Boosted by their best result at the British Open for seventeen years, a buoyant Brighouse & Rastrick delivered an excellent programme under Prof David King that certainly built on their Symphony Hall form. 

Whetted appetite
 
The brief opening to the signature march, 'West Riding' whetted the appetite as the Australian (who certainly had a spring in his step) led the band through Gordon's 'Excerpts' from Tchaikovsky's 'Little Russian’, with a dark robustness that soon exploded into bubbling excitement and drive.

Touch of magic

Principal cornet, Kyle Lawson showcased his considerable talents with a tastefully phrased rendition of 'My Love is like a Red, Red Rose' - his warm timbre enhanced by the understated accompaniment, before Prof King injected a touch of musical magic with Josef Rheinberger's 'Abendllied' (Bide with Us); shaped and blended with such intuitive musicality that it sent a shiver down the spine.

Relish

Perhaps another dose of ‘Swan Lake’ was pushing the appetite boundaries a little - even for the test-piece gluttons who were also present at Symphony Hall a week earlier, but the MD ensured even the most sated taste buds were given something to relish.

Once more, the energy and drama of his reading refreshed the palate - the final drive to the end building with a mix of expectation and tension that was only released in its full glory with the thunderous last chords. The raptuous ovation was fully justified. 

Allegorical

Glenn Van Looy thrilled the audience again with a delightful 'Summer Isles' from Sparke’s 'Hymn of the Highlands' suite, before more ensemble boldness came with the UK premier of 'Inferno', by Australian composer Todd Smith, inspired by Dante Alighieri's early 14th century allegorical literary masterpiece, 'The Divine Comedy'.

It provided the ideal vehicle for Brighouse & Ratrick and Prof David King to showcase their collective talents in full, drawing to a close a concert that was close to being a mini-masterpiece itself. 

Malcolm Wood