Music / Angels & Serenades, Musica Da Camera Canberra. At Holy Covenant Anglican Church, April 5. Reviewed by IAN McLEAN.

Warm autumn sun shone through the large, clear-glass rear window of the Holy Covenant Church perfectly framing the 15 string players of Musica Da Camera Canberra as they began their Angels & Serenades concert.

It was a delightful setting that was subsequently matched by delightful music from this ensemble, which was formed more than 40 years ago as a small Baroque ensemble, but has grown to encompass string music from all genres.

Historically, the ensemble has been directed by invited conductors who possess expertise in a particular style and musical period. For this concert the conducting honour fell to Brad Tham, a graduate from the ANU, where he gained degrees in both music and science.

He currently plays first violin with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, was a Wesley Scholar between 2021 and 2024 and is the co-founder of the excellent Ellery String Quartet. He directed the ensemble with surety and confidence and, with his clear and distinct beat patterns, he controlled dynamics particularly well and drew passionate playing from the group. He exhibited an obvious sound knowledge and musical understanding of the chosen repertoire.

The concert opened with the three movement Brook Green Suite for String Orchestra by Gustav Holst. It is English folk music at its finest and, in general, was well played, capably capturing the required lyrical style. Perhaps due to some early nervousness the phrase endings in the first movement were untidy and intonation weaknesses were evident in the quiet second movement. Things settled well by the third movement, Dance, which was well balanced and highlighted by a tight-knit cello section that played with full-bodied sound and a mastery of rhythm.

Tham replaced his conductor’s baton with his violin to perform Lonely Angel – Meditation for Violin and String Orchestra by Latvian composer Peteris Vasks.

This was new music for this writer but was mesmerising. The soloist was in his upper register for virtually the entire work and sat comfortably on top of an underlay of shimmering strings.

The orchestra supported Tham particularly well as he displayed a crystal-clear tone in his interpretation of the appropriately sad and poignant music. An ensemble entry after a short soloist passage was quite hair-raising in its exactitude and clarity.

The music couldn’t help but conjure images in the mind of the audience. I reflected on the current unhappy state of our world, which is engaged in so much war and conflict, political stress and uncertainty and concern regarding environmental difficulties. I couldn’t help but notice fellow audience members, moved by the sad, mournful music, deep in their own individual thoughts and meditations. Exactly what the composer was seeking to achieve, I suspect!

Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings ended concert. A full-bodied and solid orchestral sound heralded the slow and dramatic first movement with neat handover of rapid phrases between all sections of the ensemble.

However, there was hesitation in the release of phrase endings, which were not always neat and together.

The well-known waltz is charming in its composition and was mostly charming in its performance with just some untidiness when time changes occurred.

The third movement was one of the highlights of the concert with bold tutti sounds, excellent pizzicato accompaniment to the lush first violins and a stunningly fine entry following a silent pause. The final movement was well balanced in the introduction, somewhat untidy with entries in the slow section but, once into rhythmic pattern, exciting, energetic and dramatic.

Despite my quibbles regarding exactitude at the beginning and ending of phrases, this was an enjoyable and entertaining concert which ably demonstrated the power of music in stirring emotions.

Special mention to first violinist Tanya Jenkin, who set a fine example with excellent interpretation of rhythm, clarity of sound and competent, confident leadership, particularly in the non-conducted Meditation.