Seaton Music hosted the exceptionally fine ten strong Meliora Collective in a most entertaining and highly professional concert on 12th December in the excellent acoustics of the URC Church, Seaton. This freshly established flexible ensemble consisting of an array of dynamic, creative, gifted and spirited young artists, presented a fabulous and diverse programme which thrilled the audience from start to finish. Deborah Cheetham’s Nonet, “Ngarrgooroon” which was commissioned by Chineke!, invokes the wide Australian landscape and her aboriginal ancestors and created a most magical concert opening with all the instruments blending together so well. Long beautiful legato phraseology interspersed with occasional quirky Messiaen-like bird calls, added to the captivating and intoxicating atmosphere which the Meliora Collective musicians generated. There followed a performance of the beautifully scored second nonet by the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů enabling the players to excel in some wonderful solo writing. Jamaican born Dominique Le Gendre’s overture Jab Molassie was a welcome burst of sunshine to follow, rich in Jamaican carnival gaiety which the audience and I found absolutely intoxicating. The Nonetto in E-flat major by the Italian-born English composer Clementi, was charmingly presented amply displaying the composer’s skill in counterpoint and ability to blend different instrumental voices. To end this superb concert, the final piece was a well-chosen seasonal and glorious arrangement of the popular ‘Nutcracker Suite’ by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. With those famous melodies ringing in their ears, it sent the audience home feeling extremely uplifted and hopefully optimistic for more concerts like this by Seaton Music.
Roger Hendy
Roger Hendy