to support a team of musical enthusiasts from across the generations that give pleasure with their playing and certainly deserve our full support.

MARION COX