Paul Nash found his spirits lifted by a wonderfully curated and performed programme at the latest Scarborough Symphony Orchestra concert on 10th May. The concert took place at the Methodist Central Hall, Queen Street, Scarborough.

I’m not ashamed to say I had not heard many of the pieces in tonight’s programme before, but I will certainly be revisiting them. One of the joys of attending conductor Shaun Matthew’s carefully created and inspired concert programmes is the discovery of such wonderful music played with passion and verve by the Scarborough Symphony orchestra, who as always were on top form.

It began with Elgar’s Wand of Youth Suite No.2, a mystical and magical journey of Elgar’s childhood memories of woodland glades, butterflies, fountains and bears. Twinkling glockenspiel, pretty string melodies and delicate woodwinds evoke a visit to a beautiful fantasy world that ends with the wild bears galloping presto, abounding with high spirits.

Haydn’s cello concerto in D was next up with soloist Haru Ogiwara, who was the first winner of the Scarborough Symphony Orchestra /Yorkshire Wolds Music Foundation Concerto Competition, and at age 19 showed a maturity far beyond his years with an incredibly emotive and virtuoso performance. Surely a future superstar, he absolutely knocked this one out of the park.

After the break we were treated to fantastic spirituals by Adolphus Hailstork, modern compositions of traditional spirituals blending African, American and European traditions and melodies to form three gorgeous orchestrations that really hit the soul in a most beautiful way.

For me the highlight of the night was Symphony No 3 from William Grant Still – a 1941 work from this eminent but under-appreciated composer. Over the last couple of years Shaun Matthew has championed his works and rightly so. The SSO is the first orchestra to have now performed all of his symphonies, and I have had the privilege of enjoying them all. Also known as The Sunday Symphony, this piece depicts the Sunday life of a ‘devout worshipper’ and begins with bold brass followed by short themes developed through the 1st movement, somewhat reminiscent of the ‘big bands’ of the 40s and 50s or even Gershwin, before the beautiful second, more spiritual based, ‘prayer’ movement.

Katy Brear on the Cor Anglais and the other wind soloists were just wonderful. In the 3rd we get a delicate scherzo swiftly bringing us to the rousing finale of the final movement combining the orchestra’s full forces (special mention to the fantastic brass section). The central part, a lyrical second theme in the form of blues is presented by strings which then rise in a romantic climax, before the main theme is energetically recapitulated.

To conclude the programme there was only one way to go: Coleridge-Taylors ‘La Bamboula’; the composer was a close friend of Elgar, with whom the concert started, so this link nicely book-ended the concert. Named after an African drum, but later more well known as a dance, it was based on a song from the West Indies. Rousing, infectious and melodic it powers along with fantastic string and wind melodies punctuated by some great brass parts. I genuinely felt spiritually uplifted. Forgive the pun but a ‘banging’ way to end the night!

The next SSO concert is July 12th at the Methodist Central Hall in Scarborough, the shows are always full so to be sure book tickets through scarborough-orchestra.org to avoid disappointment.

Saturday 12th July 2025
SIMON Fate Now Conquers
GREGSON Trumpet Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No.7