The CUCO Season Launch this year was also the debut performance of the CU Chamber Choir – a new ensemble constituted of some of the best singers in Cambridge. The orchestra was also joined by two soloists – Tom Poster and Cordelia Williams – and welcomed back Peter Ash as the conductor.

The evening started off with the breath-taking Serenade to Music by Vaughan Williams. The orchestra began with a well-rounded sound and a lovely solo from the leader. The first entry of the choir was equally wholesome and satisfying and most of the singers were well matched to their solos. However, an issue arose with the balance– there were too many moments where the orchestra overpowered a single voice, which was a shame not only to the sound, but also as the words to which this piece is set are wonderful (everyone loves a bit of Shakespeare). It was also a disappointing that the two pianos had to be in the middle of the stage for this piece– they obstructed the audience’s line of vision quite dramatically.

Then followed the Mozart Concerto for two pianos. It was pleasant and light, although without the visual aid of two grand pianos in the middle of the stage, audibly you probably would not have guessed it was more than one. Regardless, the soloists worked well together, particularly in the 3rd movement and the cadenzas. Williams, although outdoing him with her dress sense, came across slightly worse than Poster in her playing, with a heavier touch and a less playful interpretation, which was noticeable in call and response passages.

The second half of the concert was dedicated to Stravinsky’s Symphony in C. It got off to a wobbly start (and the wobble returned at the end of the 1st movement).  Here it became more obvious that the orchestra were not used to each other. They performed well, but it felt tense, as if each person was playing individually rather than as an orchestral unit, which to an extent compromised the sound that an orchestra made up of players of this calibre could produce. Perhaps the taxing programme was at fault. Perhaps the expectations were too high. Perhaps it was too early in the season for a programme which required a lot of cooperation between everyone involved. Whatever the reason, there was a faulty unit somewhere on this production line.