New Year Viennese Concert at The Platform Morecambe Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Jo Hardy

It was very wet and windy when I arrived in Morecambe and took my place in the queue outside “The Platform”, knowing that the venue was a converted railway building I was prepared for it to be a bit cold and draughty inside but it was just the opposite, very warm and cosy, in fact I went outside in the interval to cool down.

The stage was a large platform and the seating which I don’t think was fixed was positioned so that no one was more than six rows from the stage, being so close to the performers made the whole concert a very immersive experience.

When it was time for the concert to start the conductor Howard Rogerson came to the stage and what a magnificent figure he was in shiny black top hat and tailcoat.

The “Promenade Concert Orchestra” played a lively collection of light orchestral music mainly from the Strauss family, and they were all amazing, the special guest soloist was tenor Andrés Presno who is from the Covent Garden Royal Opera and Ballet, his voice was so powerful it left me breathless and his final piece “Nessun Dorma” was a fitting end.
I don’t think there will be many opportunities to listen to this calibre of performer in the North of England.

Also featured in the concert were 14 dancers from “Turning Point Theatre Arts” they performed at either side of the stage to some of the musical pieces, unfortunately because the seating was not tiered I could only see the top half of the dancers but on the plus side I was so close to them I got fully engaged with the them.

Being so close to a live orchestra was a new experience for me and it took music to another level, I’ve heard a saying about “music being good for the soul” and I can now understand what it means. On the journey home I felt the music had become part of me and I could still hear it.

I was sat to the left of the stage and really enjoyed having such a good view of the conductor rather than the usual back view, his hand gestures and facial expressions were very mesmerising and I could see how the musicians reacted to him.

Don’t be put off by the idea that classical music is too high brow these concerts are the perfect introduction, and at a time when we are all encouraged to be more mindful and look after our well-being a live concert experience could be beneficial.

The “Promenade Concert Orchestra” is the only live Palm Court Orchestra in the country, taking us back to a bygone era. The concert I saw was for one date only, was two one hour sets with a short interval and started at 3pm. They have more concerts planned at “The Platform” in the coming months and tickets priced at £17 can be booked online at
lancastergov.uk/platform

Rating: 5/5

For more information about shows at The Platform, visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/sites/the-platform.