Music-lovers in Worthing now know there will definitely be a further season of symphony concerts in 2012-13, with violinist Nicola Benedetti as soloist at the first concert on Sunday, September 2.
But this season is far from over and the Worthing Symphony Orchestra's homage to the great masters at the Assembly Hall on Sunday was not only a fine concert but great entertainment and fun.
The excellent acoustics of this venue are unforgiving but both Schubert's Unfinished and Prokofiev's Classical Symphony were almost note-perfect and performed with a great range and depth of expression.
Pianists Louise-Andree Baril and Yuki Negishi performed brilliantly in Francis Poulenc's thrilling and witty Concerto For Two Pianos And Orchestra In D minor, a work that deserves to be far better-known.
The two pianists then returned for Camille Saint-Saëns’ famous Carnival Of The Animals, which also featured virtuoso solos for several members of the orchestra characterising various creatures.
As usual, conductor John Gibbons gave illuminating but brief introductions to the music and he conducted all four pieces - as is his custom - in a crisp but unobtrusive and unhistrionic style. This diverse programme demonstrated the Worthing Symphony Orchestra's high standards and musical strength in depth. Their next concert at the Assembly Hall is on Sunday, April 22.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here