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An Uproarious Final Celebration
MIKE WHEELER was at Neil Bennison's final concert as programme manager of Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
This wasn't just the end of another orchestral season at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall - it's the end of an era, with Music Programme Manager Neil Bennison stepping down after seventeen years - Nottingham, UK, 3 June 2025. In a pre-concert conversation with Nottingham music journalist and presenter, William Ruff, Neil paid tribute to his predecessor, Peter Bolton, from whom he learned so much. Looking back over the way he shaped concert seasons over the years, he talked about his concern to balance familiar works with new discoveries, and the features he has introduced which have taken firm root in the annual season.
'After Hours', a series of short programmes following the main concerts, and showcasing a wide variety of little-known and new music, was prompted by a suggestion from André de Ridder, Sinfonia Viva's former Principal Conductor (and now music director-designate of English National Opera). The Sunday morning piano series was sparked by the Hall's acquisition of a new Steinway piano, and the technician's comment that the way to keep it in good shape was to 'get it played a lot'.
'Concert Prelude' features emerging young musicians, who have included, over the years, 'most of the Kanneh-Masons'. 'Sound Stage' was set up 'to give orchestras other things to do', such as film music evenings - a concert of John Williams' music for the Star Wars series was one recent example. Neil also paid tribute to the Hall itself, which was loved by 'almost one hundred per cent' of visiting artists, and to the loyal and devoted audience.
The Concert Prelude on this occasion featured Evan Au-Yong, violin, and Abigail Johnson, piano. It included a poised account of Handel's Sonata in E, HWV 373, the Meditation from Massenet's Thaïs, sweet but not unduly saccharine, and a propulsive reading of Brahms' Scherzo from the so-called F-A-E Sonata, composed jointly with Robert Schumann and Albert Dietrich.
The main event saw the Hallé Orchestra and Principal Conductor Kahchun Wong prefacing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the overture to Wagner's Tannhaüser.
Singaporean conductor Kahchung Wong.
Photo © Ayane Sato
The Hallé woodwind and horns gave the pilgrims' hymn a quiet glow, and the gradations of string tone-colour were well delineated. Amid a heady account of the Venusberg music, Tannhaüser's song had just the right shade of reckless vigour. In the opera house, it may all have sounded over-the-top, but as a self-contained concert performance it was magnificent.
The Beethoven followed without an interval. The first movement's opening theme did not emerge from an amorphous haze, but from a soft backdrop charged with latent energy, the theme itself rearing up like some giant rock-face. Phrases were eloquently shaped, as the movement moved towards a coda to which conductor and orchestra brought hints of a funeral march as it began to swell into a final gesture of anger and defiance.
At the start of the scherzo, the strings had a light-as-air delicacy which verged on the creepy, but soon the movement was rampaging as only Beethoven can, with John Abendstern's timpani adding an extra degree of truculence. The sunny trio section here took on a rustic quality, suggesting the kind of a village band Beethoven knew and wrote for - the dancing country-dwellers from the 'Pastoral' Symphony seen in the distance, perhaps.
The third movement spread a great healing calm, flowing gently but purposefully, including Laurence Rogers' calmly authoritative account of his big horn solo. The short fanfare-like figure that interrupts twice is followed, the second time, by a sudden withdrawal, unexpected and unexplained, here given an almost tangible sense of mystery.
After the finale's fiery initial outburst, and the glances back to the previous movements - Beethoven taking stock before moving on to his daring final fresco - the cellos and basses began the big tune very quietly, as if unsure that it was what was wanted. But, of course, it is exactly what is wanted, and the full orchestral statement was bursting with confidence - to be outdone, later, only by the Hallé Choir in full cry (and mostly singing from memory).
The vocal soloists, who had come on stage without fuss after the second movement, sang from raised positions behind the orchestra, and there were no balance problems, at least from where I was sitting. Soprano Nardus Williams was in sparkling form as she soared over the others, mezzo-soprano Susan Bickley radiated warmth, tenor Nicky Spence was appropriately bluff and hearty in his big solo, and bass William Thomas asserted his presence with his commanding first entry.
From top left, clockwise, Susan Bickley (© Julie Kim), Nardus Williams (© Bertie-Watson), Nicky Spence (© Ki Price) and William Thomas (© Thomas Gimson)
Every expressive shift made its mark, from bouncy 'turkish' march to awestruck contemplation of the heavens, incisive, detailed energy in Beethoven's robust fugal writing, and uproarious final celebration.
Afterwards, a presentation to Neil Bennison included tributes from colleagues, and a photo was taken of him on stage with the orchestra, soloists and conductor and, beyond, the almost 100% capacity audience.
Copyright © 11 June 2025
Mike Wheeler,
Derby UK
