Culture writer Juno Goode reviews the NYO’s newest tour Collide
When asked what comes to mind with the phrase ‘teenage musician,’ many people will recall endless school concerts, renditions of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and bands started in rooms or garages. The National Youth Orchestra puts these stereotypes to bed. Consisting of 160 of the nation’s most talented young musicians, the orchestra has toured all over Britain, playing works old and new. Collide is their second tour of the year, and under new principle conductor Alpesh Chauhan, their energy has truly had the space to blossom into something incredibly exciting.
Almost as soon as I sat down, the orchestra started to filter in section by section, while a medley of music by Raye and Chaka Khan was played by the percussion. While more could have been done to involve the other members of the orchestra as they settled in, the entrance set an incredibly uplifting tone for the rest of the performance. At the end of it all, the full orchestra’s resounding rendition of Where Is My Husband! was more than enough to make up for the slower start. Each piece was then preceded by an introduction from one of the orchestra members, giving a rather lovely personal touch to the performance. Almost as soon as he stepped onto stage, Chauhan gave off an aura of focus and calm, setting the tone for a truly memorable night.
The Howl’s Moving Castle arrangement was splendid, constantly whirling and spinning like the merry-go-round referred to in the main theme. The wind and brass solos were full of energy, mischievous at times, and the tempo was held steady throughout. A special mention goes to pianist Jerry Liu, who played the famous piano introduction to the theme with both precision and wonderful emotion. While the Prokofiev was a mixed bag, the more menacing moments made the greatest impression. The sequence of events surrounding the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt were especially goosebump-inducing, and the fifteen orchestral stabs as Romeo murders his beloved cousin were handled with remarkable intensity. The Dance of the Knights showed the sheer power of the brass section, and the upper strings infused the motif with fresh malice every time it was played in the suite.
The orchestra truly shone in the Prelude and Libestod from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Chauhan commanded the cellos and woodwing supberly for those memerising first few bars, and it is at this point that I will mention just how much the lower strings added to the beauty of this concert. Throughout almost every piece played in the evening, I couldn’t help but marvel at the colour and tone they added, creating an wonderfully lush and shimmering soundscape. In general, the Wagner was played with extreme tenderness all the way through, handling the changes in dynamic beautifully. In an interview with trumpeter Nerys Meeran before the concert, the fact that the NYO handles pieces with a large, symphonic sound well was brought up. This piece proved that statement to be completely true. Finally, a choral rendition of Jacob Collier’s Something Heavy in the encore brought tears to the eyes of audience and orchestra members alike, no matter how cheesy the choreography was. All throughout, the stories of young people were held at the very centre, a fitting message for these talented teenagers to bring to the nation’s concert halls.
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