Handel - Water Music - Aurora Orchestra - Kings Place

3 July 2022, 19:00
I performed Handel’s Water Music [HWV 348–350] in Hall One at Kings Place with the Aurora Orchestra, under the direction of Nicholas Collon, on Sunday 3rd July 2022. The performance should have taken place last New Years Eve, but it was postponed to avoid the worst of the winter Covid spikes.

The programme began with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 [K. 595], which was performed by Javier Perianes. I listened from the back of the hall and the balance between the orchestra and the solo piano was just right. 

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After a sprightly last movement, Javier Perianes performed an encore—a piece unknown to me, that was presumably by Debussy. This was a beautiful way to round off the Aurora Orchestra’s long-running series of concerts, in which they have performed the complete Mozart Piano Concerto cycle, over more than six years. 
‘In January 2016, Aurora embarked on Mozart’s Piano, the first complete performance cycle of Mozart’s piano concertos ever staged in the UK. After six years and 25 concerts – plus a global pandemic – the orchestra finally reaches the end of this kaleidoscopic journey.’ – Aurora Orchestra
It has been a wonderful cycle, and I was honoured to play a small part in it. Apart from the music, one of the most memorable moments for me, was tying a ‘manual’ bow tie around Nicholas Angelich's (who sadly died, earlier this year) collar shortly before he was due on stage to perform the piano concerto.


The Aurora Orchestra, one of the resident orchestras at Kings Place, also completed their London Unwrapped series in which the orchestra celebrated the sounds of our fine capital. Handel’s celebrated Water Music certainly evokes all the pomp and ceremony that London has become famous for.

Aurora gave an exhilarating performance of the Water Music. Tender moments came from Claire Wickes (flute) and Kristiina Watt (theorbo) and it was a pleasure to play with such a dynamic and risk-taking brass section (we played as quietly as possible at times), which featured Russell Gilmour (1st trumpet), William Russell (2nd trumpet), Antoine Siguré (timpani), Ursula Paludan Monberg (1st horn) and Martin Lawrence (2nd horn). The orchestra was led with great elan by Maia Cabeza (violin).
Russell Gilmour
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