Review: a rousing Christmas spectacular from Hastings Sinfonia and friends

Much-loved local orchestra the Hastings Sinfonia delighted a full house audience at Bexhill’s De La Warr Pavilion on Sunday 3 Dec, performing its most ambitious concert to date with dozens of incredibly talented young singers and dancers. Exciting collaborations with St Richards Catholic College, Battle Abbey School and East Sussex School of Performing Arts gave youngsters a thrilling opportunity to perform with a full symphony orchestra, and the orchestra the chance to share the stage with a next generation of musicians, dancers and performers, sealing its spot at the heart of the community. Highlights included East Sussex School of Performing Arts’ young ballet dancers in a beautifully choreographed dance to Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker, St. Richard’s choir’s spine-tingling, powerful rendition of O come, O come Emmanuel, the mesmerizing solo ballet performances by Ukrainian teenage dancer Maria Shapoval, and Italian Giulio Tampalini performing the World Premiere of Polo Piatti’s charming Christmas Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra.

Bexhill Choral Society entertained the arriving audience with carols in the foyer then the concert opened fittingly with Leroy Anderson’s evocative Sleigh Ride, putting the percussion section through their paces. Kenneth Roberts came to conduct his entertaining Thoughts of Father Christmas Suite with Battle Abbey School Chamber Choir and a Santa-clad Baritone Peter Grevatt, singing of the magic but also the trials and tribulations of Christmas, including over-indulgence in festive treats. Hastings Sinfonia, founded by Piatti more than a decade ago, takes great pride in performing pieces by living composers, and performed Gary Judd’s upbeat Christmas Mood. Then came Piatti’s Guitar Concerto, with Tampalini’s virtuosic playing of this beautiful, atmospheric piece transporting the audience, expertly conducted by Derek Carden, Hastings Sinfonia’s resident conductor.

The second half saw the dancers of East Sussex School of Performing Arts take to the stage in their magnificent white costumes to perform one of the ballet world’s most-loved and enchanting pieces from the Nutcracker, thrilling the audience. Shapoval gave two stunning, contrasting ballet performances – to Howard Blake’s Walking in the Air, beautifully sung by St. Richard’s singers, and then to Riccardo Drigo’s Le Corsaire. The concert, which was raising money for St. Michael’s Hospice played out with a medley by Leroy Anderson of favourite carols. Hastings Sinfonia goes from strength to strength, with its next concert coming on 13 April 2024, and the orchestra looks forward to many more future collaborations with the young people of Rother and Hastings.

Alexandra Hudson