Within the setting of the Corn Exchange, the grandly named (though reduced in size) English Symphony Orchestra (ESO), conducted by Adrian Partington, offered a programme of classical symphonies by Mozart and Haydn, and romantic works for cello and orchestra by Weber and Spohr. As the nickname of Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 anticipated, the performance was full of surprises.

Perhaps the preponderance of less-than-smart cardigans worn by the women in the orchestra, along with programme notes partially copied from Wikipedia (clearly their author was not familiar with Spohr, the ‘Forgotten Master’), should have given a clue as to what to expect. It was mostly there, but the overall performance lacked refinement. Whether rusty or under-practised, when in their higher register the upper strings in particular occasionally descended into that slightly screechy school orchestra sound throughout the Haydn. The somewhat heavy touch of all the players prevented the ensemble from exploiting the ‘surprises’. It was ultimately pleasant, but no ladies jumping in their seats this time.

For the Weber and the Spohr, the orchestra settled nicely into their accompanying role, which seemed to suit them: they created a generally richer, more coherent sound, even if the woodwinds were almost inaudible – the addition of the clarinets in the Spohr came almost unnoticed. The next surprise was the performance given by the soloist, Raphael Wallfisch. His fluid playing was a pleasure to watch – his sound was not such a pleasure to hear. In the Weber, there were some instances of a dulcet tone, mainly during slower passages, but even those were a disappointment due to his incessant rushing. Having returned from the interval, still singing the catchy tune of the Weber, and with expectation levels for the second cello work at an all-time low, Wallfisch surprisingly returned with a more coherent performance of the Spohr. It was almost at the level expected from the cellist’s impressive resume.

It came down to Mozart to save the day. And indeed, the orchestra played with a new-found refinement and energy, producing a well-rounded and well-balanced sound (you finally could enjoy the sound of the woodwind!).  The ESO convincingly travelled through different moods, ranging from subtlety to grandeur – they were finally enjoying it, and ended on an uplifting note to deserve the slightly prolonged applause from Cambridge’s classical music enthusiasts.