The All Saints Concert series opened its ninth season with the Zadok Baroque Orchestra’s debut performance at All Saints Church in East Sheen. An elegant, candle-lit hall with a vaulted timber beamed roof, the venue provided a perfect stage setting for this new period instrument ensemble.

Founded by Byron Mahoney, the ZBO brings together previously acquainted professional musicians and talented amateurs, all who are locally based in East Sheen. They create a diverse group comprising two traverse flutes (Byron Mahoney and Nick Jackman), an oboe (Peter Tsoulos), an oboe d‘amore (Vince Tumosas), four violins (Ben Sansom, Phil Yeeles, Barbara Grant and Jane MacSween), a viola (John Sutherland), a viola d’amore (Alexandria Lawrence), a cello (Chris Lamb), a piccolino cello (Micheal Mullen), and a harpsichord (Norman MacSween).

The evening’s concert took the audience on a voyage of discovery in to the18th century, opening with music from a relatively unknown composer: Johann Joachim Quantz, followed by a well-chosen selection of pieces from Vivaldi, Handel and Telemann. Clever arrangements and staging utilised the ZBO’s unique combination of instruments to present some thoughtful and original interpretations of even those more recognisable works.

A trilogy of flute concertos made up the first half with Quantz’s flute concerto in G major performed by Mahoney, Vivaldi’s double flute concerto in C major by Mahoney and Jackman, and Handel’s Concerto Grosso in G major Op.3 No.3. Living up to Mahoney’s introduction, we were indeed ‘in for a treat’ with this third piece. While typically either the flute or oboe performs the solo part, Jackman and Tsoulos instead opted to share the role thereby enabling us to appreciate how Handel’s expert writing allows for both the different woodwind sonorities to blossom. Jackman performed the first two movements on flute then handed over centre stage to Tsoulos who performed the latter two on oboe.

The second half took off in celebration, with the ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ from Handel’s oratorio ‘Solomon’. Here the dialogue between the strings and oboe voices was played out with regal elegance by soloists Tsoulos and Tumosas, though the overall dramatic effect somewhat lacked sparkle and presence.

Nonetheless, the next item on the ZBO’s program, Telemann’s triple violin concerto in F major was an inspired choice. From the opening of the Allegro we could clearly hear evidence of the fact that Mahoney had just drawn our attention: Handel had ‘borrowed’ the material for his famous sinfonia. As the concerto unfolded, virtuosic playing from the soloists Sansom, Yeeles and Grant beautifully painted the soaring lines, mingling together and than rising in turn, sensitively underscored by the accompanying strings and basso continuo.

A baroque goodbye with love, the ZBO’s final offering was Telemann’s concerto for viola d’amore, oboe d’amore and flute in E major. As the warm, somehow familiar and yet exotic, voices of those less common period instruments passed the dancing motifs of the Siciliana around the ensemble, the captivated the audience sat forwards in their seats in delight.

There was a tangible community feel to the evening’s event, which attracted a superb turnout, with many regulars to the All Saints Concert series in attendance as well as friends and family of the performers, and interested passers-by.

An insightful, well-structured program and engaging debut performance from the Zadok Baroque Orchestra. We look forward to their next concert!