The Concerto Concert with Southern Pro Musica has justifiably become one of the highlights of the RGS musical calendar, and this year’s performance was no exception. Taking place in front of a full audience in Holy Trinity Church on Wednesday evening, seven performers (and one composer) took to the stage in what was simply an outstanding display of musicianship.
The evening opened with Ben Pilkington’s performance of Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3. Ben’s performance displayed a warmth of tone and impressive technical control across the instrument’s range, perfectly capturing the lyricism of Mozart’s writing in the second movement and infectious energy of the concluding rondo.
The evening also gave us the opportunity to showcase some of the exceptional singers that are currently in the school. In the first of two extracts from Handel’s Messiah, Orlando Meadowcroft’s rendition of Comfort Ye My People and Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted was delivered with a real sense of poise and musical understanding. His clear tenor voice projected beautifully in the resonant acoustic of the church. Benedict Cunningham brought his deep, resonant bass to The People That Walked in Darkness, capturing the gravitas of the text with impressive vocal control.
Bringing the first half to a close, Oscar Ford’s performance of Chaminade’s Concertino for Flute, demonstrated not only technical brilliance but a pure and focused tone. Particularly impressive was Oscar’s handling of the work’s virtuosic flourishes and rapid ornamentation, which he executed with remarkable agility and control.
A standout moment was the premiere of Farewell, a symphonic poem by Ruvin Meda. Full of rich harmonies, memorable melodies, and imaginative orchestral colours, it revealed a remarkably mature compositional voice and left a lasting impression.
Alex Pop delivered two of the most dramatic arias of the evening—Lord God of Abraham and It Is Enough from Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Displaying a musical maturity well beyond his years, Alex’s command of phrasing and dynamics was particularly striking, drawing the audience in completely. This was a compelling performance, full of dramatic conviction, and was one of the evening’s most powerful moments.
Adrian Groenewald provided a stylish change of pace with two Sondheim selections—In Praise of Women and Multitudes of Amys—demonstrating impressive vocal control and an instinctive feel for the theatrical nuances of the music. His charismatic performance had moments of both wit and poignancy and was met with rapturous applause.
The evening concluded with an arresting performance by George Christiansen, who took on the first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor—one of the most iconic and technically demanding pieces in the Romantic repertoire. From the thunderous opening chord and cascading flourish, George demonstrated immediate authority and command over the instrument. His touch was both powerful and nuanced, revealing not only the brilliance required for the concerto’s more virtuosic sections but also the poetic sensitivity needed for its more lyrical moments.
With ovations aplenty throughout the evening, the extraordinary levels of musicianship on display from each of the performers was astounding, with each receiving compliments from members of the professional orchestra that had accompanied them so magnificently. One final mention should also be made of the many boys who played alongside their professional counterparts in the orchestra. This is always difficult music and the fact that they were able to do so and to such a high standard is testament to their own musicianship and prepares them well for their own concerto performances in the future.