Concert Reviews

22nd November 2025 - Wind Concert (WOL, WOCI & WOW) at St Leonard's Church, Eynsham
Where better to be on a cold wet evening than St Leonard's Church in Eynsham listening to three different wind bands? From sambas to waltzes, jitterbugs to musical medleys and everything in between, the bands were under the baton of Wendy Marks who put together another fabulous evening's entertainment.

West Oxfordshire Learners, or WOL, began proceedings with Papageno's Song from Mozart's Magic Flute, where the flutes shone immediately with the repeated birdcall, and the rest of the band played with harmony and balance.

Next, Rachmaninov's Prelude in G Minor, originally a piano piece and cleverly arranged by Wendy especially for this group. Lovely strong bass playing led the way throughout, while the complicated rhythms were tackled well, and the band captured the Russian mood, particularly in the slow passage.

Another of Wendy's arrangements was Last Minute Latin, with good time-keeping by the flutes and upper reeds in the melody, followed by Havana, where the clarinets created the mood with rhythmic and mellow playing, and we enjoyed a super solo by the tenor sax, very convincingly Cuban and certainly toe-tapping.

Next we were back in Russia for Shostakovich's Waltz No.2, evoking outdoor skating with lovely smooth phrasing. The saxophones clearly enjoyed the lush melody, and the flutes and upper reeds kept the waltz beat moving forwards with precise playing.

WOL finished with a medley from the Sound of Music - a perfect seasonal offering. Individual phrases were handled beautifully, once again with super playing from the bass clarinet. Changes of pace were handled solidly as the audience were treated to a selection of all the old favourites. Poignant playing in the slow passages, a lovely oboe solo in My Favourite Things and a triumphant ending with Climb Every Mountain.

Then we treated to West Oxfordshire Clarinets Intermediate, or WOCI, who started with the Allegro from Mozart's Symphony No.40, an ambitious start which was tackled with conviction, clear playing and excellent dynamics. 

Early One Morning next, with more fabulous bass playing underpinning the upper blended voices, making a beautiful poignant sound, and the bass clarinet then played the last verse. Really good and crisp start and finish.

Next was Frenesi by Dominguez.  As this group was purely made up of clarinets (& Bass clarinets) the band was left to create the percussive rhythms themselves, which they did with precise syncopation and excellent dynamics. This was followed by another audience favourite, All That Jazz. Good tuning throughout the close harmonies, the band listening carefully to each other.

Red Rattler followed, a piece about a train ride which required careful watching of the conductor as the music changed speed. Perfect time-keeping and shaping of the phrases throughout.

Finally, we all love a musical medley, and here was another one to end WOCI's set, with well-known songs from Mary Poppins. Each section was played with character, showing spirited, confident playing in a Spoonful of Sugar, lovely transitions into Chim Chim Cher-ee and finishing with a high tempo Supercalifragilistic!

(E. Forrester)

The West Oxfordshire Winds, or WOW roared into the second half of the programme with a rocking “Born to be Wild” by Mars Bonfire (arranged by J.Vinson). With great gusto the brass and percussion sections revved up with deep throaty tones and like ‘smoke and lightning’ the woodwinds joined the ‘heavy metal thunder’ with Wendy Marks (conductor) leading the pace.

Shifting up a gear the band deftly cavorted into “Jitterbug” by Robert Buckley featuring the trumpet expertly played in a suitably bluesy style as the trombone slid into a swing with the clarinets, oboes and flutes in a toe-tapping, finger-clicking dance backed by the saxophones and syncopated by percussion.  The only thing missing from this piece was a dance floor - all were jittering in their seats!

The audience were swept off their feet in the next medley from “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein (arranged by J.Bocook).  Manifesting great versatility, the orchestra gave an emotional rendition of ‘Maria’ stepping through to ‘Tonight’ and a passionate ‘One Hand, One Heart’ before the flutes floated into ‘Somewhere’.  All so beautifully played by instrumentalists clearly engaged in the musical themes and harmonies.

‘Santana’, the Latin rock band was founded in 1966 by Carlos Santana and they are still together today.  The ‘West Oxfordshire Winds’ clearly had a lot of fun playing an arrangement by G. Gazzani, where each instrument had its moment in an exacting, exciting and dynamically driven collection of Flor d’Luna, Oye Como Va, Europa and Smooth. 

The evening concluded with a romp through a selection from the “Jersey Boys’ by B. Gaudio (arranged by M. Brown).  The brass and percussion came to the fore in ’Walk like a Man’ and ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ with the woodwind coming through for 'Rag Doll’, ’What a Night’ and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’.

