Despite having visited Christ Church on several occasions in the past, I found myself in largely unfamiliar surroundings within the awe-inspiring Christ Church Cathedral, a unique setting for a classical music concert. This time the Gothic stone walls of the Cathedral were playing host to A Russian Night and they certainly did not disappoint their guests. In a warm, snug environment, the audience were able to enjoy the beautiful music at close proximity to the orchestra. The proceedings were slightly delayed but it was well worth the wait.

The first piece, the magnificent Night on a Bare Mountain by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, was rendered admirably in accordance with Rimsky-Korsakov's arrangement of 1886. The string and flute/piccolo sections deserve special praise in this respect. The violin sections were quite adept at describing the passion and the sense of revolution inherent in Mussorgsky's masterpiece.

The second piece was Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934) by Sergei Vassilievich Rachmaninov. As with most of Rachmaninov's compositions, the piano is central to the theme of the piece. One word describes Miss Elizabeth Burgess' performance on the piano. Brilliant! Whilst exuding a supreme self-confidence, Miss Burgess allowed her fingers to gambol and glide freely over the keys in a masterful display, mesmerising the audience and producing a most beautiful sound; all this without making recourse to any sheet music to guide her through the several variations of the Rhapsody. Miss Burgess was well supported by the orchestra throughout the Rhapsody.

Finally, after a small intermission, the audience were treated to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 (1888) in E minor. This powerful piece was performed with professional aplomb by the orchestra as a whole, well marshalled by conductor Dr. James Ross. It was a sheer pleasure to listen to the crescendos within the four movements reverberating around the Cathedral, providing an effect perhaps akin to the process of reviving the heart via a series of electric shocks. The entire performance was very impressive and the evening was a thoroughly enjoyable one.

As an aside, it ought to be mentioned that the wooden seats can get slightly uncomfortable towards the end of a long performance and it is recommended that one makes use of the intermission to stretch one's limbs and back.

SKM 20/02/2005