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Emotional finale for Cairngorm Orchestra’s conductor at Tomintoul





ALL RISE: Cairngorm Orchestra's farewell to their time-served conductor at Tomintoul
ALL RISE: Cairngorm Orchestra's farewell to their time-served conductor at Tomintoul

Robin Versteeg, musical director of the Cairngorms Orchestra since its inception in Spring 2018, has conducted his last concert for them.

His farewell performance on June 18 was to a standing room only audience in the Richmond Memorial Hall in Tomintoul.

The audience were wowed by a range of musical items assembled around the theme entitled “A Summer Day”.

The 28-strong orchestra thrilled and delighted the audience starting with a rendition of a summertime overture by Rossini entitled “Semiramide” followed by Faure’s “Pavane”, perhaps best known for its involvement in an advertisement for a famous perfume house.

The first half closed with Matinees Musicales by Benjamin Britten.

MAESTRO: Robin Versteeg at his Tomintoul farewell.
MAESTRO: Robin Versteeg at his Tomintoul farewell.

During the interval tea and biscuits were provided by Jean Birchall’s well organised and efficient team. No biscuit was left unturned.

The second half opened with Prokofiev’s “A Summer Day Suite” that consisted of five movements, each with its own particular musical focus.

The programme concluded with the little known but extremely demanding Haffner Symphony composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Leader Paula Starritt said: "It was really lovely to be back in Tomintoul again. As last time, it was a really enthusiastic, friendly feeling crowd which helped the orchestra relax and have fun playing for them.

“This was a particularly emotional concert for me, and the rest of the orchestra, with it being the last under the baton of Robin Versteeg. Robin has been been part of Cairngorms orchestra even before it started - a school playground chat whilst waiting for our sons to come out from school, revealed him to be a conductor.

“This helped put flesh on the bones of my fledgling idea of forming a community orchestra. A couple of years later, Cairngorms Orchestra was born and Robin has been with us ever since.

“He leaves the orchestra on a firm standing, ready to take on new challenges under it's new conductor Ian Sharp, a former cellist with London Philharmonic. "

Entry to the concert was by donation and the generous audience delivered to the tune of £540 providing funds to cover the costs of the hall and the general running of the orchestra.

Ian Sharp, a professional cellist with wide experience of many musical genres has been appointed to take the help of Musical director and the next Cairngorms Orchestra Concert will be on Wednesday 17th November in Nethy Bridge Community Centre at 7.30pm.

It is clear that the Cairngorms Orchestra is assured of a bright future under the guidance of their new conductor.

TEAMWORK: An early rehearsal session for Robin and the orchestra at Nethybridge
TEAMWORK: An early rehearsal session for Robin and the orchestra at Nethybridge

For the music buffs, the full Tomintoul programme was:—

Semiramide Overture. Rossini

Pavane Faure

Mattine Musical Benjamin Brittan

1 March

2 Nocturne

3 Waltz

4 Pantomime

5 Moto Pereptuo

Interval

Summer Day Suite Prokofiev

1 Morning

2 Tip and Run

3 Waltz

4 Repentance

5 March

6 Evening

7 The Moon is Over the Meadows

Symphony No 35 “Haffner” Mozart

1 Allegro Com Spirito

2 Andante

3 Minuetto and Trio

4 Presto


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