** Positive Notes about Selected Concerts **
Season - 2022/2023
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The Minster, Axminster, Devon
Chris Gradwell’s programme started with a sleazy blues (“Clarinet Cadenza” by Sid Phillips) and how well he did the “sleaze”! Equally successful were two other more jazz styled pieces: “Gordon’s Tune by Gordon Langford and "Blues" by Michele Mangani, a piece derived from Gerswin’s "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris" which started (inevitably) with the infamous clarinet glissando.
Accompanist Nicholas Brown has an enviable lightness of touch at the keyboard (as previously observed in these pages) and he combines this with a sensitivity to the soloist, both of which allowed Chris Gradwell to relax and enjoy the music. An added bonus is that (unlike most accompanists) he had his own composotion “Canzonetta” to offer and a very attractive gentle piece of music it proved to be.
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9th Aug 2023 - 19:00 hrs - BBC Prom
33 - BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - John Storgards - Dame Sarah Connolly (Mezzo-soprano)
Royal Albert Hall, London
Passionate and energetic, exciting and technically tight across the whole orchestra throughout the concert, tonight the BBC Philharmonic were on sparkling form.
Leader Yuri Torchinsky seemed super enthusiastic in his tutti playing yet had a loving gentle tone in a
programme littered with fiddle solos. Conductor John Storgards seemed to know exactly what he wanted to do with every bar of three
off the beaten path pieces (even the BBC concert programme admits that Rachmaninov Symphony No. 1 has "sections in which he [the composer] can seem to lose his way") but was also equally comfortable (and imaginative) in Weber's Oberon Overture.
Sarah Connolly matched (or exceeded) the quality of the orchestra behind her making Dora Pejacevic's Four Orchestral Songs sound like the masterpieces that they perhaps are.
This was a top class concert that had everything in spades.
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8th Aug 2023 - 19:00 hrs - BBC Prom
32 - BBC National Orchestra of Wales - Jaime Martin - Geneva Lewis (violin)
Royal Albert Hall, London
Programming Holst's Planets Suite guaranteed a packed house and one that insisted in clapping after every movement of every piece in spite of the conductors best efforts to get some continuity. At times this was definitely a distraction. Having the ladies of the LSO Chorus on the gallery did give the final moments of the piece a heavenly touch!
Very good to hear Grace William's violin concerto (first performance at the proms and exactly the type of thing that the BBC Proms should be all about). Very lyrical playing by young Geneva Lewis was sometimes lost in the combination of the cavernous Royal Albert Hall and the generous orchestration.
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6th Aug 2023 - 20:00 hrs - Show of Hands (with Miranda Sykes)
The Ham Marquee (Sidmouth Folk Festival Venue), Sidmouth, Devon
Perhaps Devon's most well known folk duo / band (here actually a trio) Show of Hands have an enviable reputation. They lived up to expectations this evening. Good lyrics shared between the fine singing voices of Phil Beer and Steve Knightley and good harmony when all three (ie + Miranda Sykes) combined. Lots of different styles and tone colours (regularly swapping instruments (and sharing some between themselves)).
Just occasionally words were inaudible when the bass was playing (a dull boring sound when compared with the bright fresh colours from Messrs Beer and Knightly).
Simple but effective lighting allowed one to concentrate on the music. A good gig!
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28th July 2023 - 18:00 hrs - East Devon Rock Choir - Carey Camel (director)
The Strand, Exmouth, Devon
This is the first season with Carey Camel at the helm of the East Devon Rock Choir and what a popular chap he is proving to be (both with choir members and audiences alike).
The group had the honour of being the headline musicians for this year's three day Exmouth Festival and as a result had the chance to show their strengths to a large, varied (but largely attentive) audience. The choir sounded great and have added Dolly Parton's Joleen to their repertoire list (this has always been one of your reviewer's favourite songs).
Even the Town Crier seemed to be up for some Rock Choir music!
