“One of the best solo live performances of the work I have ever heard….” 12th March 2020 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning reviews a “superb” performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto by soloist Matthew Sharp, accompanied by praise for the whole orchestra and conductor Tom Hammond for their account of Walton’s First Symphony. I have a feeling that the main reason many people attended Saturday’s concert at St Saviour’s Church in St Albans … 
St Albans St Cecilia Festival Society concert ‘a triumph’ at the Cathedral 21st October 2019 - John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser, enjoyed the 2019 St Albans St Cecilia Festival concert as “a triumph on several levels” Combining a group of amateur choirs for a one-off performance can produce something of a nightmare – but this year’s presentation by the St Albans St Cecilia Festival Society was a triumph … 
“In all the evening was a huge success for the orchestra…” 16th May 2019 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning heard the orchestra ‘at the top of its form’ in a spring programme of English classics. Between them Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar are the two finest English composers from the 20th century and any concert featuring the music of both becomes a must for many concert-goers.It proved just … 
“Clare Howick’s performance was completely outstanding…” 14th March 2019 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning was impressed by SASO’s March 9 concert with the leading British violinist Clare Howick. When both major works in St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s latest programme were first performed artists complained that they were virtually unplayable, writes John Manning. But at Saturdays concert at St Saviour’s Church, St Albans, the orchestra … 
SASO performs ‘outstandingly’ at its New Years Day concert 10th January 2019 - John Manning reviewed SASO’s New Years Day ‘Strictly Dancing and Mostly Movies’ concert for the Herts Advertiser. It wouldn’t be New Year’s Day in St Albans without the annual concert at St Albans Abbey provided by the city’s symphony orchestra. For hundreds of people it is a much-loved annual event that brings an extra sparkle … “…the result was a triumph.” 11th November 2018 - John Manning at the Herts Advertiser can rarely remember a better performance by SASO than our Shostakovich and Arnold on October 13 It takes great confidence for an amateur orchestra to take on the sort of challenging programme that the St Albans Symphony Orchestra performed on Saturday. Shostakovich’s wonderful Cello Concerto No 1 and his … 
“…every moment was a thrill.” 3rd July 2018 - Herts Advertiser music critic John Manning says SASO’s whole performance in an all-Sibelius programme on June 23rd was gripping Saturday’s all Sibelius programme presented by the St Albans Symphony Orchestra under its conductor Tom Hammond had all the makings of a rare treat. And treat it was for the orchestra excelled with an evening of … 
“…assured, fresh and polished…” 21st May 2018 - Geoff Ward reviewed SASO’s May 2018 concert for the Herts Advertiser St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s concert at St Saviour’s Church on Saturday, May 12 was an all-Russian programme. It began with the hugely entertaining Festive Overture by Shostakovich in which the orchestra showed real energy and flair throughout, with particularly good playing from the brass … “…a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable evening.” 20th March 2018 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning reviews SASO’s Dvorak and Vaughan-Williams concert (St Saviour’s Church, March 10) Two composers who loved the folk music of their homeland were Ralph Vaughan Williams and Antonin Dvorak, whose music made up the programme for St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s programme on Saturday. Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, Vaughan Williams’ …
“The resulting performance was first-class…” 25th October 2017 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning was impressed by the 2017 St Cecilia Festival Concert in St Albans Cathedral “Probably the biggest achievement of the St Albans St Cecilia Society is bringing together four distinct and different groups of amateur singers and musicians to produce an interesting and entertaining event. And this year the society’s concert … Guest violinist is ‘stunning success of the evening’ 20th March 2017 - All sections excelled in Prokofiev’s rugged Fifth Symphony, according to Herts Advertiser critic John Manning. But magnificent playing by soloist David le Page provided the evening’s stunning success in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto While Serge Prokofiev’s March from his The Love for Tree Oranges suite might be one of this best known pieces, the same cannot …
"Dynamic Tom leads SASO into 2017 concert success" 8th January 2017 - GEOFF WARD, reviewing SASO’s 2017 New Year Concert in the Herts Advertiser, says he has never heard the orchestra play better. St Albans Symphony Orchestra gave their annual New Year concert in St Albans Cathedral a day later than usual under their charismatic and dynamic new conductor, Tom Hammond (pictured). The concert began with a …
‘Tom gets off to a flying start at symphony orchestra concert’ 21st October 2016 - Herts Advertiser critic has given warm welcome to new SASO principal conductor, Tom Hammond – and the ‘exquisite’ singing of soprano soloist Dima Bawab. “New conductor Tom Hammond got St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s new season off to a fine start on Saturday (15 October) with a programme aimed to please.” “Wagner’s, ever-popular overture to The …
"Orchestra take a concert bow" 30th June 2016 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning was impressed by SASO’s summer concert, featuring Mahler’s monumental 5th Symphony. Members of St Albans Symphony Orchestra can feel justifiably feel pride at their overall level of performance at their concert in St Saviour’s Church on Saturday. With cellist Michael Wigram, their programme contained just two works, Saint-Saen’s Cello Concerto No …
‘Elgar workshop results in topnotch playing’ says critic 19th May 2016 - SASO’s performance of Elgar’s Symphony No 2 at the conclusion of its 2016 Babs Yule memorial workshop weekend was ‘impressive’ according to Herts Advertiser music critic, John Manning. Anyone hearing Elgar’s second symphony for the first time might be forgiven for not recognising it as the work of the great composer. For, in its overall style, …
