The Forest of Dean’s local orchestra continued its rise as an important regional orchestra with an intriguing programme performed at St Peters Church, Newnham on Saturday. In the first half of the concert there were some interesting but perhaps less well known pieces, and in the second half there was a wonderful performance of Dvorak’s great Symphony no 8, writes Dave Kent.

In the early and perhaps uncertain days of the orchestra there was a series of talented guest conductors, but who needs a guest conductor now that Fiona Crawley has exchanged flute for baton?

The orchestra continues to get better and better. There may have been some concern about the effect on the flute section on Fiona’s transfer to the podium, but a great solo performance of Poulenc’s Flute Sonata by Matt Mann was very reassuring. Matt has been with the orchestra for many years, and was the first winner of the Yvonne Walkerdine Music Bursary, the award to young local musicians, set up in memory of the late and great local music teacher. The flute section of the orchestra continues to be in safe hands.

The first half of the concert also included ‘Lento’ by Howard Skempton, a dreamy, gentle and melancholy piece, which introduced to me an important modern British composer. And as a fan of composer Maurice Ravel, I was pleased to hear his ‘Pavane for a Dead Princess’, another stately, reflective and exquisite work.

But the highlight was Dvorak’s Symphony no 8. This symphony, powerful, stormy, cheerful, and lyrical, based on Bohemian folk melodies, was one of the best performed works that I can remember from my years of attending the Orchestra’s performances. It’s always possible to tell the success of a concert by the mood of the audience after the concert. The audience was buzzing. A well-chosen, well-performed, well-conducted and well- supported event.