The whole event was a most enjoyable and uplifting experience, expertly brought together by the conductor Wendy Marks who led and encouraged the three bands energetically with warmth and passion, bringing out the very best in every musician.  Members from each band showed their appreciation for her dedication and leadership at the end of the concert, presenting Wendy with flowers, chocolates and wine.  A good time was had by all!

 (Anita M. Cooper)

A Century of TV in Music at Stanton Harcourt Village Hall on Sat 14th June 2025 (Freeland Orchestra, WOC & Stanton Harcourt School)
We were given a whole century of TV in music on Saturday night. Forget the June tennis and the football; what we had was musical sunshine, warmth and smiles, and some laughter too. The concert was in two sections; Freeland Orchestra up to the interval giving us a total of ten pieces; then West Oxfordshire Clarinets taking over the second with 14 numbers. The  director Wendy Marks had arranged 14 out of the 24 numbers herself – no mean feat – so that much of the orchestration anticipated was already carefully in her head and ready as she raised her baton, in front of a waiting audience packed into Stanton Harcourt village hall.

A truly creative concert, covering lollipops from the cinema and TV, mixed with adverts and signature tunes, was illustrated equally effectively by the graphic designer of the programme who had cleverly inserted little tiles and icons to trigger our memories. A brilliant start in strong trombone with bassoon confidently set the tone of the evening; Liberty Bell really bounced with energy and accuracy. By contrast, the sweet and sonorous flute lines mixed beautifully in the dance of reed pipes from the Nutcracker ballet– otherwise known as Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut bars. The strings shone in the Air on the G string and had real vigour in the Prokofiev number from Romeo and Juliet – aka the Apprentice soundtrack, while Alan Sugar glared out powerfully and critically from the programme notes.
Hello trumpets – in the theme to Dr Finlay’s Casebook – you had some lovely sensitive playing here with perfect accents and tight rhythmic ensemble with the bassoon. Cellos and bass are to be mentioned for their lovely focused rising figures in the Khachaturian ballet music, adopted for the Onedin Line. And well done oboe soloist, for keeping the melody moving forward and phrasing it well.
The local school children sitting in front sat with rapt attention. Wendy kept them entertained with anecdotes associated with the TV themes and characters until it was their turn. They sang well and with evident enjoyment and enthusiasm. The whole feeling of positive participation was so infectious, it made us all sit up and sing up in ‘Bring me Sunshine’. The hall erupted in applause.

Part 2 was something completely different. In this smaller ensemble everyone gets a chance to shine. But it’s also challenging. This is where challenge and enjoyment are in equal balance through the players’ commitment to practise regularly under the skilful and encouraging leadership of a strong conductor. Clarinets can sound so smooth and mellow – almost limpid and ambiguous. The William Tell Overture is a demanding test of rhythm with speed.  We could definitely hear the hooves of the Lone Ranger’s Hi-Ho Silver galloping across the desert. Some pieces stood out as meaningful highlights for quirkiness, accuracy of articulation and characterful playing; Top Cat, Skippy, and Mr Benn. For strong legato playing, we had the melody in Dad’s Army theme tune, punctuated by the offbeat staccato rhythms well placed. The overall ensemble of rich colour came to the fore in the Brandenburg Concerto, aka the theme for the Antiques Roadshow. The sound was strong and vivid and still focused. Well done! What a great piece is Eliza’s Aria by Kats-Chemin. This works well for this ensemble, with its overlapping and sequential cascades of notes as players take over the parts from each other. Again the challenge in the score is evident. In meeting the challenge these players prove their talent and confirm their dedicated commitment to sharing it with others.
(Alison Street)

Saturday Night at the Movies at Stanton Harcourt Village Hall on Sat 5th April 2025 (WOW, WOL & WOCI)

Musicians WOWed us again with a fun and varied programme, reminding us of great Disney Classics as well as musicals and shows since transferred to screen. West Oxfordshire Learners (WOL) started the evening. Sixteen gifted musicians gave us a great blend of sonorous colours; the balance was really good, they were obviously listening carefully and managed some tricky moments rhythmically. Interesting how it’s often the slower more lyrical melodies, like Over the Rainbow, that tax the tuning. But the great feeling we all get in the audience is that everyone is enjoying themselves, and is brave enough to put on a real performance. Wendy Marks is a star – not only a player and conductor/director, but she also arranges the parts to suit the calibre of the players and their range of skills - five out of the eight numbers in the opening section.

