The Scottish Ensemble is always great – as they say Re-defining the String Orchestra
They are led by the music director and lead player on the violin – Jonathan Morton.
4 1st Violins, 4 2nd Violins, 2 Violas, 2 (but this time 3) Cellos and one Double Bass.
A interesting feature is that the violins and violas stand while playing.
This performance was titled Sax Serenade with the saxophone played by Amy Dickson – an Australian now living in London –Ms Dickson is going and will go a long way.
The first piece was by Glazunov – Saxophone Concerto and Amy Dickson played wonderfully – it stuck me that the saxophone can play the sweetest of sounds; I’m all too familiar with the sax of the jazz club.
The second piece was Chamber Symphony in C minor by Shostakovich – a good piece with spiky intermissions.
And back to the sax – this time a Soprano Saxophone with a piece by a Georgian Giya Kancheli – Night Prayers – starting very quietly but reaching a crescendo before subsiding with treble tape accompaniment at the start and end. This piece I understand was discovered by Amy Dickson – always looking for classical pieces for her instruments
Finally Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings – an easy flowing piece with a very well-known 2nd movement. Great cello solo bits by Alison Lawrance. All reminding me of Elgar’s Serenade for Strings until I remembered that Tchaikovsky came first!
The real pity is now that we have to wait till the autumn before we can hear them again.
For snippets of the Scottish Ensemble in action watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZqCkGB3_yc
Or more specifically Seavaigers composed recently by Sally Beamish
Mike Vickers' Blog 
Leave a Reply