From the  Surrey Advertiser, February 4, 2011

A splendid start to Players’ concert season

THE Surry Mozart Players’ concert seasons are events to be anticipated with enormous plasure and thereafter to be enjoyed with relish. The concert at the United Reformed Church in Guildford on January 29 was typical. Three marvelous pieces of high quality music and a cracking soloist.

The concert began with Brahms’s splendid Tragic Overture- just the perfect heart-warming music for a cold evening. This is a fine and noble piece,  its rich warm tones gently caressed us and clearly the orchestra was on great form.

Then a big contrast- Shostakovich. No. 9 was the Surrey Players choice. Shostakovich ironically described it as a “merry little piece” and yes, it is often merry indeed, but there are sinister shadowy corners and it is fiendishly difficult for the orchestra.

This is a very multi-faceted  and challenging piece, but Kenneth Woods and this talented band of players brought it off magnificently.

Daniel de Borah is a most gifted pianist who brought enormous passion and drive, as well as prodigious technique to the Second Piano Concerto by Brahms. Both he and the orchestra produced big-hearted playing in this magnificent concerto. The performance provided a wonderful finale to an outstanding concert

Geoffrey Ford