Darwin Ensemble

Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra

Lichfield Cathedral

Saturday 2 October 2010

It’s time to stop referring to the Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra as a new venture.  With this concert at Lichfield Cathedral – smartly played, in front of a large audience, and recorded for national broadcast by Classic FM – it’s safe to say that DECO has arrived.  This locally-based chamber orchestra, founded and run by violinist Alexander Laing, is a Lichfield success story on a national scale.

“Unfinished Business”

Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra (DECO)

Conductor: Philip Scriven with Rowena Calvert: Cello.

Saturday 2^nd October 2010  Lichfield Cathedral

Reviewed by:   Christopher Arnold - Express and Star

“Classic FM has broadened the range of people enjoying mainstream classical music, often by presenting highlights or single movements of symphonies deemed too long to hold the attention of busy people.  But nothing can compare to the excitement and energy of top class live performances of entire works.

Just such an experience was provided by Lichfield’s Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra with their conductor Philip Scriven who accompanied the brilliant young cellist, Rowena Calvert in Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C.

Richard Bratby's review in the Mercury of DECO's concert on June 19th "Midsummer Music"

Richard Bratby wrote a lovely review of our Viennese Fancies (Haydn and Mozart) concert, which appeared in the Lichfield Mercury in February:

Both works received performances on a lavish scale. DECO may be a chamber orchestra, but these were ‘big band’ interpretations in spirit. Tuttis were explosive, and the violins whirled brilliantly though the first movement waltz tunes.  Nice, too, to hear Scriven making the most of the way Haydn ‘underlines’ his melodies with a single carefully chosen woodwind instrument. DECO’s first rate wind players sounded like they were enjoying every note. Occasional touches of period style heightened the effect.

In the brooding introduction to Prague symphony, the strings sparing use of vibrato let Scriven draw out the dark undercurrents of Mozart’s woodwind writing - and again, in the astonishingly modern harmonies that subvert the first movement’s development section. Too many conductors treat these powerful and demanding symphonies as oversized chamber music. These big, stirring performances put that straight.

... A fortnight short of its first anniversary, DECO is playing with rather more than just total professionalism.

Having recently heard your last concert in Lichfield Cathedral, I wanted to say how impressed I was by what you have achieved with DECO. Clearly you have many excellent players from across the region and beyond, with a wonderful resulting sound and ensemble. What you are doing is clearly very distinguished and important for Lichfield. Graham Oppenheimer, Senior Chamber Music Tutor, Chetham's School of Music. Artistic Director, International Chamber Music Series, De Montfort Hall, Leicester.

A review of DECO's Mendelssohn concert on Saturday 26 September 2009:

The Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra's concert at Lichfield Cathedral was a double milestone. This was the first major orchestral concert in the Cathedral since the Lady Chapel was temporarily sealed off in July – a step which many feared would have a damaging effect on the Cathedral's generally good acoustic. And it was DECO's first serious venture into the romantic repertoire: a bicentenary tribute to Felix Mendelssohn.

The rendition of Beethoven's first symphony was joyous. The strings found a pianissimo to rival many more established groups. The woodwind and brass were flawless in their interpretations. If this group can play often enough to master the venue, we are in for a series of treats. Three cheers for all involved! Christopher Arnold, Lichfield Mercury

Without doubt, the quality of DECO’s offering before an enraptured audience exceeding three hundred, was matched only by the majesty of this graceful, historic building, Lichfield Cathedral. No wonder that these talented musicians, under the skilful direction of conductor Philip Scriven, received a standing ovation at the end of an entertaining and well-balanced programme of Mozart and Beethoven. David Whinyates

A truly memorable and ‘feel-good’ occasion for all and particularly inspirational for all of the children watching. Nicola Howdle