Review: Legendary flautist is on mesmerising form
Legendary flautist Sir James Galway was on mesmerising form during a one-off concert in Shropshire.
Around 600 people packed into the Alington Hall at Shrewsbury School last night to see the internationally-acclaimed musician play alongside the Orchestra of St John’s in a performance held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Shropshire Music Trust.
The concert began with a rousing rendition of Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba played exquisitely by the 16 members of the Orchestra of St John’s.
Sir James then took to the stage for a virtuoso performance of Mozart’s Flute Concerto No.2 in D Major, accompanied by the orchestra.
The 72-year-old Belfast-born musician has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and has played alongside Pink Floyd and The Chieftains. But last night’s performance was a testament to his unrivalled genius as a classical flute player.
One highlight, which was greeted with rapturous applause, was a spell-binding performance of Irish folk song Danny Boy, which he described as a ‘prayer’.
The county audience also enjoyed a taste of the Irishman’s famous wit and charm as he shared jokes and told stories in between performances. The evening was rounded-off with a wonderful performance of Haydn’s ‘Trauer’ Symphony.
For details of Shropshire Music Trust concerts visit www.shropshiremusictrust.com
By Catherine Ferris