Balmain Sinfonia’s Sea Pictures ‘worth writing about!’

Balmain Sinfonia | Sea Pictures

March 23, 2024 , Ashfield Town Hall, NSW

Sometimes you see a concert that you really must write about, so let me start with full disclosure – I attended this concert with no intention of writing a review. I was there as a friend of the orchestra providing some very minimal offstage vocal contributions to one of the works, but Balmain Sinfonia, under the baton of Monica Buckland, delivered such a spirited and musical performance that I did not want it to go unnoticed.

The community orchestra’s inner suburban venue was a modern town hall in the same square as a large shopping mall and we all giggled at the joke from the conductor before the concert began that additional percussion would be provided by the shopping trolleys rumbling by, but apart from the occasional external distraction, the hall proved an acoustically balanced venue.

The concert theme was ‘the sea’ and to a certain extent each work also had a connection to singing. All the works were from composers born after the 1850s and centred around Edward Elgar‘s Sea Pictures, a song cycle with texts chosen from a variety of poets, reflecting the fear and fascination of the sea.

But before delving into Elgar’s masterpiece, the audience was treated to Ethel Smyth’s powerful overture from “The Wreckers”, an opera which tells the story of the plundering of ships that were lured onto the Cornish rocks by falsification or extinction of the coast lights. This stirring composition, marked by its commanding percussion and evocative melodies, left me eager to explore the full opera. Later the orchestra played On the Cliffs of Cornwall, from the same opera, which was an atmospheric work with misty, swirly soundscapes interspersed with fog horns, seabirds flitting about, and gulls calls building to a massive crescendo (which I assume depicted a ship being dashed against the rocks) and then dropping back into a quiet, mysteriousness again – evocative stuff.

Similarly, Alfred Hill’s The Sea, with its watery soundscape and ghostly offstage vocals (provided by some members of the audience – myself included – and a few multitalented orchestral players) offered a mesmerising journey through the depths. Flutes and harp shone out.

As the evening progressed, mezzo-soprano Rebecca O’Hanlon’s eloquent rendition of Elgar’s “Sea Pictures” stole the spotlight. Buckland introduced the work, explaining that the first soloist of this piece was written about famously for her costume, which was said to be similar to ‘the scales of a mermaid’s sinuous form’, and that when she mentioned this in passing to her soloist, she felt the challenge had been accepted! Indeed, O’Hanlon positively shimmered, and her voice was a delight – an impeccable clear, almost demure, tone that built to a forceful strength in the stormy crescendos. The communication between soloist, concert master and conductor was tangible with the orchestra providing just enough support as Buckland skilfully shaped the phrasing, bringing out the nuances of both the music and the text.

The concert concluded with Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, showcasing the orchestra’s versatility and cohesion. From the shining “Dawn” to the tempestuous “Storm,” this was not an easy work but the orchestra delivered it with gusto and passion.

Quality music-making, modern, smart and ‘together’. I have signed up to Balmain Sinfonia’s mailing list and encourage you to do the same.