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Saint-Saens Sensation - Cello Concerto Concert at King Charles the Martyr Church Falmouth 08.02.20

SAINT- SAENS SENSATION

Last night (Saturday 8th February 2020) Danielle Jones, the Cornish cellist gave a thrilling account of the Saint Saens cello concerto in a family packed concert at the church of King Charles the Martyr in Falmouth.     

The Saint-Saens 1st cello concerto was the last piece in a concert of French music presented by the Truro Sinfonia conducted  by Patrick Bailey and was undoubtedly the highlight of an entertaining evening for all the family.      And, indeed,  all the family had turned out in droves to support of the players - for the Sinfonia is a community orchestra who rehearse at Devoran Village Hall weekly for the big night, and this was the chance for family and friends to catch up with progress:  your correspondent observed  babies were being rocked in prams and arms at the the back on the church (appropriately to Ravel's  Pavane pour un Infant) or jigged a bit more vigorously to  Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite, and young people crouched in the main  aisle to get a glimpse of the rocketry and fireworks that cellist Danny Jones gave in the closing piece.  She dazzled throughout  the exciting and catchy showpiece for cello and orchestra that Saint Saens had premiered in 1873  and captured, with the willing orchestra,   all the showiness and flourishes of Paris in La Belle Epoque.   Full marks to Patrick Bailey for a varied and sometimes challenging programme presented with panache and commitment - there was a retiring collection for Children's Hospice South West. 

Danielle  Jones comes from Cornwall and lives in Hayle and began studying cello at the age of 7 with Ray Didcock in Newlyn.   She gets about a bit - the previous evening she appeared in Truro at the Cornwall Cello Voices concert (and Octet of Cellos) - see review on this blog and you can catch her performing as soloist  in the Haydn C major Cello Concerto (also a virtuosic piece)  with Truro Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 14th March in Truro Cathedral as a prelude to Truro Choral Society's performance of Brahms's German Requiem directed by Martin Palmer.   Give me the prelude any time.... here's a fan







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