It was lovely to go along on Saturday evening to such a classy setting as the Great Hall in Parliament buildings for the City of Belfast School of Music Autumn fund-raising concert. The grand event was very high in quality and showcased the talents of the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra’s Chamber Orchestra and soloists.

The concert got off to a good start with the lively Jig from Holst’s St Paul’s Suite. Under the direction of conductor Paul McBride the strings, who were in particularly good form throughout, gave an energetic and detailed performance of the movement.

Concerto for Two Trumpets by Vivaldi came next. Soloists Richard Blake and Malachy Frame should be very proud of themselves here. Not only was the performance technically accurate but it was polished, stylish and expressive. Each movement had shape and direction and the performers new exactly when to bring out the main tunes and when to fall unto the background. These are names to look out for in the future! In this piece and in Concerto for Two Violins in D minor by Bach, the orchestra supported sensitively. Soloists here, Stephen Cullen and Ruth Nelson, gave a very musical performance of this masterpiece and complemented each other well.

After the interval former pupil Eanna Monaghan, a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, played Concerto for Bassoon in F major by Weber. I always think of the bassoon as an ensemble rather than a display instrument but Monaghan showed off its great versatility in this cheerful concerto. He handled the fast passages and lyrical moments with ease and the overall performance was very impressive. Faure’s Pavane was perhaps the least successful piece of the evening with entry and tuning issues in the wind but the final pieces, Intermezzo and Finale, again from Holst’s St Paul’s Suite, were polished and rhythmical. A great event enjoyed by all present.

Ruth McCartney

The hundreds of young singers and instrumentalists who took part in the City of Belfast School of Music’s Christmas Concert in the Ulster Hall last night did the city proud. With ages ranging from 5 to 25 they performed a great variety of choral and instrumental music to an exceptionally high standard.

The concert began with a suitable youthful and spirited interpretation of Von Suppe’s Light Cavalry Overture, with some excellent brass playing. The Saturday Club and Junior Music Centre followed this with two contrasting pieces, Tydlidom and I saw three ships. These very young performers excelled themselves. I was sitting at the very back of the hall and could hear every word. Conducted by Helen Frame, they sang with spirit and confidence, singing each piece from memory. All the choirs gave a good lead to the audience carols and when they joined forces with the CBYO for John Gardner’s lively setting of The Holly and the Ivy, the sound was superb, leading to a very lively ending to the first half.

The CBYO are not long back from London where they represented Northern Ireland in a Schools Promenade Concert in the Royal Albert Hall. Yet, here they were, performing a completely different programme only few weeks later. This could only have been as a result of very hard work from the players and teachers involved with the orchestra. Conducted by Paul McBride, they excelled in a very sensitive performance of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. The strings were on top form throughout the evening and their unison playing was top-notch. Leader Stephen Cullen’s solo in Sir Hamilton Harty’s beautiful arrangement of the Londonderry Air was very moving.

The second half opened with a new group to CBSM. A-Samb-A, a follow-on to the drumming group A-Freeka-A, performed two brazilian pieces on various sizes of drums and percussion. Leading from the front with a whistle and a drum was Nicola Such. Although exceptionally loud in this venue, the pieces very effective and the movement around the stage added much interest.

The Youth Chorale, conducted by Rowena Eames, sang three Christmas pieces. This choir is particularly polished and made a tremendously big sound. Chilcott’s setting of The Angel Gabriel was delightful while Rutter’s The Donkey Carol, a piece more difficult than it seems, was suitably lively and well-balanced. The tone was equally good in Andrew Carter’s clever setting of Ding, Dong Merrily on High.

The concert ended with a raunchy performance of the Overture from Bizet’s Carmen and the audience left on a high and full of Christmas spirit.

Ruth McCartney

Friday night's City of Belfast Youth Orchestra concert of light classics in the Ulster Hall got their season off to a rousing start. Conducted by Paul McBride, the concert opened with a steady performance of Handel's Entrance of the Queen of Sheba. The CBYO were in fine fetter and oboe soloists Charles Reilly & David Douglas displayed a good understanding of the style, both producing a good tone. The romantic Pavane pour une infante d'functe provided a pleasing contrast. This had some lovely moments but it was Beethoven's Overture to Egmont that showed off the full capabilities of the orchestra. In a concert such as this one often tends to try to qualify the praise eg. It was good playing for students. However, this performance was an unconditional success. There was tight, rhythmic playing at a very high level with close attention to dynamics and well-controlled accelerandos. This was a really full-blooded affair with excellent tuning.

Guitarist David Browne Murray demonstrated a great deal of flexibility in his three very contrasting pieces. His performance of the famous Recuerdos de la Alhambra was slightly marred by distortion through the speaker system but I Got rhythm and Classical Gas were well played and very favourably received.

The School's Youth Chorale, conducted by Rowena Eames and accompanied by Anita Mawhinney, produced a lovely, blended tone for so early on in the term. Didn't it Rain, a lively spiritual arranged by Michael Neaum, was most effective. Tasteful phrasing and attention to text pervaded their performance. Strandtown Primary School's Senior Choir were special guests. Conducted by Paul Thompson and accompanied by Marbeta McNeill their sweet voices carried well and every word could be heard even at the very back of the hall.

Dr Joe McKee, Principal of the School of Music, showed off the Grand Mulholland organ in its full colours with the beautiful Evensong by Easthope Martin and Jeremiah Clarke's Prince of Denmark's March. It was great for the young people to get such a good introduction to the mighty instrument at such close quarters.

The concert ended with Sibelius's Finlandia and music from The Lord of the Dance which brought the house down. Flautist Marian McCrickard added the right flavour to the slower section before the piece took off at rapid speeds. The audience demanded an encore and the final section was played again. Leader and co-leader, Stephen Cullen and Stephen Heagney respectively, did a great job at the front. This was a concert of which the performers should all be justly proud.

We wish the CBYO well as they prepare for their concert in the Royal Albert Hall in November when they will close the series of Music for Youth Schools Prom concerts.

Ruth McCartney