Review: Youngster takes over baton to wow arts centre audience

When Sir Mark Elder, the Halle’s music director and one of the world’s leading conductors, announced that he was still recovering from flu and would not be able to conduct in the second half, the audience fell silent.

He promised that his replacement, Jamie Phillips, aged 22 when he made his debut last summer, would give a good performance.

Well, he certainly did that. Taking the stage to conduct the 70-strong orchestra playing Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, Jamie threw himself into the challenge. With endless energy and skill he exhorted the musicians to produce a wonderfully exciting performance of Beethoven’s classic work. The arts centre audience loved it and responded with a five-minute ovation at the end.

Jamie was not the only star performer on the night. Sir Mark and tenor Steve Davislim gave an entertaining rendition of Richard Strauss’s Orchestral Songs. Dressed in 19th century costume, Steve excelled with the passionate love songs.

In an excellent overall programme, the orchestra opened the evening with Ravel’s beautiful ballet, Mother Goose. This was the last concert of the season and a fitting finale.

Peter Gawthorpe