Each time the Northern Sinfonia visits Kendal it displays the highest levels of technical facility and musicianship, while the players exude a professionalism, a total involvement in and, importantly, a thorough enjoyment of their music-making. It is a remarkable orchestra and The Lakeland Sinfonia Concert Society gives the area a wonderful service in inviting it so regularly.

For its most recent visit, the Sinfonia, under the exuberant directorship of Bradley Creswick, played an attractive programme. Respigh’s imaginatively scored symphonic poem Trittico Botticelliano brought forth buoyant, sparkling, precisely-rhythmic tutti playing from all sections and, when required, the most exquisitely quiet and serene moments that, among other attributes, possessed some admirably disciplined woodwind solo and ensemble playing.

In the first of the two Bach concertos forming the centre piece of the evening’s programme, Bradley Creswick was joined by Kyra Humphreys in a performance of the D minor Concerto for two violins (BWV 1043). On the whole the small chamber-sized orchestra provided the most sensitive of support for the two soloists who, meticulously matching each others’ phrase shaping, tone quality and general interpretation, elegantly unveiled the contrapuntal and melodic delights of Bach’s superb creation. However, I did find that the imbalance between the rather heavy cello/bass continuo line and the two soloists tended to obscure the more refined solo details, especially during the quieter moments.

In the oboe and violin concerto (BWV1060), Marios Argiros joined Bradley Creswick for a stylish reading that was remarkably akin to that of the previous work. Sweet-toned and musicianly oboe and violin lines intertwined delightfully, ripieno and concertino textures alternated authentically and, in the main, effectively but, again, complete enjoyment was denied by virtue of the over-dominant basso continuo line.

Then the grand finale – an exciting, pulsating performance of Mendelssohn’s Italian symphony that was characterised throughout by the sustaining of a strongly-driven forward momentum in which every player knew exactly how, when and where to go. I stress this because (as for the entire programme) this was a conductor-less performance that had a vigour, a joyous sparkle that resulted in a quintessential Mendelssohnian experience.

Brian Paynes