Worcester Concert Club embarked on its new season's concerts with locally-based Volante Strings, led by Angela Richey, and Daniel Phillips, assistant organist of Worcester Cathedral.

Two organ concertos by Handel were the major works. Op7 No8 in A began with 'Ouverture' played boldly and in strict time, before progressing to 'A tempo ordinario' the organ and ensemble conversing in offbeat snatches. Intermingled was a lengthy sprightly pedalled organ section accomplished with flair.

'Adagio' was an organ solo, played with skill, by Daniel, while in the 'Allegro' his perfection of timing in the triplet passages, conflicting with the strings, was admirable.

Op4 No4 in F showed Daniel again as a fine musician and in total command of the instrument. In the first 'Allegro' he met the necessary demands of finger agility easily, and the 'Andante' was decorated delicately as organ and strings alternated. A short solo, subdued but worthy of note for the 'Adagio', continued into the final 'Allegro' when the nimble and nifty organist paved the way for a confident tutti conclusion.

The Volante had included several shorter pieces including Elegy by Elgar, which was muted, and wove sustained expressive threads of wonderful melody. The long held last note and final pluck of double bass and cellos was very effective.

Grainger's arrangements of Londonderry Air and a lively reading of Mock Morris made a cheerful end.

Occasionally there had been some lack of definition regarding the closing of phrases, and harmonies had been hazy sometimes (perhaps tuning had been suspect among second violins particularly), but this had not impeded the audiences' enjoyment of the Volante.

Next in this series is Parisian Promenade with Roger Nichols, on Sunday, November 10, at 3pm.

Jill Hopkins