Charlotte SmithEditor
A quick dash up to Edinburgh provided the perfect opportunity to attend a concert by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at Usher Hall. On the programme were Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Sibelius’s First Symphony, both sumptuously performed by an impeccably balanced band under the baton of Kristiina Poska (pictured below). But it was soloist Rachel Barton Pine who provided the showstopping moment in her encore, coolly dispatching Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1, in a ridiculously difficult arrangement by Nathan Milstein, without breaking a sweat.
Jeremy PoundDeputy editor
While driving my son to athletics training, hearing a lushly Romantic – but not instantly identifiable – symphonic work on Radio 3’s In Tune gave me the ideal opportunity to display my professional expertise. ‘It’s almost certainly Tchaikovsky,’ father sagely informed son, ‘though there are glimpses of Dvořák and even Wagner.’ Way wide of the mark, of course – it was Romeo und Julia by the Norwegian Johan Svendsen. The music was so enticing, however, that I have listened to it a lot since, and will definitely recognise it next time.
Michael BeekReviews editor
I was delighted to attend a special event in celebration of composer John Williams’s London connections over the years. Organised by The Legacy of John Williams, a wonderful fan resource (and podcast), we heard memories from former LSO principals Eric Crees (trombone) and Hugh Seenan (horn), plus rare recording ses
