A FEAST OF DELIGHTS

Review of September 2025 Concert

​​​

The quality of the performances of SMCO has been increasingly fine and was quite splendid in their most recent early-spring concert. Archie Lamont-Bowden was Concertmaster and Luka Venter conducted the orchestra for the first time. Venter’s experience is wide – conducting, singing countertenor, composing and writing. Among many roles, Luka has been an NZSO Conducting Fellow, as well as winner of the NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composer Award.

​​

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis opened the concert. It is scored for strings comprising a main orchestra, a second orchestra of nine players, and a quartet. The quartet was Archie Lamont-Bowden, Michael Laurie, Laurie Shedden and Katherine Hebley. The interplay between them, the small orchestra and the main ensemble was masterly. Their rich string sound and modal harmonies of the sixteenth century in the resonant acoustics of St Matthew’s in the City made for a glorious whole.

​​

Katherine Winitana was the soprano soloist in Samuel Barber’s Knoxville Summer of 1915. Winitana has an illustrious musical background – a Bachelor of Commercial Music, First class honours in Classical Voice, a Dame Malvina Major Studio Artist from 2020-2024, and a graduate of the Aotearoa NZ Opera Studio at the University of Waikato. Knoxville Summer of 1915 is the setting of a prose poem by James Agee, describing a hot summer day in Tennessee. Winitana’s sumptuous voice was totally convincing suggesting the lethargic, sultry climate, the family relaxing on a verandah and street sounds. Her widespread experience in many aspects of singing was certainly used to magnificent effect in this beautiful work.

​​

Albert Roussel (1869-1937) composed Le Festin de l’araignee (The Spider’s Feast). It was premiered at the Theatre des Arts in Paris in 1913. Roussel arranged these symphonic fragments for concert performance in 1928. They are lushly impressionistic, reminiscent of Ravel and Debussy. The opening flute solo and subsequent woodwind themes depicted insect life in a garden. Celeste, harp, cymbal and triangle added to the ethereal quality generated by the strings and brass. The rhythms and sprightly dances were played with great finesse.

 

Ravel’s Pavane pour une infant defunte provided another showcase for woodwinds and horns. The pavane, a slow stately dance, has often been thought to relate to a recently dead princess while it is more likely referring to a long dead princess, perhaps the little princess as painted by Velazquez. The music is nostalgic rather than mournful. The beautifully played opening horn solo by Henry Swanson set the scene for the following wistful woodwind and harp themes. Conducting here was very sensitive.

​​

The final work in this first-rate concert was Haydn’s Symphony No 64 in A major from the mid-1770s. It is a sunny work with vigorous tempos, suddenly changing rhythms, dynamics and moods. The orchestra was totally at one with the conductor and these variations. Intonation and phrasing were perfect. A splendid concert.

​​

The whole performance was a tour de force from both conductor and players. Luka Venter seems destined for a brilliant career. It is hoped that conducting SMCO again might be part of it.

 

Review by Rogan Falla