On Friday November 19 at the Townsend Hall Shipston on Stour, we were treated to a concert of quite exceptional quality, titled “Essential Mahler” The Orchestra of the Swan was joined by contralto Emma Curtis, tenor Brennen Guillory and baritone David Stout, all experienced international singers. The performance was conducted throughout by the orchestra’s principal guest conductor, Kenneth Woods, a man of great and varied musical talent.

The concert opened with “The Emperor Waltz” by Johann Strauss arranged by Schonberg as a chamber ensemble piece. Although the use of a small, as opposed to a full orchestra was originally a result of a shortage of money at the time, the result was much closer to Strauss’s original orchestration. As one would expect, the Swan’s musicianship was superb. The second item was Mahler’s “Songs of a Wayfarer”. This solo piece was sung by David Stout, a baritone of remarkable talent. The quality of David’s singing would be evident on any stage in the world and we had the privilege to hear him live in Shipston. “Songs of a Wayfarer” is a romantic song cycle, which takes the wayfarer from happiness through disappointment to a final quiet acceptance of his fate.

The second half was given over to Mahler’s “Song of the Earth”. This is rather a dark piece, reflecting very much the European fashion of the times, for songs describing human struggle and redemption. The piece was played by an augmented chamber consort and sung with great zest and tenderness by tenor Brennen Guillory and contralto Emma Curtis.

There were undoubtedly some in the audience who would have preferred to hear the songs in English, as there were those who appreciated the performance in the original German. This was however a concert of which the performers should be congratulated as well as the Society for arranging it.

The next meeting of the Music Society will be on December 10 and will be a concert of Gilbert & Sullivan music. For more information contact Clare Faulkes on 01608 663207 or log on to www.shipstonmusic.org.uk