Not one, nor two, but three amazing soloists get Newbury Spring Festival off to a stunning start

Newbury Spring Festival: London Mozart Players

at St Nicolas’ Church, Newbury

on Saturday, May 10

Review by FIONA BENNETT

THERE were several reasons to celebrate the opening night of Newbury Spring Festival 2024.

Not only is it director Mark Eynon’s 25th festival, but we also welcomed not one, nor two, but three amazing soloists to perform with the London Mozart Players at St Nics.

Under the baton of the effervescent Martin James Bartlett, we were treated to a feast of unusual music for an opening night.

He performed Mozart’s ninth piano concerto, conducting from the keyboard, but this was flanked by the music of Estonia’s foremost composer, minimalist Arvo Pärt and the UK’s very own Benjamin Britten.

I was sad to see a few empty seat, but rather than believe people had stayed at home to watch the ever increasingly bizarre Eurovision Song Contest, I did wonder whether seeing Pärt and Britten on the programme had put off those who only turn out for the great romantic composers? They missed a treat.

We began the evening with a piece linking Pärt and Britten. Composed by the former, Cantus in Memoriam, Benjamin Britten’s funereal opening, a pitched tubular bell gave us a taste of what was to come.

My elder son did his degree in music technology and sound art and that is exactly what this was – sound art.

I closed my eyes and bathed in the sounds of the strings playing nothing more than variations on an A minor scale, punctuated by the bell at regular intervals.

It’s not necessarily a piece you’d hum along with in the car but the effect was unusual and very enjoyable.

The Mozart was fabulous. The outer movements were flashy, incredibly neat and great fun and the slow movement was truly beautiful.

Smiles exchanged between soloist and orchestral leader told me they were enjoying it as much, if not more than we were.

The strings of the LMP were present throughout, augmented by oboes and horns at times and they did a fine job throughout.

Horn soloist Ben Goldscheider and tenor Allan Clayton joined them for Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. Ben’s solo Prologue gave us a taste of things to come.

He really is a master of this fiendishly difficult instrument and he wrings every sound imaginable from it; his high register is astonishing.

Allan has a fine, clear, operatic voice and the combination of poetic lyrics along with the troubled but fascinating music, made for a stunning finale.

Congratulations Mark, on both your 25th anniversary and a brilliant opening night.