THOSE children who insisted that their parents accompany them to the Ipswich Orchestral Society's Family Extravaganza were richly rewarded by a diverse and exciting programme played to the IOS' usual high standard - with dancing.

Ipswich Orchestral Society (IOS), March 15

Corn Exchange, Ipswich

Family Concert Extravaganza

THOSE children who insisted that their parents accompany them to the Ipswich Orchestral Society's Family Extravaganza were richly rewarded by a diverse and exciting programme played to the IOS' usual high standard - with dancing.

Conductor Adam Gatehouse introduced each piece amusingly along with its main players. A bright, energetic start was made with Khachaturian's Sabre Dance, followed by contrasting dances from Tchaikovsky's Snow White.

DanceEast's JS Youth Dance Company expressed H�rold's Clog Dance with interesting puppet-like choreography, and the dances from Copland's Rodeo and Times Square by Bernstein showed variety and skill in their interpretation.

Did you know that Mona Lisa was a bass trombonist in the Florence Symphony Orchestra? According to David Ferguson, her smile is just right to start 'buzzing' on the trombone. This set the tone for a witty rendering of Greenwood's The Acrobat.

After a noisy interval where the children enthusiastically enjoyed trying out the orchestra's instruments, a truly memorable Firebird Suite (Stravinsky) ensued with passages of great beauty, the energetic finale forming a vibrant end to a great concert.

JOY BOUNDS