David Blake's "farewell" concert opened with Dvorak's In Nature. The initial dawn chorus - chirping woodwind and strings - got off to a slightly grumpy start, taking a while for the orchestra to get in the groove, but improving markedly as the piece progressed.

For Mahler's deceptively demanding Song Of The Wayfarer the orchestra was joined by the excellent mezzo soprano Sally Burgess, whose rich, velvety voice and thoughtful performance illuminated this wonderful score.

The orchestra played their part to a person. Crisp woodwind motifs and tempo gear changes at the start, fine energetic and energised playing in the third song and the farewell wave from the flute over a harp pedal was delightful.

David Blake's farewell wave, however, was an uncompromising setting of Ho Chi Minh's "prison diary" (poems) Rings Of Jade.

From the very start, an eerie string backdrop with woodwind motifs created an atmosphere of claustrophobic unease. The oppressive nature of the music continued through the second song - fine solo piccolo and bass clarinet contributions, ratcheting up the angst in the third. There was musical irony in the fourth, welcome melodic threading in the fifth, an echo of hope at the end of the sixth, but it was a serious, impressive score and the orchestra rose to a challenge they would not have been capable of before David Blake's tenure.

The concert signed off with Enescu's unrelenting rollercoaster of fun, Romanian Rhapsody. Superbly played, but it was the Mahler and Blake which set the markers for the next incumbent.

Updated: 11:17 Tuesday, July 05, 2005