With Christmas and Hogmanay behind us, resolutions in place, and a long time till payday, January can sometimes be a long, bleak month.  What better way to shake off the beginning of year blues than a rousing Gala Concert by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra featuring familiar classics by Strauss and Brahms amongst others.  Taking my seat clasping my beautiful new moleskin notebook (cheers Jo!) and programme, I was particularly in need of cheering up as an intermittent toothache that had been irking me since just before Christmas had reared its ugly head again. 

After a touching talk from Estelle Nicol from Marie Curie, who are collecting at the Gala performances, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra strikes up with Strauss's Die Fledermaus Overture.  The acoustic's in Perth Concert Hall are amazing as always, the timpani, in particular, sounds great and the way the violin section sway in time with the stately music is mesmerising.  As the piece progresses I realise that I know it unbelievably well and I spend the next few minutes trying to figure out why.  Finally, it comes to me, this piece of music was the soundtrack to an episode of Tom and Jerry I watched as a child.  

One of the themes of the evening is Sport, and the next piece of music has charismatic conductor Joseph Swensen particularly worried.  Every orchestra musician has at some point in their career fantasised about killing their conductor and Rossini's At the Hunt has a gunshot written into the score.  A lively polka that with its horn and trumpet fanfares and even musket fire, gives you all the thrill of the hunt whilst remaining suitable for vegans.  Joseph was right to be worried as at the conclusion the percussionist approaches him, gun in hand, and fires straight at his head.  Relieved laughter follows, not least from the conductor himself, as a cartoony "Bang" sign unfurls.

Next up is the iconic William Tell Overture which begins with a beautiful ensemble of solo cellos that slowly build until the orchestra finally erupts into one of the catchiest riffs in classical music.  I found it literally impossible to keep still while listening to this galloping belter and it's very difficult to keep notes when you find your legs doing an impromptu river dance against your will.  The overture also provided some lovely soloing from Rosie Staniforth on Oboe and Alison Mitchell on flute.

After the twenty-minute interval during which due to my gnawing toothache I decide against a pint (too cold), ice cream (way too cold), or coffee (too hot), the string section return (sans conductor) and the second half begins.  We are treated to a lyrical performance of Five Liebeslieder (Love-Song) Waltzes before Joseph returns, violin in hand, to play lead on Three Old Viennese Dance Tunes by Fritz Kreisler.  These pieces were originally written for violin and piano but Joseph has re-arranged them for strings and violin and his passion for the music really shows as he plays with great feeling and expression.

The rest of the Orchestra rejoin the stage for what for me was the highlight of the evening the Kaiser Walzer which was originally written by Johann Strauss to celebrate the state visit by Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Austria to Kaiser Wilheim II of Germany.  Its ambiguous title was a great piece of diplomacy, allowing both Kaisers to believe it was written in their honour.  I really love the cello parts on this piece, particularly the way they descend at the end of a line.  The finale is particularly powerful as the solo flute is joined by brass before ending with the full orchestra including driving timpani.

The last piece of music on the bill, as is traditional for New Year's concerts, is the famous The Blue Danube.  It's a beautiful piece of music that most people are familiar with, not least because it played a vital part in Stanley Kubrick's film 2001.  This performance is dedicated to a long-standing member of the Scottish Chamber orchestra and Perth native violinist Lorna McLaren.  She is retiring and tonight is her very last performance with the Orchestra who give her an amazing send off with an impassioned performance.  

The music isn't quite over though as the audience cry out for an encore and the night ends with another really familiar piece, the Radetzky March.  The audience even get the chance to be conducted by Joseph as he regulates the volume of our clapping with his hand gestures.  It was a great evening and it even managed to distract me from my toothache and allow me to have fun for a couple of hours.