Concert marks reopening of popular Forfar venue

At an event which was attended by guests invited by ANGUSalive, including local councillors and Provost Brian Boyd, the audience was treated to a spectacular evening of well-known arias and music.

The concert marked the hall’s reopening as a venue after its more recent role as a vaccination centre.

Soprano Maggie Findlay was guest artiste who treated the audience to items from a variety of musical genres, including a rarely-heard arrangement of ‘Ave Maria’ by Lorenc, Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ and ‘The Sun Whose Rays’ from Gilbert & Sullivan’s ‘Mikado’. Her entertaining encore, ‘Air de la Griserie’ by Offenbach, rounded off the concert in style.

TSO was in sparkling form and the standard of orchestral playing across all sections was outstanding under Richard Allan’s baton. Special mention should be made of the violin solo in Lehar’s ‘Gypsy Fiddles.’

The orchestra’s moving rendition of ‘Elizabeth Remembered’ by Debbie Wiseman opened the concert and invoked memories of its use as the theme music during the national period of mourning following Queen Elizabeth’s death last year.

The lively performance of ‘Scotlandia’ also brought back memories of Scottish television in the 1950s. The well-balanced programme included a light selection from operetta and musical theatre, such as excerpts from Rodger & Hammerstein’s ‘Carousel’ and the timeless classic ‘Showboat’.

TSO will be back in their traditional venue of the Reid Hall in June.