British Conductor gives Symphony Orchestra lifeline

Classical music enthusiasts, who thronged the National Theatre over the weekend, could not hide their cheers as the rejuvenated National Symphony Orchestra backed a mass choir stirred their emotions through authentic new spirit of the G. F. Handel's collections that left the audience gasping for more at the end of the show.

The concert dubbed "Handel's Messiah 2003," characterised by double performance of the soul inspiring Hallelujah Chorus, which received deafening and standing applauses from the audience made up of a cross section of Ghanaians, the Diplomatic Corp, the academia and chiefs.

The performers under the magic baton of Dr Roy Wales, a renowned British International Conductor, held the audience spellbound throughout the three hour show with a good rendition of "the Overture" "Comfort ye my people (Tenor Arai)," "Pastoral Symphony," "And lo, the angel of the Lord (Soprano Aria)" and "Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion (Soprano Aria)".

Others included: "Then shall the eyes of the blind (Alto Recit)," "He shall feed His flock (Sop./Alto Aria)" "His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Chorus)" "Behold the Lamb of God (Chorus)" "He was despised (Alto Aria)" "And with His stripes we are healed (Chorus)" "All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn (Tenor Recit))" and "Lift up your heads o ye gates (Chorus)".

The rest were, "How beautiful are the feet (Soprano Aria)," "I know that my redeemer liveth (Sop Aria)" "Behold, I shall tell you a mystery (Bass Recit)" "The Trumpet shall sound (Bass Aria)" and "Worthy is the Lamb, Amen (Chorus)".

The dexterity of the members of the orchestra, the angelic voices of the Choir and the sweet scented voices of the soloists crowned a night of beautiful performance, whilst the costume of both the choir and orchestra and their artistic rhythmic motion added musical tonic to the show.

The performers displayed great artistic masterly on the various classical musical instruments of the Flutes, Xylophone, Violins, Bassoon, Horns, Trumpets, Trombones, Timpani, Cellos, and the Double Basses which made the audience to sing along while others could not help but had to respond with gestures to the infectious effect of the rhythms in their seats all through the show.

Professor Komla Amoako, Executive Director of the National Theatre, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, after the show said the concept of the orchestra was to draw inspiration from the Handel's ethos and to eliminate all artificial boundaries within the continent through music.

He said the orchestra had explored fundamentally new direction in African music composition, advanced its orchestral innovations to the classical level and expanded the scope of permissible harmony with a change in the rate of harmonic version of contemporary African music.

Prof. Amoako who is also the Executive Director of the Orchestra, said the orchestra had developed afro-centric systems of orchestrating African music, exploiting indigenous sound sources and musical concepts as a framework of reference.

He noted that, "the new style of symphonic music that the orchestra had developed is a formalization of Pan African consciousness in concrete musical terms."