ORCHESTRA North East marked its 30th anniversary with a concert showcasing its finely-honed talents in a diverse programme of music at Durham Cathedral.

The orchestra, formerly known as Durham Sinfonia, opened with a premiere performance of The Land of the Prince Bishops, by North-East composer Robert Smedley.

The work stemming from the suite Dunelmia and drawing inspiration from County Durham, captures the essence of the region. Conductor Timothy Henty did a sterling job drawing out its bold cinematic highlights, including a playful nautical theme, a bucolic depiction of a harvest and a reflective passage conveying the River Wear. The whole was rounded off with a grand Procession of the Prince Bishops.

Guest soloist for the evening was the distinguished cellist Alexander Baillie, who was motivated to play the instrument by the late Jacqueline du Pres. Elgar’s Cello Concerto was her signature piece and Baillie, who has picked up the baton from her, gave a recital of penetrating insight. He held the audience enraptured from the dramatic opening flourish of Elgar's masterpiece through to a finale of haunting poignancy.

Fiendish figurations of the Scherzo were flawlessly dispatched, while the long singing lines had a warm resonance – the whole perfectly balanced by the orchestra.

Henty unleashed the full power of the orchestra in Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, the “Romantic”. The glorious solo horn opening over string tremolos was impeccably delivered by Stephen Nicholls, before his refrain was joined seamlessly by the the woodwinds. The grand entry of the brass reverberated through the cathedral. Henty had a firm steer on the ebb and flow of the work, shaping crescendos with exquisite timing.

The slow movement was invested with an eloquent grace, while the dark and troubled finale had a relentless sense of motion, as Henty ratcheted up the tension to a soaring climax. It was a tour de force that ensured a memorable celebration.

Gavin Engelbrecht