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Reviews & Articles
Saturday, 29 July 2006

Dave 1 RPO

On July 29th 2006 the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the Last Night of the Welsh Proms under Owain Arwel-Hughes in Cardiff's St David's Hall. David Childs was the evening's guest soloist performing five solos with the orchestra. Here are some reviews from the concert:

The South Wales Echo commented:

"Cardiff's mid-summer musical extravaganza reached its climax pulsating with atmosphere and style. There was some outstanding music.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra found its true form with Grace Williams' 'Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes.' However, the revelation of the night was the miraculous technique of euphonium player David Childs who is a world class performer.
He dealt with an eclectic piece by Karl Jenkins and other works by Peter Graham and Vittorio Monti with confidence and serious musicality.
Owain Arwel-Hughes directed with his customary effervescence and made Chabrier's Espana extraordinary thanks to an alert response from the RPO."

Their (South Wales Echo) Readers said:

"I love the Proms and this was quite an occasion." - Phyllis Jones, Cardiff

"The conductor is a major talent." - Jean Evans, Radyr

"I won't forget this concert if only for that amazing soloist." - Nigel Basker, Caerphilly

Comments from The Western Mail:

"With enormous enthusiasm, Welsh Proms founder Owain Arwel Hughes conducted a varied programme that opened with an ebullient account of Shostakovich's Festival Overture followed by a lively and blessedly unsentimental performance of Grace Williams' delightful Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes. These works were performed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their respective composer's birth. Chabrier's famous orchestral showpiece, Espana, was performed with considerable panache by the RPO. The remainder of the first half featured euphonium virtuoso David Childs in that old pot boiler Csardas by Vittorio Monti and Brillante - Fantasy on Rule Britannia by Peter Graham which was, as the title suggests, played with great brilliance."

Comments from the British Bandsman Magazine:

Many readers will remember David Childs' highly acclaimed BBC Proms performance at the Royal Albert Hall back in 2004. This success led to an invitation to appear as the BBC Philharmonic's guest soloist during the Last Night of the Proms in 2005. This year has seen David continue to make a name for himself and the euphonium in the classical world of music performing solos live on BBC Radio 2 with the BBC Concert Orchestra and providing yet another memorable Radio 3 broadcast of Hoddinott's Euphonium Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Pierre-André. However, perhaps David's most notable performance this year came last Saturday on July 29th when he took to the stage as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's guest soloist for the Last Night of the Welsh Proms.

The concert took place in St. David's Hall Cardiff and not only celebrated the last night of a festival which has become the jewel in the crown of the Welsh cultural calendar, but also the 60th anniversary of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Under the expert direction of Owain Arwel-Hughes the RPO opened their concert with a scintillating performance of Shostakovich's Festive Overture before presenting Grace Williams' Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes and Chabrier's exciting España. The orchestra were on fantastic form in both items, the trombones in particular demonstrating their quality in the latter work. The remainder of the first half featured the evening's guest soloist, David Childs who displayed flawless technique in his own arrangement of Monti's Czardas before providing possibly the most moving performance of the evening with Karl Jenkins' Benedictus from The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. Karl Jenkins, arguably the most popular living composer in the UK scored this most beautiful of melodies especially for the concert and both soloist and orchestra did not disappoint. The pianissimo strings provided the perfect foundation as David and lead violinist, Janice Graham soared above in melodious dialogue. The first half was brought to a close with Brillante, a work originally composed for the 'Childs Brothers' by Peter Graham. Here the listener was treated to a jaw dropping cadenza before the soloist launched into variations on Rule Britannia and Men of Harlech. The audience reaction to this particular work was phenomenal and well deserved as Childs and the RPO provided a fitting close to the first half of the concert.

No 'Last Night of the Prom' would be complete without Elgar's famous Pomp & Circumstance March No 1 and this 'Last Night' was no exception. The famous tune, affectionately known as Land of Hope & Glory opened the second half before David Childs once again took to the stage to perform his final contribution of the evening; Joseph Parry's beautiful melody, Myfanwy. It was in this work that listeners were treated to the soloist's immense understanding of lyricism and the varied colours of his sonorous tone. Naturally the appreciative audience were not prepared to let the soloist leave without an encore and Childs duly obliged with Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee taken at break-neck speed! As the impressive audience ovation eventually quelled the orchestra began their final programmed item; Songs of Wales, a superb medley of great Welsh tunes crafted by Welshman and former bassist of the RPO, Gareth Wood. This year marked the 21st birthday of the Welsh Proms and like all twenty previous 'Last Nights' the evening's festivities were brought to a fitting close as the audience raised the roof with the Welsh National Anthem, Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

The Welsh Proms are made possible by many sponsors including Lloyds TSB, Classic FM and Audi. However, on this particular night special thanks must go to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the charismatic Owain Arwel-Hughes and euphonium wizard David Childs. Together they made it a 'Last Night' to remember.

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