OK, thought I would just write some observations on the recent 'music from the musicals' concert. I've always been of the view that a so-called 'macaronic' programme (i.e. one made up of a lot of disparate music, rather than say music in one style / era / composer) is much harder to perform.
I know that as a choral singer, Christmas concerts for example are hard work as typically you're singing works by a dozen or more composers scattered across 400 or 500 years' of history such as Palestrina, Schutz, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Lauridsen....
With orchestral playing it's very similar: a programme of stylistically similar music is much easier than one made up of many different styles. This is the challenge when playing say film music and of course music from musical theatre.
Our programme was very varied with various suites and medleys from Sound of Music, Chicago, Hamilton, Wicked, The Greatest Showman, Rogers and Hammerstein, Phantom of the Opera, plus various single items such as Over the Rainbow, Bohemian Rhapsody etc.
Most of this music is enjoyable to play and also really nice to listen to. I do have some reservations about some of the more recent examples such as Hamilton which seems. to focus on really awkward rhythms.