Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and the OSJ Orchestra were locked in perfect synergy, the opening of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, Allegramente, sparkling with jazz-inflected vitality, while the central Adagio assai was rendered with such poignant beauty that the audience at Dorchester Abbey on Saturday night sat in rapt silence.
‘Ravel’s Adagio assai was rendered with such poignant beauty that the audience at Dorchester Abbey sat in rapt silence’
Dorchester Abbey provided the perfect backdrop for an evening that proved as spiritually uplifting as it was musically exhilarating. Under the baton of the ever-masterful John Lubbock OBE, Orchestra of St John’s delivered a night of French elegance and Stravinskian wit that left the capacity audience spellbound.
The programme for this esteemed evening also included Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite) and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with soprano Suzzie Vango, tenor Dominic Bevan and bass Alex Jones in what was a superb evening in every respect.
But it was Kanneh-Mason‘s star turn that made it abundantly clear why the globally renowned musician is rapidly establishing herself as one of the most exciting young pianists on the scene, and her performance here only served to reinforce that.
‘an evening that proved as spiritually uplifting as it was musically exhilarating’
The programme opened with Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite), and from the first shimmering notes, it was clear we were in for something special. OSJ brought crystalline clarity and sumptuous warmth to Ravel’s fairy-tale world, with the wind section deserving particular praise. The oboe’s solitary voice in “Petit Poucet” was achingly beautiful, its transition to the darker-hued cor anglais perfectly judged. In “Laideronnette, Impératrice des pagodes,” the woodwinds conjured an exotic dreamscape with remarkable delicacy and precision.
The clarinet navigated Ravel’s characteristically unusual phrase lengths with effortless grace, while the bass clarinet’s contribution to “Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête” added just the right touch of gravitas to the Beast’s utterances. This was orchestration as sonic alchemy, and OSJ demonstrated complete mastery of Ravel’s most exquisite textures.
‘Jeneba Kanneh-Mason’s approach to the concerto was both masterful and passionate, combining technical brilliance with genuine emotional depth’
Then came the evening’s star turn: Jeneba Kanneh-Mason joining the orchestra for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. Her approach to the concerto was both masterful and passionate, combining technical brilliance with genuine emotional depth and she graciously returned to offer a brief solo encore, a moving miniature that provided the perfect coda to her remarkable performance.
The finale crackled with energy, Kanneh-Mason READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH HERE HERE and the orchestra were locked in perfect synergy and the thunderous applause that followed was entirely deserved.
After the short interval, the orchestra was then joined by soprano Suzzie Vango, tenor Dominic Bevan, and bass Alex Jones for Stravinsky’s neoclassical masterpiece Pulcinella. This 18th-century pastiche, reimagined through Stravinsky‘s modernist lens, proved wonderfully evocative in OSJ’s hands. The orchestral playing was full-bodied and brimming with character, capturing both the work’s playful charm and its underlying sophistication.
Of the vocal soloists, Bevan‘s tenor and Jones‘ bass were particularly accomplished, bringing warmth and clarity to their roles, Lubbock maintaining an authoritative grip on Stravinsky‘s quicksilver changes of mood and texture, the orchestra responding with admirable musicality.
‘In an age when classical music and the arts sometimes feel besieged, evenings like this remind us why it matters so profoundly’
What continues to impress about Orchestra of St John’s is not merely their consistently high standard of performance, though that alone would be reason enough to attend every concert, but their broader commitment to making music accessible and meaningful. Their Music for Autism programme is just one example of how this ensemble understands that great music should enrich lives in the widest possible sense.
Saturday’s concert was further proof that OSJ concerts offer something truly special: an opportunity not just to hear wonderful music superbly played, but to learn, discover and experience the life-enriching power of live performance in beautiful solemn surroundings. In an age when classical music and the arts sometimes feel besieged, evenings like this remind us why it matters so profoundly.
Catherine Davies
For more info on OSJ and their future concerts go to https://www.osj.org.uk/forthcoming-concerts/