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1st July 2023 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble - Roger Hendy - Kacper Nowak ('cello)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 in A min (Op 33) is jam packed with flowing melodies and it requires a skillful and expressive soloist to allow these to appear spacious and effortless. This is exactly what Kacper Nowak achieved with seeming ease.
Some good bassoon playing in the notoriously tricky overture from Marriage of Figaro!
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29th June 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Anglo-Polish Chamber Concert
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Hendy's tireless work promoting quality music in East Devon whilst at the same time continuing to raise funds for Hospicecare led to the promotion of this concert which turned out to be a real treat enjoyed by a large attentive audience.
Lucas Krupinski (piano) - Joel Munday (violin) - Kacper Nowak ('cello) are all well known to followers of Roger Hendy's concerts but this was the first time all three had joined forces for a chamber concert. Lucas Krupinski has a quality lightness of touch (particularly suited to the Chopin and Schubert) and both Joel Munday and Kacper Nowak have a genuine musical judgement that allows phrases to always have a flow and senses of direction. Schubert's Trio in E flat Op 100 made a great final piece and was full of examples of the music being given time to breath by the two string players.
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21st June 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Il Trovatore - Conductor: Antonio Pappano
A long show full of wonderful tunes played with precision by the ROH Orchestra, only if you were listening very closely might you detect the tiniest feelings of "we've done this all before". A very colourful staging (designer: Annemarie Woods) which just about made sense with the somewhat convoluted plot (what were those dogs with horns?). How (why?) can Verdi write such jolly melodies when the stage business is so macabre?
Jamie Barton was a particularly impressive voice as the gypsy mother Azucena.
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17th June 2023 - 19:30 hrs - The Nightjars.
The Gerrard Arms, Colyton, Devon
Fairly routine "covers" band ranging from less successful Pink Floyd to a particularly well received version of Smokie's "Living Next Door to Alice". A good Saturday night was had by all!
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7th June 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Wozzeck - Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Some fine singing (Wozzeck: Christian Gerhaher) as always at the ROH, combined with an effective set (Director: Deborah Warner). Rather unusually Antonio Pappano did let the (huge) orchestra get the upper hand some times, perhaps he has decided that Berg must have used such extravagent forces in order to keep the orchestra sound at the front. It is a great great score!
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The Gerrard Arms, Colyton, Devon
A packed beer garden (with all ages represented) provided the perfect audience for this enthusiastic and happy sea shanty group. They chose a good set of typical shanties (almost all erring on the politically incorrect side but all the more enjoyable for being so) and got there embibing audience joining in. There was an unexpected change of key between verses about two thirds of the way through "the drunken sailor"!
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21st May 2023 - 15:30 hrs - The Axe Vale Orchestra
- violin: Elise Griffin.
The Minster Church, Axmister, Devon
Roger Swann = conductor
Your reviewer received a very welcome invitation to be the guest conductor for this concert and what an honour it was to work with the young talented violinist Elise Griffin. She played the Bruch G minor concerto with technical expertise and lots of passion complete with a very fiery presto finish! Bravo.
The concert also included the rarity "A Children's Overture" by Roger Quilter and ended with some quality orchestral playing from all sections of the ensemble in Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor (Unfinished).
Photo: Julie
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The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
A bonus concert offered by "Seaton Music" alongside their AGM as a way of getting more participation in the meeting. Lucas Krupinski followed the powerful (but somewhat rambling?) Fantasy Op 17 by Schumann with light pastel shades of Ravel's Sonatine. Perhaps the highlights were the Chopin works, Lucas Krupinsky definitely has an empathy with the music of this composer from his own homeland.
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Lympstone Parish Church, Lympstone, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Any horn player enjoys the chance to play Haydn's Symphony No. 49 "La Passione"!
Good to also enjoy Joel Munday's playing in the Bach violin concerto in A minor BWV 1041.
The concert ended with another example of wonderful delicate writing for the horns (as well as for the two soloists) in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante K364. Good mutal understanding between the two soloists was to be expected. Just occasionally the synchronisation between the ensemble and the soloists did drift but such moments were quickly rectified.
