Grit and grandeur: Andrew Manze and the RLPO illuminate Henry Wood’s orchestrations

From the very first hushed notes, it was clear this would be no ordinary concert but an odyssey of sound and imagination. Andrew Manze and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra drew the audience into a world where nostalgia, invention and sheer orchestral brilliance collided in a programme that shimmered with colour, pulsed with energy and lingered long after the final echoes had faded.

The evening began with Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad which, from the hushed opening strings, demonstrated just how much Manze has brought his expertise in this repertoire to the orchestra. Capturing the elegiac rhapsody with great sensitivity, the textures were clear, the parts delicately balanced and the wind solos wonderfully expressive.

On home turf, Artist-in-Residence Mark Simpson presented the UK premiere of his viola concerto Hold Your Heart in Your Teeth, with soloist Timothy Ridout. Manze, in his address to the audience, spoke warmly of the work. Inspired by a Romanian proverb, this single-movement piece unfolds in three distinct sections. Harmonically unconventional yet accessible and engaging, Simpson’s concerto features a thoughtful orchestration that never overpowers the viola. Full orchestral episodes alternate with intimate passages that place the soloist front and centre in the first movement. A brisk central movement is very rhythmical. The technical challenges are formidable, especially in the third movement, but Ridout met them with ease. The cadenza, accompanied by two players on marimba, created an eerie, drone-like effect before a quote from the opening brought things full circle.

Nine of the RLPO’s Forever Bells were arranged in a circle on the platform, reminiscent of a henge, with percussionist Graham Johns sitting in the centre. The final three works of the programme showcased these bells in strikingly different ways. Graham Fitkin’s Metal – originally commissioned for the Philharmonic Hall’s 1996 reopening – was enhanced by dramatic lighting, Manze leading a captivating performance that added an industrial edge to the evening.

Two of Sir Henry Wood’s orchestrations followed. Debussy’s La Cathédrale engloutie is boldly reimagined; not a faithful transcription, but a sonic transformation. The bells again featured evocatively, conjuring something ancient and colossal rising from and sinking into the depths in hues of azure blue and aquamarine.

The evening concluded with Wood’s 1915 orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, predating the more familiar Ravel version of 1922. Manze brought tremendous energy, relishing the grandeur of the work’s climactic moments. Wood’s vision feels more animated than Ravel’s, and under Manze’s baton it crackled with character. The opening Promenade was brisk and buoyant and started proceedings on a firm footing. Highlights included Gary Curtin’s haunting euphonium solo in The Old Castle – played from the back of the choir stalls – and a terrifyingly intense Catacombs. When it seemed it couldn’t get more visceral, Baba Yaga exploded with ferocity. Unlike Ravel, Wood delays The Great Gate of Kiev with a gentle peel of bells before unleashing its full splendour. The final effect, with the RLPO’s Forever Bells and organ blazing, left the audience with an unforgettable image of that massive portcullis rising in all its glory.

Recorded for broadcast, this concert is a gift waiting for BBC Radio 3 listeners.