THE Maruki Community Orchestra, conducted by John Gould, is a large group, and they generate a lot of volume. There are too many of them to fit on the stage at the Albert Hall, so they sat on the same level as the audience in the space.

They played “A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Overture” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Flute Concerto in G Major” by Johann Joachim Quantz, “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel and “Symphony No. 4” by Johannes Brahms.

After a slightly squeaky start, the orchestra quickly warmed up and settled into the overture by Mendelssohn. This work was written when the composer was just 17. It shows an amazing depth of knowledge of the workings of orchestral instruments for someone so young.

The delightfully bright and lively Flute Concerto in G major by Quantz is full of charm and Baroque style. Its light and floating sound quality was handled well by the string section of the orchestra. The flutist, Rebecca Carpenter, is a charming and excellent player. She has a strong stage presence,  moves with enthusiasm and plays positively and clearly. She feels the music and passes that feeling on to the audience and the other players.

This Baroque piece shows a nice depth of colour and balances well between the strings and the solo flute. The slow movement is a particularly beautiful and pensive section of the concerto. The third movement is almost as bright and playful as the first, but with a slightly more formal feel to it. It’s easy to see why this concerto has stood the test of time and is regularly played around the world.

What more can be said about Ravel’s “Bolero”, other than the orchestra handled this challenging work as best they could.

Over the four movements of the Symphony No. 4 by Brahms, the orchestra produced some reasonable music, especially in the third movement, which has some of Brahms’s best work in it. At times it’s a rowdy section for complete orchestra and it has a driving tune that makes it stand out.

A community orchestra is about engagement, encouragement and making people feel welcome. The Maruki Orchestra does this with an openness and generosity of spirit that makes its members feel they are in something special and that flows on to the audiences they play for. Conductor John Gould works hard at providing a challenging repertoire for the players, while always welcoming new members.

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