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6th May 2023 - 19:00 hrs - Mojo Stone Cold Players
Strawbridge Playing Fields, Colyton, Devon
Colyton's end of the Coronation day was a local heavy metal covers band playing in the park. A good chance to be reminded of some old great hits of the past and enjoy a bottle of portugese red out of plastic tumblers. This band are tight and certainly know their material well.
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28th April 2023 - 20:00 hrs - Colyton Theatre Group: Wyrd Sisters
Colyton Town Hall, Colyton, Devon
Terry Pratchetts's play, very loosely based on Hamlet but pulling three witches from Macbeth and making odd (it's all "odd") references to various fairy tales, proved a little confusing at times but also had many witty moments.
Some of the quite sophisticated dialog was lost to your reviewer (a common challenge in amateur theatre is projecting the dialog and giving more space to the words) which was a shame because the obvious enthusiasm was plain to see and there was much excellent characterisation to enjoy. Bravo to director Adam Owen-Jones (who also took the role of Duke of Lancre, a man with blood on his hands (literally)).
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26th April 2023 - 20:00 hrs - Innocence - Conductor: Susanna Mälkki
Kaija Saariaho's opera, directed by Simon Stone has a score of overlapping textures, steadily ratcheting up the ominous tension as the work progressed. The continually rotating set (designer Chloe Lamford) exactly reflected the claustrophobia present in the drama. Cleverly doubling as both the wedding reception venue and the international school it mirrored the key point of the opera: "there is no escape from tragedies of the past".
The opera offered no solution to the (seemingly ever more common) question of how to stop mindless shootings at schools, but rather, emphasised the futility of such events and the devestation of the fall out for all directly or indirectly involved.
A very gripping couple of hours of theatre.
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22nd April 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Ferndown Drama Comedy Triple Bill
The Barrington Centre, Ferndown, Dorset
Three shorts, with three separate casts, provided a pleasing evening's entertainment. Good acting from all ten of the team. Some raucous loud guffaws from fellow audience members!
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The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The final concert in the "Seaton Music" subscription series was given by an 83 year old pianist with the fingers of a youngster (or so it must be assumed). His programme made no technical compromises for his age, including works by Liszt, Grainger and Earl Wild, all composers who were never frightened to use a hundred notes when ten would do!
Each piece was introduced with a brief but charming tale which meant that he had won the audience over even before he played a note!
He got more variety of colour from the Seaton Music piano than there was in his very lively, striking, waistcoat.
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17th Apr 2023 - 18:00 hrs - Old Spot
Rowan Piggott and Joe Danks on their debut tour as a duo. Very gentle, sensitive music making in this attractive initimate venue next to the river Coly. The music was accompanied by a local blackbird in fine voice which completely suited the occasion.
This was your reviewer's first encounter with a gourd banjo and very sweet is was too in the hands of Joe Danks.
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3rd Apr 2023 - 19:00 hrs - Adeos Duo - Joel Munday (violin) - Vanessa Hristova (Viola)
Saint Giles' Church, Sidbury, Devon
Very much a "village concert" in style of presentation (including complimentary sausage rolls and wine) but equally one with music making of the highest quality.
It's very reassuring to know that these young stars are politically aware, including Igor Loboda's "Requiem for Ukraine" in the programme (a piece worthy of it's place in the concert even without the background of the current situation).
Equally adventurous was the Prelude "Yasaye' for Solo Viola" by Kugel. Vanessa Hristova's powerful warm golden tone was the perfect match for her interpretation.
The two musicians came together for the "grand finale" of Martinu's rich harmonic tapestry : "Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola".
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1st Apr 2023 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble - Roger Hendy - Joel Munday (violin)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
After the calming ripples of Delius' "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring" we had the privilege of accompanying Joel Munday in a passionate vigourous outpouring of emotion in Brahm's Violin Concerto. It's been an honour to perform with this talented musician over the last four years and see him develop at a "Bluebird" pace as a result of that rare combination of strong work ethic and natural talent.
