Winter warmer

Halle Orchestra, Bridgewater Hall
“WARM Music for Winter” was the theme for Saturday’s Pops concert, with a romp through a programme of Mediterranean classics to banish the winter blues.

Conductor Stephen Bell plucked a handful of classics from composers originating from warmer climes to bring an interesting evening of music spanning opera, dance and stage.

A tremendous piece of music from Rossini, the overture from the opera “The Italian Girl in Algtiers”, opened the concert, and pianist Viv Mclean graced the stage with his performance from Manuel De Falla’s “Nights in the Gardens of Spain”.

The programme ended with the rhapsody from Chabrier’s “Espana”.

The encore, a fabulous rendition of Manuel De Falla’s ritual fire dance, led to rapturous applause.