Malvern Theatres, Great Malvern
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment combine virtuosity with a practised nonchalance to soothe our age’s anxieties

On a day that seemed to herald a new age of anxiety, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment offered consolation in the form of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. Before embarking on their series entitled Bach, the Universe and Everything, they are taking the Brandenburgs on tour and while the Malvern didn’t quite get the full complement of six – No 1 was missing – this was still a huge lift to the spirits, Bach’s essential rhythmic vitality somehow representing resilience.

The Malvern theatres, once a ballroom, is not the obvious place for baroque repertoire, but with a wooden panelled screen in front of the black curtains allowing the acoustic to work well enough, the various combinations of soloists – each concerto different in instrumentation with the harpsichord at the core – and the OAE’s directness of communication, with each other and with the audience, created a warm rapport.