What the press said...
Here are just a few extracts from various reviews over the years.
The Press
Martin Dryer
February 25, 2013
"Sometimes it takes a visitor to remind us of the treasures we fortunate York-dwellers may take for granted. An overseas guest remarked...that she had difficulty in believing that the York Guildhall Orchestra was not a permanent professional ensemble."Download full review here
Charles Hutchinson Press
Martin Dryer
May 23, 2023
"[The] author and the man of the evening was Simon Wright, now into his fourth decade as musical director of this orchestra. He has shaped it into a formidable instrument. If there is a mainly amateur orchestra in this country that plays better than this, I have yet to hear it."Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
October 16, 2017
“The Guildhall Orchestra has clearly summered well. A Berlioz overture, a Bartok concerto, and a Sibelius symphony, leavened by a couple of bonbons, found the strings sounding fresh, the brass robust and the woodwinds light on their toes. They needed little chivvying from Simon Wright’s baton.”Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
"Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, right from Isabel Dowell's classy opening bassoon solo, was shot through with instrumental brilliance. The score's rhythmic irregularities held no terrors: with clear and unflurried direction from conductor Simon Wright, the orchestra negotiated the potential pitfalls with sure-footed teamwork. A remarkable and thrilling achievement."Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
"This orchestra is one of the treasures that makes living in York such a delight."Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
"A rip-roaring account of Mussorgsky’s Pictures From An Exhibition. With the orchestra fearlessly navigating scenes of hazy respite and unbridled terror, standout saxophone and euphonium solos ensured an exultant arrival at The Great Gate of Kiev."Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
October 16, 2017
"A deeply brooding account of Sibelius’s Valse Triste was the ideal intro to his Fifth Symphony. Here, Wright instinctively knew that the whole work builds towards its noble finale and cannot be allowed to climax too soon. So he kept the brass, in particular, in close order, and forged colourful mood changes in the slow-movement variations. Excitement bubbled through the finale, until the brass – yes – but also the violins, more lush than ever, cut loose to reach a glorious peak."Download full review here
The Press
Alice Masterson
February 12, 2018
"The second half saw the orchestra give a confident and assured performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica. The solemn tone of the second movement was skilfully contrasted with the vivacious scherzo of the third, and the momentum of the finale gave a satisfying end to a thoroughly enjoyable evening"Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
July 1, 2017
"Music is the best medicine. Dragging myself off my sick bed on Saturday afternoon, I really had no expectation of leaving the Barbican after two hours feeling refreshed and invigorated. I should have known better!"Download full review here
The Yorkshire Post
“The City of York can be proud of the orchestra that bears its name.”Download full review here
The Press
Martin Dryer
“If giving concerts is about weaving spells, the YGO’s performance [...] was a magician’s dream.”Download full review here
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