The second half consisted of a somewhat over indulgent interpretation of Elgar's Enigma Variations. But better to be over indulgent than dull !
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25th March 2023 - 17:00 hrs - Exeter University Symphony Orchestra - Spring Concert - Tim Pither - Charlie Gershinson (oboe)
St David's Church, Exeter
Roger Swann = horn
Charlie Gershinson gave an accomplished performance of the rarely heard (and delightful) oboe concerto No. 2 by Franz Krommer.
The concert also included the Exeter University Symphonic Wind Orchestra. They chose to play the very lively (in all senses) Candide Overture by Bernstein and did a good job!
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23rd March 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Duo B!z'art
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
"Seaton Music" presented some virtuosic entertainment with Duo B!z'art (Andre Roe and Geoffrey Baptiste) offering four hands (and the odd deliberately quirky facial expression) at one piano.
They were clearly at home with the french 20th centuary repertoire (although when comparing the wit of Satie's "Belle Excentrique" against Corigliano's "4 Gazebo Dances" it was the american who came up trumps for this reviewer).
Your reviewer chuckled out loud (hopefully not annoying fellow audience members too much) at Chabrier's rather cumbersomely titled "Souvenirs de Munich: Quadrille sur les themes favoris de Tristan et Isolde de Richard Wagner).
They also included a very sensitive performance of Copland's "Simple Gifts" from Appalacian Spring (you could feel the sun setting as the concluding morendo of the piece came to a close).
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22nd Mar 2023 - 19:00 hrs - Honitor/Sidmouth/Exmouth Rock Choir
- Vikki Hewitt - Soul of the City Gospel Choir
Mint Methodist Church, Exeter
Vikki Hewitt's last concert with the East Devon Rock Choir meant everyone one was really "going for it" so a great performance resulted. Two lovely ballads, Joleen and Perfect (originals by Dolly Parton and Ed Sheeran), were particularly enjoyable, showcasing the choirs tight ensemble (they all watch Vikki like hawks), good intonation and diction. But the more up-beat tunes (eg "This is Me" from "The Greatest Showman") sounded energetic and spirited too.
The Soul of the City Choir sounded great when you could hear them, which really was only for two short moments when they sang without the unpleasant overpowering background of unsubtle unremiting drum kit and boring electric bass.
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Holy Trinity Church, Exmouth, Devon
A really tight, exciting, joyful Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture (Glinka) opened the concert and set the high standard that was maintained throughout.
Sophie Brewer (flute) enchanted with the opening solo of Debussy's Prelude a l'Apres midi d'un faune.
The concert also featured the world premier of the orchestra's tuba player, Colin Dance's "A Symphony of Somerset". Well orchestrated, perhaps somewhat reminiscent of Percy Granger or RVW, the work romped through some tunes taken from the old English folk tradition.
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12th Mar 2023 - 19:00 hrs - The Axe Vale Orchestra
- "An Evening at the Theatre" - conductor: Arturo Serna
Chardstock Community Hall, Chardstock, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
A repeat of the programme given on 26th Feb 2023 in the recently refurbished Chardstock village hall (complete with excellent "top down" lighting) was given extra spirit because it marked conductor Arturo Serna's last appearance as the AVO's permanent conductor. His energy, musical passion and latin american take on all forms of music making will be much missed by all the players.
The audience clearly loved it! Perhaps helped by the fact that they had a splendid finger buffet (or more?) as part of the interval distraction.
The horn section complete with our esteemed conductor, left to right: Rafe Home, Peter Milmer, Arturo Serna (conductor), Mike Ogonovsky, Roger Swann.
( Photograph: Les Baker)
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11th Mar 2023 - 20:00 hrs - Exeter Camerata - Tony Hindley - Amye Farrel ('cello)
Teignmouth Pavillions, Teignmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
The orchestra back in this most unpleasant concert venue facing garish lighting and a dead acoustic. Members of the audience were faced with a concert interval with no tea or coffee available.
Amye Farrel did her best to inject some life into the affair with her perfomance of Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major.
