All Things Orchestral at BST Hyde Park

Opening this year’s BST at Hyde Park was the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, the RPO’s lighter cousin, with a concert of popular classics ranging from film music to opera favourites, and hosted by the affable Myleen Klass. It didn’t rain, it was bright, and several members of the orchestra were wearing sunglasses. You couldn’t ask for much more from a family-friendly entertaining programme. Given the recent BBC U-turn on slashing the BBC Singers and cutting orchestral players, it is reassuring to see orchestral music on the menu of a major festival.

Conductor Michael England was memorable, using big gestures to make an impression on the stage, where the orchestra was dwarfed by the two giant screens presenting Klass, England and different instrumental sections. In such a space any orchestra is visually disappointing, so most of the engagement came from the two main celebrities: pop/opera singer Alfie Boe, and ex-pop singer, pianist and Classic FM presenter Klass. Boe was, as usual, a crowd-pleaser, especially as he began the perennial favourite, Nessun Dorma, from Puccini’s Turandot. Klass was an engaging presenter, giving snippets of history and the stories behind the pieces.

Music from John Williams’s Jaws and Star Wars scores were played and enjoyed, as well as Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, with its fiendish and incredibly virtuosic string writing – most orchestral musicians can attest to the energy needed for any film music concert. However, there were only a couple of surprises on the list: a movement from Frank Bridge’s The Sea, stormy and turbulent, and another from Florence Price’s first symphony. Undoubtedly it was Boe who made the show and drew the audience.

Good that an orchestra opened BST for the first time, but a slightly disappointing programme, especially given the remarkable diversity on display at recent classical concerts.

Michael Bennett

For further information and future events visit the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestral’s website here.