THE old year was seen out in traditional good cheer and humour as the Brighton Philharmonic held their annual fund raising New Year's Eve concert at the Dome.
Once again Stephen Bell took over the baton from BPO music director Barry Wordsworth and proved a most convivial mine host as well as keeping the streamlined orchestra tightly under control despite only the minimum of rehearsal time.
An unusual ad
dition this year was the cimbalom playing of Juraj Helcmanovsky and that prompted a Hungarian slant to what was essentially a Viennese concert, featuring many of the Strauss classics that epitomise the turn of the year.
The cimbalom is the national instrument of Hungary and is like an open piano where the strings are struck with hammers wielded by the player.
The instrument used on the day was loaned by the Hungarian Embassy and was played impressively by someone who could play blindfold.
That was illustrated in a fun sketch where Polish-American soprano Pamela Hay, who provided the glamour and an impressive range, also showed she could act and for a while held a hat in front of the player's face as he negotiated a particularly swift piece.
It will be back to the more usual format for the next concert in the winter season on Sunday January 18 when Wordsworth returns to take charge for the first of two Beethoven-dominated programmes.
The great man's V and VI Symphonies should prove a popular choice, while soprano Elizabeth Atherton will perform his Ah! Perfido.
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