Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

The Dome, 31 December 2012

A change to bring in the New Year at the Dome.  For some years we have been delighted by John Bradbury who led these new-year celebrations as both soloist and conductor, with an emphasis on the gypsy music that was so important to Austro-Hungarian cultural life. This year, in a rather different vein, Stephen Bell conducted and we had arias from Pamela Hay, familiar to many from Friday Night is Music Night.

The programme was introduced from the podium by the conductor, who was able to smooth the links between items with a number of apt anecdotes and jokes.

The matinee got off to a cheeky start with the Fatherland March, confusing most of us, as we thought this was the Radetsky March – which of course is always the last item for any new-year programme!

There were, as expected, a number of familiar works, and if Roses from the South proved rather unsubtle in the first half, there was far more sensitive playing for the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka and the Emperor Waltz with its slightly melancholic close. The Overture to Die Fledermaus got the second half off to a fine start, followed by Vienna Bon-bons, the Hunting Polka and – inevitably – The Blue Danube.

Less familiar, but always welcome, was Lanner’s New Year Gallop and operetta arias which have slipped below the radar of most concert-goers.

Pamela Hay had opened her items with Schenkt man sich Rosen im Tirol from Zeller’s unfairly neglected Der Vogelhandler, the only item sung in German. The Vilja lied from The Merry Widow seemed to stretch her somewhat though she was more comfortable in the second half with Adele’s Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus, I give my heart  from The Dubarry  and one of Lehar’s Gypsy songs. Her diction is excellent and the audience enjoyed her characterisations.

Pamela Hay returned to the stage to lead the essential audience participation for the Radetsky March which brought the afternoon to a close –  not that we would not have happily sat through more had it been on offer.

The next concert is on Sunday 13 January with Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony. BH