Best of British crowned by an energetic Walton 2

By Penny Homer, 06 August 2015

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“Walton's Symphony no. 2... shimmered into being, energetic to the point of frantic”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 5 August 2015

Walton, Spitfire prelude and fugue

Vaughan Williams, Concerto in D minor for violin and string orchestra, "Concerto Academico"

Elgar, Salut d'Amour (Liebesgruss) for violin and piano, Op.12

Williams, Fairest of Stars

Elgar, Froissart Overture, Op.19

Walton, Symphony no. 2

Chloë Hanslip, Violin

Ailish Tynan, Soprano

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Tadaaki Otaka, Conductor

Nail-biting Shostakovich from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Dominic Lowe, 15th August

Before a searing performance of Shostakovich's Thirteenth from Ryan Bancroft and his Welsh forces, Benjamin Grosvenor delivers a terrific performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major.

****1

Bancroft and BBCNOW at the Proms: a deeply satisfying Mahler 3

David Karlin, 11th August

Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide a Mahler 3 of exceptional clarity and forward momentum, with terrific posthorn solos from Corey Morris and Beth Taylor an outstanding soloist.

****1

Exciting Bacewicz and Lutosławski from Tadaaki Otaka and the BBC NOW

Nick Boston, 30th July

Strong performances of Bacewicz and Lutosławski in Tadaaki Otaka's final outing with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Proms, with technically commanding and sincere Rachmaninov from Vadym Kholodenko.

***11

Nil Venditti impresses in BBC Proms debut

Christopher Woodley, 12th August

Beethoven and Sir Karl Jenkins receive top-notch performances from Nil Venditti and the BBC NOW.

****1

A choral treat to savour: Verdi’s Requiem at the BBC Proms

David Karlin, 23rd July

An outstanding choral performance by nearly 300 singers of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the Crouch End Festival Chorus lights up Verdi’s hybrid of opera and devotional music.

*****

Music that eats into you: Schoenberg and Zemlinsky at the BBC Proms

Alexander Hall, 22nd July

The Proms are often very clever at recreating musical events from the past. Here, two works originally premiered in 1905 are given a fresh outing by Ryan Bancroft and BBC NOW.

****1

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Penny Homer

Penny Homer graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2003, where she was also a choral scholar at St Barnabas Cathedral. She is keenly interested in arts and education, and her work across both includes stints at Akademi South Asian Dance UK and Benslow Music Trust. Additionally she worked for Edition Peters in their sales department before joining the Association of British Choral Directors as their Training Manager. Penny currently sings at Eton Lower Chapel, St Andrews Fulham Fields, Wimbledon Choral Society, Londinium and Vocal Constructivists, and continues her vocal studies with Ian Kennedy.

Prom 26: Best of British crowned by an energetic Walton 2