BPO – A Fairytale Christmas – Alise Siliņa (accordion), Joanna MacGregor (conductor)

The rain had almost stopped so a dose of winter whimsy was what we needed for this dismal Sunday afternoon. The Delius made a good overture because it left us wanting more. Once Upon a Time is the classic opening for any proper fairy tale. This work began with quiet, lulling themes that slowly built up and then relaxed, each time introducing another section of the orchestra. I wondered if it would ever get to a ‘proper’ tune. I was listening for the promised giants, trolls and hobgoblins but their music was hiding.

Half way through someone had to yell ‘Hey’ fortissississimo (ffff), but on this occasion it was not loud enough to sound deliberate and part of the score. Moments later more people shouted again, wildly. Was there a disturbance in the Pavilion gardens? You can certainly hear noises if the back doors are left open. No, and the music just swelled again, relaxed and then faded away.

However, these interjections echoed another feature of this concert. While the orchestra was evoking Norwegian forests and mountain scenes, the audience was adding its own autumnal rustling, not leaves underfoot but sweet wrappings, absurdly loud and throughout the auditorium. And there were yelps and gurgles, not timid forest wildlife but infants. The ones nearby settled quickly and probably fell asleep but elsewhere mothers were hurrying to the foyer as they shushed their babes. There were also plenty of older children – the two girls in the row in front of me were very attentive and clearly enjoying the afternoon.

There was more fantasy to charm them in the Concerto for Accordion, this time Fairy Tales from the Ukraine. Václav Trojan had obliged us by listing the characters in his enchanting work which, as with any ballet suite, sparked applauses after each section. This added to the general party atmosphere. Latvian star performer, Alise Siliņa, has very nimble fingers and conjured up some wonderful sounds from her accordion. She saved the best, however, for her encore, an unaccompanied reverie that may have been extemporary, made up on the spot, she seemed so blissfully lost in it – it felt ‘from the heart’.

Alise Siliņa

There was more seasonal music after the interval, this time Koliadky: Noël Ukrainiens, a suite by Thomas De Hartmann relating to Kolodá and Ovsèn, young Ukrainian sun deities who are celebrated in winter. Like folk tunes that Bartók or Britten might have elaborated, its nine short scenes readily ignited the imagination and gave Abigail Burrows on flute and Alun Darbyshire’s oboe some lovely solo passages.

The climax of the afternoon was of course The Nutcracker Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Christmas offering which was what attracted all the youngsters in the audience. Well done the girls in front for not dancing at any time – they managed to hold back, just, even when the celeste was playing The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. This was what they had come for and their patience was well rewarded. It was a treat to hear the BPO in full festive mode. I wonder how many in the orchestra still play for the Royal Ballet, as they did under Joanna MacGregor’s illustrious predecessor. The orchestra has definitely retained its dancing credentials, that light touch with melody, or perhaps it now has an entirely fresh take on Tchaikovsky – whatever, it was pure delight.

Andrew Connal
Brighton Dome Concert Hall,
7 December 2025

Rating:

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
Alise Siliņa (accordion)
Joanna MacGregor (conductor)

Programme:
Delius – Eventyr (Once Upon a Time)
Václav Trojan – Fairy Tales: A Concerto for Accordion
De Hartmann – Koliadky: Noël Ukrainiens Op. 60
Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Suite