( Photograph: Julie)
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8th Mar 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Das Rheingold - conductor: Martyn Brabbins
A deliberately colourful cartoonish production (Richard Jones) featured one of the best rainbow bridges ever: a continuing cascade of rainbow coloured foil leaves....
The production also emphasised that Valhalla was not so much the promised land as a prison.
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26th Feb 2023 - 15:00 hrs - The Axe Vale Orchestra
- "An Afternoon at the Theatre" - conductor: Arturo Serna
The Feoffees Hall, Colyton, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
An enjoyable romp through some good tunes "stolen" from operas ended with the second suite from Bizet's Carmen. Perhaps the conductor's latin blood was the reason that this piece particularly "came alive" and sent the good sized audience home on a high.
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24th Feb 2023 - 19:30 hrs - Carmen - conductor: Kerem Hassan.
Very definitely NOT an advertisement for singing opera in English, Bizet's wonderful work was severely hampered by an amazingly heavy handed clunky English translation by Christopher Cowell.
Away from the words there was much to enjoy: The singing of Carrie-Anne (her ENO debut, Micaela) and Sean Panikkar (Jose) were the on stage hightlights and Kerem Hassan kept the pace going without ever feeling pushy.
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Exmouth Pavilion, Devon
A good night out filled with non-stop fast paced dance movement. Some very fit people on stage! Very exciting but perhaps slightly let down by the loud mono-dynamic pre-recorded music which felt a bit unremitting and which overpowered the small amount of singing (which sounded fine other than the balance) and more importantly took away the impact of the tap dancing. It was impossible to tell if the taps we were hearing were from the stage or pre-recorded (and there were definitly a few moments where the sound of tap dancing was present but no one was moving on stage....). Lighting was spot on and the dancers themselves put on a very slick show. There were some super fast outfit changes going on backstage!
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The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
"Seaton Music" at it's best: An established but still young (and very energetic!) quartet playing Berg in Seaton. Huge dynamic and tonal range and an obvious passion for Berg's unique string writing led to a vivid performance full of extraordinary sound colours. A very complex score but sounding luscious in this gripping performance.
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14th Jan 2023 - 19:30 hrs - "For Christina" - Helix Ensemble - Dan Watson - Anne Mee ('cello)
St Andrew's Church, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire
A concert celebrating the contribution to musical life and friendship in Leicestershire made by Christina Warner who died last year and who is sorely missed by all Leicestershire orchestral musicians.
Great thought must have gone into the programme planning and the Helix Ensemble nailed it: Very joyous music surrounding the short but perfectly poignant Kol Nidrei (Bruch's Op 47) with the solo 'cello part (Christina's own instrument) played with moving sincerity by Anne Mee.
A hallmark of this group is to include less frequently played repertoire and starting with Malcolm Arnold's Serenade for Small Orchestra was a typical case. Malcolm Arnold's writing rarely takes itself too seriously and as such is a perfect mirror of Christina's approach to life.
No holds barred for the tempo of the finale of Mendelssohn's Italian symphony! Great!
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24th Dec 2022 - 16:00 hrs - Nativity
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
It was great fun (and very Christmassy) to be invited by the local rector Stephen Martin to play in the hastily assembled band for the children's nativity service. Complete with live sheep and lambs (but with a "no show" at the last minute from the donkey) everyone enjoyed themselves and the carols (directed by Stephen) all went well!
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17th Dec 2022 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble - Roger Hendy - Thomas Isaac ('cello)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Thomas Isaac gave a no holds barred interpretation of Elgar's Cello Concerto. This was powerful and intense. It might be argued that some of Elgar's lyrical writing was swamped by passion but without doubt the commitment of the performance was very convincing.
The second half's Dvorak (his tuneful Symphony No. 7 in D minor) almost felt like "light relief".
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The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The third concert of the "Seaton Music" 22/23 season gave Lucas Krupinski a chance to demonstrate his love and empathy for the music of Chopin and at the same time perhaps the limitations of Seaton Music piano as he pushed it to the limit for both trimumphant and dispondent forte passages. He really does manage extraordinary fluidity at the keys.
