SPS Autumn Concert

Report by Mr Mark Wilderspin, Director of Music:

Like the Ensembles Concert last week, this week’s Autumn Concert was a sell-out event and a packed Wathen Hall braved the cold to hear a range of items from the Baroque Ensemble, Sinfonietta, Chapel Choir and Symphony Orchestra. The first half comprised shorter items and medium sized ensembles, culminating in a performance of Arvo Pärt’s De Profundis for male voices and chamber orchestra (a fitting celebration of the Estonian composer’s 90^th birthday in September). In the second half, the Symphony Orchestra took centre stage and U8th conductor Shekhu led them in a rousing performance of Sibelius’s Finlandia before Justin Li gave a beautifully assured reading of Rachmaninov’s famous Second Piano Concerto. The orchestra has plenty to do in the work and it was wonderful for the audience to see the synergy between Justin and his peers. After a triumphant performance, Justin treated us to a delightful arrangement of “Fly Me to the Moon” as an encore. It seemed to be the only way he could stop the riotous applause and appease the standing ovation he’d received!