Above: Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of The Metropolitan Orchestra, Sarah-Grace Williams.

With its Met Concert 3 for 2016, TMO continues to be consistently thrilling. The concert’s first half engaged the listener with commanding gestures and precision phrasing imbued with suitable expression.

In world premiere we first heard Fantasy on a Theme of Mendelssohn by Sean O’Boyle AM. This eclectic and clever work commissioned by TMO and conductor Sarah Grace Williams was highly accessible whilst remaining innovative and unique in design.

TMO led by Sarah-Grace Williams excelled in portraying O’Boyle’s jaunty and episodic elaborations. The beautiful Mendelssohn theme from On Wings of Song was subjected to short but lush orchestral iterations and duly developed.

Concluding this Met Concert’s first half was Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No 1 in E flat Op 11. Principal Horn of player TMO, Michael Wray, produced very agreeable cantabile tone and fine manipulation of expansive melodies in both the first and second movement.

Wray’s playing across registers made for an exciting display in this concerto. Sympathetic, supportive and crisp accompaniment was yet again supplied by TMO for the featured soloist, as has been the case in other Met Series concerts.

This concert’s second half showcased TMO sans soloist. TMO’s ability to create distinct worlds for each orchestral work, composer or musical period was well displayed. It was almost tempting to deny convention and crave a future concert with works explored by TMO alone without an interlude for concerto soloist.

That comment aside, Met Concert 3 would not have been the dazzling success it was without the chance to hear the Horn Concerto No 1 by Strauss with a TMO principal featured. Also, the upcoming programme on August 20 includes the sublime Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major Op 61, to be played by Glenn Christensen.

The interpretation of the Beethoven Opus 61 is eagerly anticipated following this concert’s delivery of Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture. This work was true overture fare. The orchestral unison from its attention-grabbing opening right to its functional, hushed, and curtain-raising conclusion always had measured authenticity and a decent sense of drama.

With crystal clear delineation of structure, the expressive and thematic directness was revived with appropriate Beethoven branded emphasis throughout.

Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 4 Op 90 ‘Italian’, concluded this event and celebrated TMO’s seventh birthday year. This Symphony was heard in their very first concert. TMO in its current level of maturity and birthday year generously gifted us with a bright, glistening performance of the Italian Symphony.

The final Presto movement brought the finely articulated work and concert to a stunning close with well-contained, bristling energy. Continuing the success of earlier movements to efficiently evoke atmosphere, develop motives and meet the challenges of Mendelssohn’s intricate orchestral writing, TMO’s gift to us of this work from their repertoire was an entertaining and notable example of nineteenth century orchestral style.

To assist in maintaining TMO’s notable place in our performing environment, we can in turn offer TMO a gift during their current end of financial year fundraising drive. A link to this website area can be found at: www.chuffed.org/project/tmo2016