The following article is a review of a recent concert given by the orchestra and was written by local reporter Gill O'Donnell.
THE CRAVEN ACCORDION ORCHESTRA
SETTLE PARISH CHURCH: 5/6/10
The TV might have been showing the final of the dubiously titled “Britain’s Got Talent”, but the orchestra showed that Craven most certainly has got real skill and talent in abundance. Fresh from their triumphs in the National Accordion Day Championships, the group covers a wide range of age and experience but are united in their aim of widening the appreciation of this instrument: something which their stunning performance most certainly succeeds in doing.
My own experience of accordion music, like that of many other people, is limited to the occasional encounter in continental cafes and a more raucous exposure to Irish Ceilidh bands and so I approached the idea of an Accordion Orchestra with a number of reservations and whole range of – totally incorrect – preconceptions! I left feeling completely amazed at the breadth of music I’d heard, the versatility of the instrument and skill of the musicians and with a real spring in my step as I defy anyone to listen to a concert of this sort without finding themselves tapping their foot along to the rhythm at least once during the programme!
The programme opened with a dramatic and powerful performance of the Lloyd-Webber hit, “Phantom of the Opera”, and the noise raised the rafters, which is why the later performance of “My Heart Will Go On”, the theme from Titanic, was so surprising as here the key factor was the incredibly delicacy of the opening. This was a real programme of contrasts with everything from theatrical tangos to popular classics such as Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and favourites such as the Bert Kaempfurt selection and Souza’s march, The Washington Post. The mood varied from swing to blues with spritely Austrian marches and jaunty numbers such as “Topfit” interspersed throughout. There were numbers that were redolent of the steam-gallopers on seaside piers and a stunning suite of Wild West melodies which mixed traditional and modern tunes to create a homage to the Saturday morning Westerns. Real showstoppers however were the interpretations of film themes, with wonderful performances of both “Flashdance” and “Can you feel the love tonight” from Lion King and a magnificent medley from the music for “Pirates of the Carribean”.
It always feels unfair to single out any one performer in what is so clearly a group effort, however it would be even more unfair to overlook the excellent contribution of the hard-working percussionist, Stuart Thorn, whose efforts added so much to the evening.
Equally it’s only right to praise the two young soloists, Joseph Harrison and Benjamin McNamara; they displayed extraordinary confidence and clearly have great talent. Like all good shows, the best was kept till last – or almost last – and my abiding memory will be of the Celtic Connections piece which encapsulated more than anything the range and versatility of the orchestra, with the popular Skye at Last giving way to the real gusto of Mrs McLeod’s reel and progressing to the poignant Dark Island before reaching a real climax with an incredibly atmospheric performance of Highland Cathedral which had the hairs standing on the back of my neck as I listened enthralled.
