For the West Australian Symphony Orchestra to program a cor anglais concerto (performed by Principal Cor Anglais Leanne Glover) and enlist the expertise of Scottish conductor and oboist Douglas Boyd is a guaranteed way to coax out Perth’s double-reed community (to which this critic belongs) from their reed-making desks and into the Perth Concert Hall.

Prior to the performance, the foyer of the concert hall had been repurposed as an impromptu double-reed conference space, as everyone gathered to express their anticipation and enthusiasm for the night’s program. That’s not to say that only the oboists and bassoonists of Perth had come to hear Vaughan Williams, Iain Grandage and Beethoven, for the intriguing program drew a crowd that nearly rendered the hall at maximum capacity.

Iain Grandage, Leanne Glover and WASO

 The opening chord of Vaughan William’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis was so balanced and delicately voiced that it set the bar extremely high for the rest of the piece. Fortunately, Boyd and a reduced WASO string section crafted a highly engaging performance of Vaughan William’s ode to Britain’s 16th century master composer. The opening section showcased beautiful...