From the February 3, 2012 Surrey Advertiser:<\/p>\n
Those who ventured out to the Electric Theatre last Saturday were in for a real treat. The Surrey Mozart Players under their charismatic conductor Kenneth Woods has gone from strength to strength in recent years.<\/p>\n
This was borne out in a gripping performance of Mendelssohn\u2019s Scottish Symphony in which the wild, stormy nature of the country that inspired it and the composer\u2019s own driven personality shone forth.<\/p>\n
There were dramatic moments, a magnificent brooding quality, some finely played melodies, some deft playing in the Scherzo, but above all it was the pointing of the wind players which impressed.\u00a0 And under Woods\u2019s brisk direction the sometimes self-satisfied tune which concludes the symphony sounded anything but.\u00a0 It was rather bold and stirring in the lower strings.<\/p>\n
For a performance of Gustav Mahler\u2019s Ruckert Lieder the instrumentalists were joined by the fine young Baritone Marcus Farnsworth, who conveyed the meaning of the five songs quite beautifully.<\/p>\n
Mahler, an admirer of Mendelssohn, used the accompanying instruments sparingly, but very effectively, in all five songs.<\/p>\n
The poems matched the intense, wistful, and nature-loving mood of the composer.\u00a0 There is a spine-chilling moment in the third song\u00a0Um Mitternach\u00a0<\/em>where the word “Herr<\/em>” (Lord) is repeated to different harmonies here, and in the final incomparable\u00a0Ich bin der Welt<\/em>, the instrumentalists were on top form, with some lovely sounds from the cor anglais at the end.<\/p>\n Hans Gal, who spent the latter part of his long life in Edinburgh, was a admirer of Mahler.\u00a0 There are indeed suggestions of the older composer in Gal\u2019s Triptych, a symphony in everything but name. It is a pleasantly conceived extrovert, and workman-like piece, which received a tremendously energetic performance from the orchestra. Such a successful evening bodes well for the Surrey Mozart Players\u2019 next appearance at the Electric Theatre on Saturday March 24th.<\/p>\n Shelagh Godwin – Advertiser 3\/2\/2012<\/p>\n