** Positive Notes about Selected Concerts **
Season - 2020/2021
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11th Sep 2021 - 19:00 hrs - Isca Ensemble Players - Seranade Chamber Concert
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth
Roger Swann = horn
A full house ignored the prospect of the last night of the proms on the BBC channels and came to hear players from the Isca Ensemble peform Schuberts Octet. This masterpiece is a challenge for the player's concentration (lasting around an hour) and perhaps the audience's too (most audience member's enduring a long sit in anti Covid face masks). But it's a piece full of rich rewards, many mood changes and beautiful melodies endlessly developed.
All the concert organisation was done by Roger Hendy (viola in the octet). Full marks to him for bringing this concert to fruition. It was wonderful to have opportunity to work on this great opus.
The octet musicians at the afternoon rehearsal....
( Photograph: Hilary Cole)
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29th Aug 2021 - 17:00 hrs - Music in the Garden
The Church Green, Axmouth
A very pleasant way to spend an early Saturday evening (even if the draught Otter Ale ran out far too early).
A series of sets by local musicians organised by the Friends of Axmouth Church started with an accoustic set from The Smugglers (complete with three (a crowd?) Ukuleles) who seemed a happy bunch!
Erica and Chris sang some of their own material and deserved the warm reception they received.
( Photograph: Roger Swann)
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The grounds of Poltimore House, Exeter
Roger Swann = horn
It was great to have a chance to play with the Exeter Symphony Orchestra. The weather was kind resulting in an enjoyable "outdoor concert" for both the audience and the performers inspite of difficult orchestral balance issues at least partly caused by the whole ensemble being on the same level.
( Photograph: Roger Swann)
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17th July 2021 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble
- Roger Hendy - Joel Munday (violin)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Again (see review from October below) Roger Hendy's tireless battles against Covid related adminisitrative challenges resulted in a concert of joyful music enjoyed by audience and players alike.
This was your reviewer's first performance in an orchestral concert since 16th Feb 2020, eighteen months ago. Most of the musicians were in a similar position so the odd "rusty" patch is perhaps excusable.
Joel Munday stole the show with an excellent performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto. A regular soloist with the orchestra (an arrangement which suits both parties) it is great to hear him continue to develop as an expressive musician (as well as a technically assured one).
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13th Jul 2021 - 17:00 hrs - Gesualdo Six
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
It was both joyful and a great relief to actually be able to go to a concert (albeit still sitting in a mask and following social distancing recommendations). The audience would probably have turned out to hear a couple of folk bang dustbin lids, such is the craving for live music after this long Covid enforced interval.
The Gesualdo Six are about as far as you could get from this though. Remarkably polished and refined singing of the polyphonic repertoire from 1400's to early 1600's was made even more pleasureable by the perfect setting of St Andrew's church. Virtually robotic intonation underpinning long rounded phrasing by all singers. Glorious!
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Covid 19 Corona Virus restrictions led to this huge gap between reviews.
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31st Oct 2020 - 15:00 hrs - ISCA Ensemble
- Roger Hendy - Lynda Edwards (bassoon), Chloe Stratta (sop), Anna McLachlan (alto).
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
The enterprising and committed MD, Roger Hendy, managed to organise a small socially distanced (both orchestra and audience) concert, squeezing it in just days before the next UK full lockdown.
It was such a joy to be an audience member again it would have been a pleasure listening to a chimpanzee playing the bagpipes! As it happens such open mindedness was not required to enjoy the music played.
Starting with the ensembles own bassoonist, Lynda Edwards playing the Mozart concerto, K191, she demonstrated complete technical command through the many rapid passages and was still more convincing in the lyrical slow movement which the orchestra accompanied with equally fluid phrasing.
The social distance spacing between players perhaps led to a little loss of clarity in the textures at times but at all times one had to remember just how many hurdles had been jumped in order to get the event to take place.
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Covid 19 Corona Virus continues to severely affect all live music.
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