West Oxfordshire Clarinets Intermediate next took the floor. This included one or two players from the first part of the evening. In fact it’s worth noting and giving special mention to Pam Selby (clarinet) and Jenny Corfield (Bass Clarinet) who performed throughout the whole evening – in nineteen numbers in total. That’s stamina!

There was some fine precise playing especially in Summer Holiday and in A Grand Day Out of Wallace and Gromit fame. This presented a good game of name that film – encouraged by Wendy who was all too ready to lead a quiz on the actors and main players, dates and plots.

Then it was WOW’s turn. We had a real feast. From the Great Escape, with its strong rhythmic thrust to the more lyrical moments as in the Lion King. A full rich sound was produced in the tutti sections as well as more tender moments of reflection. Dynamics are key when so many players are on stage. And this evening Wendy encouraged all to perform meaningfully and with a real sense of wanting to communicate the joy of music making and skilled musicianship.

There was a great sense of occasion, of enjoyment and total participation; audience and players engaged. You can’t have one without the other.
(Alison Street) 

Freeland Orchestra & WOC concert at Stanton Harcourt Village Hall on Sat 23rd November 2024

Those of us who braved the elements on Saturday 23th November and made our way to Stanton Harcourt village hall were given a treat. Freeland orchestra and West Oxfordshire Clarinets entertained us with an enjoyable feast of music. It was in the second half that WOC, a group of about 12 players, took centre stage. Concert dress of all black but with a bright red motif created a professional look to the concert.

A balanced programme of mellow and contrasting more energetic arrangements was delivered with technical confidence and sensitive musicianship. Good balance between the parts, especially necessary in the arrangement of JS Bach Fugue No 7 from Book 2 of the 48 Preludes and Fugues, and solos were supported with good balancing and blending. The interpretation of Elegie by Ostijn was moulded and shaped.  A good bass line was provided by the Alto, Bass and Contra-alto clarinets, adding depth to the interpretations. The Little Horseman and Tritsch-Tratsch Polka were appropriately spirited, yet rhythmically precise with parts well co-ordinated. I left the hall with the sounds of the Foxtrot by Buttall ringing in my ear and with a strong feeling that if anyone in the audience was thinking of taking up the clarinet, the tone quality of this group would have convinced them to go ahead. Thank you to you all.

(Deborah Balding)

Wind Concert at St Leonard’s Church, Eynsham on Sat 11th May 2024 by WOC, WOL, WOCI and WOW 

You can’t beat live music! On Saturday evening it was a choice between the Eurovision Song Contest live-streamed from or a feast of musical styles played ‘live’ by West Oxfordshire’s wind ensembles, WOC, WOL WOCI and WOW. 

What a great opener – Humperdinck’s Overture to Hansel and Gretel. WOC (fifteen clarinets, including alto, bass and high Eb) really evoked that prayerful feeling and the dynamics were stunning, with middle parts particularly expressive. First clarinets gave us great articulation and shrill trills, in keeping with the drama of the piece and its magical sense of foreboding. Then on to Kurt Weill, with excellent dotted rhythms. But the next piece ‘Jubilation’ made all sit up and lean in through its rhythmic complexity, handled really well. The section finished with Dodge City where you could sense wagons rolling through town, while the percussion section denoted well those trotting horses. 

West Oxfordshire Learners (WOL) now take the stage. Conductor Wendy Marks has a reassuring careful attention to tuning and preparation – she has taught many here and inspires the players in developing a sense of musical autonomy – you can do it (‘I’ll create a part for you! I’ll rearrange the part so you can play’!) Lovely variety of musical styles now, including ET (good dynamics here, and players passing the tune back and forth between them). Then to Jeeves and Wooster, followed by New York, New York, where the saxes really shone. 

The second half of the concert brought us West Oxfordshire Clarinets Intermediate (WOCI), followed by West Oxfordshire Winds (WOW), who produce a broad palette of sonorous colour through the additional bank of flutes, cornets, oboes, saxophones, French horn and trombone. 

WOCI gave us some fine playing especially in the traditional tune, the Irish Washerwoman, with particularly well-articulated staccato passages. Great energy here. There was a lovely bass clarinet sonority played sensitively in the traditional Norwegian tune and with good attack in Grand Day Out. 

