Although Sarah Ioannides took time to direct her thanks to the families of the “wonderful young musicians” who had given performances of fearless self-confidence throughout an impressive concert, there was no doubt that the extended applause at its conclusion was also aimed very much at her in return.

Catalyst

The elfish Anglo-American had commanded the rostrum with a catalyst assuredness - a junction box of connectivity to every player under an articulate baton.  Her direction electrified music that was interpreted with immediate character understanding by 80 inspired performers - clear and colourful, sensitive and sensuous, forceful and flamboyant.

The elfish Anglo-American had commanded the rostrum with a catalyst assuredness - a junction box of connectivity to every player under an articulate baton.

The ‘Music from Around the World’  programme gave her liberal licence; ‘Ruslan and Ludmilla’  snapped with a whiplash flourish, the poetic reflections of Bramwell Tovey’s life well lived in Kelly-Marie Murphy’s ‘Into the Darkness They Go, The Wise and The Lovely’  flowing with tender melancholy.

Even a twitch of a shoulder or flick of her wrist brought a pulse rather than clanging emphasis – notably on Howard Snell’s brilliant arrangement of Respighi’s ‘Pines of Rome’ suite, with the composed ensemble work and fiendish solo lines in particular delivered with accomplished maturity. 

World premieres

Two world premieres (from the runner-up and winner of the NYBBGB Young Composer Competition respectively) offered insight of different compositional progression.   

Guest soloist Scott Hartmann also brought a fresh take on familiar fayre; Gordon Langford’s ‘Rhapsody for Trombone’  played with Barnumesque American bravura, the middle movement sashaying with a John Wayne lilt in its tread.  

Jack Yagerline’s computer-game inspired ‘Open World’  jumped from one level to another much like an on-line teenage player with twitchy trigger thumbs, whilst Daniel Hall’s ‘Dieu Et Mon Droit’  offered a welcome ‘divinity-lite’ take on the monarchic motto ‘God and my right’.

Guest soloist Scott Hartmann also brought a fresh take on familiar fayre; Gordon Langford’s ‘Rhapsody for Trombone’  played with Barnumesque American bravura, the middle movement sashaying with a John Wayne lilt in its tread.  

Super charged

A respectful ‘On with the Motley’  was balanced by the high-wire virtuosity and shared spotlight generosity of Arthur Pryor’s ‘Thoughts of Love’  and a classy ‘Evergreen’  (although Pryor was perhaps providing Richard Rodgers with future inspiration for ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ rather than a respectful nod back in time to the 1867 ‘The daring young man on a flying trapeze’).

Peter Graham’s globally textured ‘Windows of the World’,  played with a super-charged adrenaline and endeavour mix rounded things off, before the audience acclaim for the performers and their MD rightly demanded the encores of a swaggering ‘New York, New York’  and the touching ‘St Clement’.

Iwan Fox