The last of the 74th "Seaton Music" season's concerts. The Sacconi are not afraid of playing quietly : Great! They are also not afraid of programming rarities such as (in this case) Arthur Bliss' A minor Piano Quartet. A piece full of flowing tunes (one almost a Scottish folk tune), moments of humour and a finale peppered with assymetrical time signatures that, in the hands of Bliss, sound entirely natural. Not for the first time your reviewer felt "The world should hear more music by Bliss".
The Sacconi, of course, have four technically secure players, but what makes them "tick" as a quartet. They don't have an obvious match of instrumental sound and they enjoy a full viola and strong second violin tone. As the evening progressed the respect the players had for each other (always giving space) became clear. Total eye contact meant good ensemble. And power: They certainly "let go" in Cesar Franck's Piano Quintet.
One further good point: Although given a microphone they kept the talking to the bare minimum.
A promenade play presented by Over the Wall Productions and Jom on Top Theatre, created specifically for the Beer Quarry Caves and loosely based on true events in the quarry's long history.
Some of the dialog was lost because of the predictable echo but Mark Shorto's "Felix" had the most spooky facial expressions as he lead the audience and his two fellow actors further into the murkey world of the quarry's past (and indeed his own past).
The audience found themselves part of the story in the final scene as we realised we were all spirits caught up in the quarry. Some clever plot construction matched by well thought out use of the space and the props.
15th Aug 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Deirdre Cartwright (guitar) and Alison Rayner (bass).
The Old Picture House, Seaton, Devon
The two technically competent performers were not entirely successful in communication with their audience. Having a microphone to talk to the audience was very helpful, but then Alison Rayner failing to use it when addressing us (which she did frequently) was not.
The pair also failed to break out of the jazz routine of each number being a simple "play a tune - do a bit of improvisation (same tone, style and dynamic) and then reprise the tune" pattern.
14th Aug 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Ricky Romain (Sitar) & Lewis Riley (Tabla)
The Old Picture House, Seaton, Devon
An evening presented under the banner of "Seaton Music Extra" this was an unusual (in Seaton) opportunity to hear northern Indian style classical music performed live. A somewhat soporific experience, the sound relies heavily on rhythm and melody over a continuous D drone. A fascinating sound but most western ears in the audience were longing for a key change by the end of the evening.
2nd Aug 2025 - 20:00 hrs - BBC Prom
- Halle Orchestra - Halle Choir - Halle Youth Choir - Kachung Wong - Marie Eriksmoen (soprano) - Emily D'Angelo (mezzo)
Royal Albert Hall, London
Mahler's second symphony could have been written for the Royal Albert Hall. This was a young man's interpretation. Kachun Wong new the score intimately and the concert was full of perfectly balanced orchestral colour throughout. Many great moments of quiet were perfectly judged. The heavy brass played with quality for the whole work and restraint where needed (in stark contrast to the mornings concert). The choir entry was a perfect pianissimo and the finale was as loud and as exciting as anyone could want. But perhaps the conductor's youth and obvious enjoyment of every Mahlerian indulgence meant that the piece often felt just slightly "held up" rather than flowing in a grand arch. A conductor to watch - one senses that his Mahler interpretations in twenty years time may be really something!
2nd Aug 2025 - 11:00 hrs - BBC Prom
- BBC Concert Orchestra - Anna-Maria Helsing - Erin Morley (soprano)
Royal Albert Hall, London
A morning of Strauss (+ musically related others) waltzes proved too subtle for the BBC Concert Orchestra. The trombones were consistently way too loud and in general it was all too heavy and routine.
Against this unsophisticated playing, Soprano Erin Morley was a breath of fresh air with her four performances. Technically agile (including notes way up at the top (and beyond)) she alone caught the delicacy and fragility combined with gentle wit and charm that is the true essence of this wonderful music.
1st Aug 2025 - 19:30 hrs - BBC Prom
- City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - BBC Singers - Kazuki Yamada - Yunchan Lim (piano)
Royal Albert Hall, London
The young pianist Yunchan Lim seems to already be a celebrity. He wasn't in the least bit flustered by an audible alarm going off back stage half way through the first movement of the 4th piano concerto by Rachmaninov. The conductor had to leave the stage to get the noise silenced before returning to complete the second and third movements. Most odd!
The CBSO were joined by the BBC Singers for a rare performance of Berio's Sinfonia. A bonkers piece with more orchestral colour than some Ravel. This showed both the BBC Singers and the CBSO at their best (which is very good indeed!). Conductor Kazuki Yamada was visibly pleased with his performers at the end!
31st July 2025 - 22:15 hrs - BBC Prom
- Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir - