Huddersfield Examiner 30 April 2012

Concert review by William Marshall

In front of a large town hall audience, the two most venerable organisations in Huddersfield musical life combined for a true celebration of local cultural traditions.

It was a gala concert to mark the 150th anniversary of Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra, and the presence of the 176-year-old Huddersfield Choral Society meant that this really was a remarkable occasion.

“There are few towns in the whole country, or the whole world, that have such a distinguished ..read more

Concert review by Joanne Douglas

Huddersfield Examiner 20 April 2012

A Desert Island Disc favourite, a world premiere and more than 200 musicians and singers – all on one stage. Huddersfield Town Hall will next Saturday brim with musical talent as the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra hold their 150 anniversary concert. The Philharmonic will be joined by the Huddersfield Choral Society for what is set to be a spectacular show and together they’ll perform one of Beethoven’s masterpieces – the Symphony No 9. ..read more

This preview featured in Huddersfield Examiner on Friday 14 May 2010.

Nine cellists will line-up to play a concert in Outlane tomorrow (May 15), four months after the original event was called off because of snow.

Bad weather forced the cancellation of the original concert planned for early January. Now the musicians have regrouped to play a concert at Outlane Methodist Church at 7.30pm.

All nine are from the cello section of the Huddersfield Philharmonic led by Wendy Davies. The ensemble will be ..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

Unashamedly patriotic music is programmed for our next concert, falling as it does on the day after St George’s Day.  A concert featuring twentieth-century English music by Vaughan Williams, Arnold and Elgar. 

For those of you who have enjoyed the well-known tunes included in the concert on 6 February, the overture to The Wasps and Arnold’s Cornish Dances will undoubtedly appeal.  

Principal bassoon David Robinson is our featured soloist in one of Elgar’s lesser-known works, the Romance for Bassoon and Orchestra, and ..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