On to WOW, much bigger forces to coordinate and arrange. There’s palpable enthusiasm here and musical friendships. Everyone depends on each other, while carrying individual responsibility for being at the right place in the right time. It was refreshing to hear longer works – especially the Planets, the Glen Miller medley and Les Miserables. There was a good deal of characterful playing in the Glen Miller – trombone glissandi, and middle register instruments in Little Brown Jug doing a great job on the off beats to keep the momentum clearly driving forward. In Les Mis there was beautiful sustained playing from flutes and oboes, especially in ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, supported by lots of colour in the middle parts. ‘Do you hear the people sing’ always brings a tear to the eye, and this evening Wendy kept those dynamics really effective, with all eyes on her sound-guiding gestures. And finally all four groups joined together to play Pamela March. Reeds, mouthpieces, stands, sheet music, chairs, shining instruments all glittering and moving into position under the lights of St Leonard’s Church.  The stage management works smoothly and the church bursts into the rhythms of a marching band. And so with a spring in our steps we leave the concert. We sense Wendy’s boundless energy and enthusiasm and above all, the recognition of everyone present having fun through live music-making. Oh, and we get home in time to see the winning song of Eurovision 2024. But that’s another story… (Alison Street)

Freeland Orchestra Concert at St Leonards Church, Eynsham on Sat 11th May 2024

What a wonderful afternoon we had on Saturday listening to the Freeland Orchestra in Eynsham's St Leonard's church. This 30-strong group, made up of local amateur musicians, gave a very accomplished performance under the baton of local music teacher and oboist, Wendy Marks. 

The concert started with the Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor by the relatively unknown composer Otto Nicolai. This was an exciting piece with the different characters of Falstaff and his wives coming across clearly. First the heavy, almost plodding nature of Falstaff himself, followed by lighter, more dance-like sections representing his wives. 

Then we were treated to Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Tsar's Bride", which was in quite a different musical style being very Russian in sound, as opposed to the romantic nature of the Overture. The brass section shone here in their fanfare sections, and there was some very assured playing from the violins in some high soaring melodies. 

The strong bass line of cellos and bassoons was intrinsic to this whole piece.

The main work of this concert was Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony and straight away it was clear that this had been well-rehearsed. The wind players all had a chance to shine, particularly the clarinets which Mendelssohn seemed to favour. The slow movement theme was played by the oboe, bassoon and viola, combining to make one homogeneous sound, with some very skilful flute playing weaving around the melody. 

The third movement Minuet flowed along smoothly whilst the "Trio" was reminiscent of the Nocturne from Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music, with its French horn/ bassoon writing. 

The finale was a Salterello, a dance which includes jumping, and this came out in the lively playing of the musicians. There was real excitement in this movement and the concentration on the part of the players was evident.

The audience were very appreciative of the performance today and of all the hard work that the players had obviously put in to achieve this standard. Though the real credit must surely go to the conductor, Wendy Marks, who started the group 17 years ago, rehearsing in Freeland Methodist Church.  (S Hughes)

Summer Wind Concert at St Leonards Church, Saturday June 17th 2023

A very enjoyable evening was had by all at last Saturday’s concert by WOL, WOCI and WOC (West Oxfordshire Learners, West Oxfordshire Clarinets Intermediate and West Oxfordshire Clarinets) under the inspiring baton of local teacher and music impresario, Wendy Marks.

One of the lovely things about these concerts (apart from the dedication, hard work and enthusiasm of the amateur players of all ages) is that Wendy talks her audience through the pieces, and on this occasion had chosen to highlight the work of several women composers, including Debbie Wiseman, who has written for film and TV as well as recent royal celebrations. A member of WOL explained to the audience that Wiseman had written a piece called Together during Covid and waived her copyright, offering both a simple and a more advanced version of the tune for people to play alone (initially) and then together when they could; It had been requested that WOL perform it, and they played it (and a wide variety of other music) beautifully.  This piece, as well as many others, had been specially arranged by Wendy for the groups she teaches and conducts.

WOL, a predominantly adult group, includes wind players of different sized saxophones and clarinets, flutes, oboes and trombones with many players having only recently begun to perform. WOCI are slightly more experienced clarinet players, and WOC, the advanced group, includes FIVE different sizes of clarinet!

It was WOCI’s first public performance and they rose to the occasion admirably. They played a wide variety of music, including Handel, Haydn and Mozart, but I most enjoyed Smile (originally a tune by Charlie Chaplin) and Moon River. Both these pieces were difficult, involving slow, quiet passages, but were beautifully played. Hopefully we will be able to see these players progress and develop over future performances.

WOC played, amongst other pieces, Rossini’s William Tell Overture, keeping perfectly together, and some fine early music, including Byrd’s Earl of Salisbury’s Pavane. A Dvorak Wind Serenade, had been arranged by Wendy to showcase the bigger clarinets, and though ambitious, was nicely played. The band finished on a high with Reunion Rock, leaving us definitely wanting more.  (Julia Shay)