Concert review by Suzanne Smelt, Huddersfield Examiner 29 April 2013

The French Connection

Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra concert

27 April 2013 in Huddersfield Town Hall

Expect the unexpected with ‘España’ by the French composer Chabrier opening this concert of French music. This delightful apéritif had a clicky castanet feel created by pizzicato and staccato playing and the final flourish left me wanting more.

The following musical hors d’oeuvres began with Debussy’s impressionistic Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. The orchestra, minus most of the brass, shimmered with ..read more

Expressions of interest are invited from suitably qualified and experienced conductors to work with the Orchestra of the Huddersfield Philharmonic Society from the start of our 2013-14 season on Tuesday 3rd September 2013. Applicants should have experience and knowledge of conducting large symphonic works, possibly also choral, collaboration with amateur symphony orchestras and their development, including programming, both as a whole and through to the individual playing member level. Strong links with the local music scene – perhaps beyond – ..read more

Christine Stanton’s splendid book “Philharmonic Notes” is now available at just £5.00 per copy. Numbers are limited by a relatively small micro print / publishing run so “buy now” to avoid disappointment (and help boost the Society’s funds through generous donation of any profits).

Says Peter Lewis, President:

“A fascinating read, with many insights from the last 25-30 years or so of the Phil’s history, I wish a copy had been available when I first started my own involvement with the Phil’s ..read more

Huddersfield has always been seen as a musical town. And that reputation was underlined this week when the Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Eric Firth, hosted a civic reception to honour one of the area’s musical organisations.

Huddersfield Philharmonic is proudly celebrating its 150th anniversary and the dinner at Huddersfield Town Hall was well-deserved recognition of its rich contribution to the life of the town.

The Mayor rightly remarked on the pride felt in the town at the achievements of the Phil and ..read more

Huddersfield Examiner Saturday 10 March 2012

The 150th anniversary of Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra was marked with a civic reception. About 200 people attended the event at Huddersfield Town Hall, including past and present conductors and most of the current orchestra.

There were speeches from the orchestra’s longest-serving member, cellist Paul Michelson, who has been a member for almost 56 years, current president Peter Lewis, and Kirklees Mayor Clr Eric Firth.

The orchestra can trace its roots back to 1862, when a Unitarian Minister ..read more

Huddersfield Examiner 6 June 2011

Concert revue by William Marshall

For the great majority of people, movie soundtracks, rather than the concert hall, CDs, Radio 3 or Classic FM, are where they encounter and experience orchestral music.

It is a canny tactic, then, for an organisation like the Huddersfield Phil to put on an occasional concert of music from the movies – and this time call on the services of well-known actor Robert Powell.

The hope might be that a decent proportion of the ..read more

Title: Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra

Venue: Huddersfield Town Hall

Review: William Marshall.

After the events of November, when  the abrupt, acrimonious departure of principal conductor Natalia Luis-Bassa made headline news in the Examiner and throughout the country, this was one of the most important concerts in the history of the Huddersfield Phil.

Any suggestion of lingering low morale or musical sloppiness would be ominous indeed for one of the most important musical institutions in the country’s most musical town.

It can be reported that from an ..read more

REVIEW: by William Marshall. from Huddersfield Examiner 26 April 2010

DURING her introductory remarks, conductor Natalia Luis-Bassa raised doubts over whether she, a Venezuelan, could do interpretive justice to an all-English programme.

She was being light-hearted. But if the programme had been all-German, all-Italian or all-French, the jest would probably not have been made. English music is still not deemed to possess the universality of music from the Continent. Even composers of the acknowledged greatness of Elgar or the esteem of Vaughan ..read more

Apr 23 2010 by Val Javin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

 WHAT more could you ask for, musically speaking, on St George’s Day than a concert of English music?

And that is what Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra has in store at Huddersfield Town Hall tomorrow (April 24) with a programme that celebrates the best of 20th century English music.

That means the music of composers Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold and Edward Elgar.

The orchestra will play two pieces by Vaughan Williams which are separated in time ..read more

An innovation in this concert was that conductor Natalia Luis-Bassa spoke at some length to the audience in between items, describing and analysing them quite humorously.

It perhaps says something about the entrenched formality of classical music concerts that it should be such a surprise when lines of verbal communication are opened up in this way. But is it a welcome development?

Luis-Bassa’s lively personality and vivacious humour  went down well with most of the audience. And the nature of the concert ..read more