Good violin playing was on show too: Joel Munday has a very enjoyable lightness of touch and is not afraid to use this to good effect to the benefit of the music (for example in Beethoven's Violin Sonata no. 7 op 30 no 2)
The pair of musicians (who played with pretty good ensemble throughout (just occasionally it did feel as if Lucas was pushing the pace more than Joel might have liked)) chose to present the recital very formally - dressed in smart all black and with only one brief talk to the audience. This approach does allow the music to "speak for itself" and it is refreshing to see younger musicians not being frightened of this form of performance.
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30th Nov 2022 - 19:30 hrs - It's a Wonderful Life - conductor: Nicole Paiement.
A remake of the 1940's classic film with Danielle de Niese taking the role of the second class angel, Clara and Frederick Ballentine and Jennifer France taking the roles of the almost doomed George Bailey and his love Mary Hatch (fine singing and acting by all).
A relatively small orchestra ensured that the music was unobtrusive (if not exactly memorable) (composer: Jake Heggie) so the suitably unbelievable plot (along with the odd slightly cheesy lyric couplet) was easy to follow. At times it felt like it was trying to be a musical but your reviewer found himself drawn to the characters and therefore pleasingly satisfied when the happy ending arrived.
It really is a disaster that ENO are threatened by a complete Arts Council cut. If you agree with this statement please sign the petition at the following link.
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26th Nov 2022 - 19:30 hrs - Exeter Camerata - Tony Hindley - Rupert Egerton-Smith (piano)
Sidmouth Paris Church, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Rupert Egerton-Smith stole the show with his fluid account of Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto (G major - Op 58). He was particularly attentive to the orchestra (perhaps even to the degree of following us rather than the other way round!).
Both Egmont Overture at the start of the concert and Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony that ended the event have rousing horn parts in their codas. The horn section were rousing!
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19th Nov 2022 - 19:30 hrs - Axminster Choral Society - Judy Martin - Chloe Stratta (Soprano) - David Fouracre (Baritone)
The Minster Church, Axminster, Devon
Conductor Judy Martin kept her small orchestra under the choir, only allowing full blown forte playing at the decisive moments. John Rutter's edition of the Faure requiem does rely heavily on the organ though; at times this felt slightly too weighty (do you really need a booming bass pedal under Chloe Stratta's floating Pie Jesu ?) and at other moments the likeness to a fairground organ didn't fit so well with Faure's sound world.
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17th Nov 2022 - 19:30 hrs - Metamorphoses
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The second concert of the "Seaton Music" 22/23 season was given by Metomorphoses, a trio of piano, clarinet and viola. Unfortunately the regular viola player Roeland Jagers (who's name still appears on the Metamorphoses web site) has recently been replaced by Carmen Flores. Such a change would be expected to take time and concert performances to settle down and this certainly seemed to be the case here where there were frequent lapses in both intonation and ensemble accuracy.
The balance was consistently in favour of the strident clarinet (Jean Johnson) and the at times heavy handed piano (Ilona Timchenko). We were able to enjoy only short glimpses of the more refined viola playing of Carmen Flores.
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Exeter Cathedral, Exeter, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
A very large and enthusiastic audience enjoyed the light frisky Barber of Seville overture before being treated to the effortless flowing pianism of Lucas Krupinski.
Programming the second symphony of Rachmaninoff as the second half was a challenge in concentration and stamina for the orchestral players. But it's such a glorious piece and so full of "ear worm" melodies that it's a real joy to rise to that challenge. An (unknown to your reviewer) audience member afterwards used the phrase "brilliant concert" and who am I to disagree?
The horn section (left to right : Mike Ogonovsky, Tracey Alder, Hilary Gunn, Roger Swann) discussing the nuances of Rachmaninoff performance at a pre-concert meal.
