BY BRIAN OWEN

THE audience applauded Kenneth Woods as he walked onto the stage at Malvern Theatres' Forum Theatre.

The American-born principal conductor of the English Symphony Orchestra in turn welcomed the audience in the auditorium for the Beyond the Horizon performance on Friday, January 19.

Kenneth was appointed artistic director of the ESO in 2013 and has been hailed as a “symphonic conductor of stature” by the Gramophone magazine.

He has worked with the National Symphony Orchestra (USA), Royal Philharmonic and the BBC National Wales Orchestra.

Kenneth introduced the first item on the programme, Overture Jupiter’s Fairground, in one movement for 10 minutes of very exciting music which was greatly applauded and enjoyed by this fine orchestra and the audience.

It was written by Jamaica-born Eleanor Alberga who lives with her violinist husband Thomas Bowes in nearby Herefordshire.

They were sitting in the row in front of me and we passed a few words during the interval.

Her music has been played by many well-known orchestras across the world.

The next two performances presented American-born April Fredrick with an opportunity to demonstrate her wonderful soprano voice.

April works regularly in the UK and is a champion of new works as well as an associate artist with the ESO.

Antonin Dvorak's Song to the Moon from Rusalka is based on a story from Czech folk law.

It is a plea to the moon from Rusalka to reveal her love to the handsome prince.

It has rich and harmonic tones and was splendidly performed by April to vigorous applause by the audience.

Samuel Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915 was written after several years in the city and reading James Agee's prose poem.

The moods of the tone poem were totally met by the talented orchestra and the spirit of the piece beautifully served by April’s superb voice. She was rewarded by loud applause.

After an excellent interval the audience reassembled to take in the beauty Mozart’s C Major Jupiter symphony.

The piece opens with three flourishes, a typical trick from those times to wake up a well-fuelled audience.

The music breaks apart and reforms its beautiful melodies to bring the piece to its glorious end.

What a wonderful orchestra this is.

It could do with greater support and with larger audiences they would be magnanimous in their thanks.