‘Cristian dazzles as SASO as conductor shows the way’ 10th March 2016 - John Manning, music critic for the Herts Advertiser, was impressed in March by rising violin start Cristian Grajner de Sa – and by SASO’s playing under guest conductor Leon Gee “Although Cristian Grajner De Sa is still an undergraduate he dazzled his audience ill St Albans on Saturday with his performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. …
"SASO gets 2016 off to a flying start for audience" 8th January 2016 - John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser, declared SASO’s 2016 New Year concert to be “a huge success” After more than three decades St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s annual New Year’s Day concert has become one the biggest musical events of the year for the city. And the 2016 concert at St Albans Cathedral was no …
St Cecilia Society shows why Requiem still matters 5th November 2015 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning praises the St Cecilia Festival Society’s performance of Dvorak’s rarely-heard Requiem Congratulations to all concerned in the St Albans St Cecilia Festival Society’s presentation of Dvorak’s rarely-heard Requiem. Few who heard it in St Albans Cathedral on Saturday could fail to agree that this powerful and dramatic work should be heard far …
Bjorn’s swansong delights audience 2nd July 2015 - John Manning, music critic for the Herts Advertiser, found SASO on top form for its ‘Best of Britain’ concert, providing a fitting farewell for Principal Conductor Bjorn Bantock For four seasons conductor Bjorn Bantock has been an inspiration to the St Albans Symphony Orchestra, providing excellent leadership and direction. But Saturday’s concert was his last …
Orchestra’s all-Scandinavian Success Story 22nd May 2015 - Geoff Ward, writing in the Herts Advertiser, suggests that SASO has “improved immeasurably under their dynamic conductor, Bjorn Bantock” St Albans Symphony Orchestra presented an all-Scandinavian programme in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the births of Jean Sibelius and Carl Nielsen at St Saviour’s Church. The concert began with the popular Karelia Suite, which …
"Beethoven symphony raises roof" 19th March 2015 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning found SASO’s March 7th Beethoven concert “exciting and inspirational” With members of the Hertfordshire Chorus and other local choirs as well as a team of top class soloists, the orchestra and its conductor Bjorn Bantock produced an evening of music which must rate as one of the most outstanding in …
Oh those Russians… 8th January 2015 - Pianist Alissa Firsova and the St Albans Symphony Orchestra received further critical praise from critic John Manning for their New Year 2015 performance of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: “Although Alissa Firsova has spent most of her life in St Albans the influence and passion of composers from her native Russia is clear …
Russian violinist expands her repertoire with concerto 28th November 2014 - John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser, was “dazzled” by the Korngold Violin Concerto at SASO’s autumn concert Although only 25, Russian-born violinist Adelia Myslov already has a substantial repertoire. But on Saturday she added one more exciting work.For her appearance with the St Albans Symphony Orchestra at St Saviour’s Church saw her first …
"…it was generally impossible to tell that it wasn’t a fully-professional orchestra…" 26th September 2014 - Critic Jim Pritchard, writing for the ‘Seen and Heard International’ website, was bowled over by the concert performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Saffron Walden on September 14th – including SASO’s impressive playing. “This was the first – and what a first – in a proposed series of operas in full concert performance in Saffron Walden …
"Rarely can I remember being so excited and…so emotionally drained" 2nd July 2014 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning was bowled over by Alissa Firsova’s thrilling performance of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto Rarely can I remember being so excited and at the same time so emotionally drained as I did on Saturday evening after Alissa Firsova’s remarkable performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3. This massive work is considered …
"The whole concert was a delight…" 1st June 2014 - Geoff Ward, writing in the Herts Advertiser, awarded top marks to SASO’s ‘Orchestral Colours’ concert in May. The dynamic and enterprising conductor of the St Albans Symphony Orchestra, Bjorn Bantock, chose to showcase the various sections of the orchestra in the first half of last Saturday’s concert at St Saviour’s to great effect. As a result …
Grand scheme of things for Symphony Orchestra 13th March 2014 - Herts Advertiser critic John Manning was “completely dazzled” at SASO’s Mendelssohn and Strauss concert on March 8th. When it comes to doing things on a grand scale German composer Richard Strauss certainly knew how. His tone poem, An Alpine Symphony, demands an orchestra of epic proportions and includes an organ, wind machine. thunder sheet, double horns …
Movie music to see in the New Year 10th January 2014 - Music critic John Manning praises SASO’s “outstanding” New Year concert of film music Although music from the movies may not be regarded as “classical” by some, it really follows in the long tradition of composers such as Hamlet and Mozart who wrote for the theatre. It is music designed to help entertain people and if anyone doubted this, …
‘A real tour de force’ 13th June 2013 - SASO’s Festival Concert was by turns ‘powerful’ and ‘stunning’, says Herts Advertiser critic, John Manning There was something rather special about St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Gustav Holst’s popular Planets Suite on Saturday night. It felt as though the work could have been written for St Albans Abbey with its huge reverberation time. I can’t …
Orchestra in Seventh Heaven 2nd May 2013 - Andrew Shepstone reviewed SASO’s ‘Beethoven’s Seventh’ concert for the Herts Advertiser. St Albans Symphony Orchestra continued their progression through the symphonies of Beethoven in their concert last night at St. Saviour’s with an energetic performance of his Seventh, The players responded keenly to the fast tempi given by their conductor Bjorn Bantock, and produced fine …
