The enterprising 41-strong orchestra gave a most enjoyable concert last Sunday.
Brahms in the first half sported his Academic Festival Overture, which was played with great gusto, an admirable curtain raiser.
Deeper stuff followed with the lesser-known Four Serious Songs which were beautifully sung, in German, by the Yorkshire-based mezzo soprano Rowena Burton.
All to do with evil, injustice, death and the like, they made a moving impact.
The sombre mood lifted somewhat after the interval with Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, always a challenge for any orchestra and wonderfully taken by the Halifax players, in particular the woodwind section which had many hurdles to face.
Stuart Coldwell (flute), Trudi Mansfield (or ball), Max Benn (clarinet), Richard Rawson (bassoon) and Deborah Allon (horn) excelled themselves.
They were unfailingly supported by an eloquent string line and brass chorale, all under the ever-attentive direction of the conductor Lawrence Killian.
John Pettitt
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