Review – Britten Sinfonia’s must-attend Surround Sound concerts

Standing room only at a packed Chelmsford Cathedral for the first of three playlist events performed by musicians dotted around the interior of the building, playing to audience members sitting or lying on the cathedral floor. 

Musically, the programme mixes old and new, familiar and unfamiliar, each work fitting together effortlessly to provide a solid 50 minutes of music in each half. There’s a mix of styles, treatments and moods. In the second half, Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles mixed with Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances – deft. Zadok the Priest and Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet nestle comfortably alongside music by Susato, Tawadros, plus a new work for both orchestra and brass band called The Thread by David John Roche. Caroline Shaw’s comforting and the swallow from Tenebrae, soothed the soul. Saxophonist Amy Dickson and oud player Joseph Tawadros shared familiar classics with improvisation in a satisfying mix. Playlist as an occasion does more than that promised by software.

Introduced from the pulpit, this event had a clear goal: to make those who perhaps wouldn’t have considered classical music before feel welcome. Easily achieved before a single note was played. 

That it sold to capacity, drawing some audience members from North Essex an hour away on the train, is yet another demonstration of what the Britten Sinfonia does so well. Innovation doesn’t mean having to reinvent the wheel. This is about building trust with the very people you want to build a connection with, demonstrating the orchestra’s value to and for the community it serves.

Part of the draw for some was to see friends who were performing in the various amateur groups who appeared alongside — Chelmsford Singers, Waltham Singers, Thundersley Brass Band, and the Cathedral Choristers. Real-life collaborations that not only draw in the crowd but see a beautifully infectious buzz amongst curious and engaged people of all ages. Community coming together to hear music swirl all around it.