( Photograph: helpful waitor)
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20th Oct 2022 - 19:30 hrs - Leo Popplewell ('cello) - Antonina Suhanova (piano)
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The first concert of the "Seaton Music" 22/23 season set a high standard for those to come. The lyrical and sensitive playing of both musicians brought many highlights: The 'cello playing in the Langsam movement of Schumann's Funf Stucke in Volkston (Op 102) being a perfect example.
Ending with the full scale work of Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata Op 19 was a technically challenging choice which both players proved equal to. The pianistic skills of Antonina Suhanova were remarkable here, combining power and accuracy with some wonderfully rippling light moments.
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16th Oct 2022 - 15:00 hrs - The Axe Vale Orchestra
- Guest conductors Brian Northcott and Peter Milmer - Arturo Serna ('cello)
Seaton Gateway, Seaton, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Multi-talented Peter Milmer took to the conductor's rostrum to skillfully (and understandably enthusiastically) direct the orchestra through his own composition "The King Across the Water". A glorious happy celebration of life, this piece is packed with catchy themes and fast paced episodes. The audience loved it.
For the performance of Dvorak's 'Cello Concerto the soloist entered from the back of the stage and the conductor, Brian Northcott, came on from behind the audience. Arturo Serna gave a fiery exciting interpretation of this wonderful music (perhaps enjoying allowing his Venezuelan character to come through his instrument!). His encore of a movement taken from the Bach 'cello suites perhaps too betrayed this background but, quite rightly, had the audience (and orchestra) in a state of rapt attention.
Horn section: Rafe Home, Roger Swann, Peter Milmer (principal horn, composer and conductor).
( Photograph: Sophie Brewer)
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All Saints Church, Dulverton, Somerset
Part of the "Two Moors Festival", this concert was a chance to hear musicians of the highest quality play some of the less frequently heard wind music. Pavel Haas' quintet Op 10 was as fascinating as it was complex (with the use of piccolo and E flat clarinet adding extra "spikyness"). Alec Frank-Gemmill's playing of the horn part (which would be perfect as an advanced technical study) was awe inspiring.
The guest bass clarinet of Peter Sparks added a more solid sonarity for Janacek's "Mladi". The exemplary ensemble playing made this piece sound easy (it isn't!) and captured it's wistfull mood changes (which come and go so frequently that in anything other than expert hands it can sound disorientating (or just fall apart!)).
Additional variety to the programme was provided by Tamsin Waley-Cohen's haunting violin playing in Dvorak's Romance Op 11 with the accompanyment arranged for wind quintet.
This is a group who watch and listen to each other like hawks without such attention to detail ever getting in the way of the joy they feel for the making of music.
Even after a good walk on Exmoor the next day your reviewer was still considering the freshness of the Mladi performance by lunch time over a pint of Exmoor Ale...
( Photograph: Julie)
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6th Oct 2022 - 12:30 hrs - Music at the Minster - Lunchtime Concert - Woodbury Wind
The Minster, Axminster, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
16th Aug 2018 was your reviewer's debut in Devon with Woodbury Wind. It feels a long time ago! It's always a pleasure to be performing wind music in the Minster.
A concert of one piece: Mozart's E flat serenade No. 11 K375. The group seemed to be on form this afternoon, playing with the lightness and joyful spirit that this wonderful piece demands.
( Photograph: Graham Godbeer - Oct 2022)
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Sidmouth Paris Church, Devon
A gentle start to the 2022/23 season with Albinoni's Oboe Concerto Op 9 no. 2 and Bach's A min violin concerto BWV 1041 was followed by Joel Munday's remarkably virtuosic performance of Lysenko's Fantasy on 2 Ukrainian Themes. Written in the early 1870's this show piece seems to include every bit of violin technique available. This proved a neat way of transitioning into the luscious world of Puccini's I Crisantemi.
Returning to the earlier territory Joel Munday and Joe Sharp combined for Bach's ever popular double concerto BWV 1060 before the "strength in depth" aspect of the Isca Ensemble strings was demonstrated by additional soloists from within the section (Oxana Taylor (violin) and Tirke Linemann ('cello)) taking centre stage for one of Handel's Concerto Grosso.
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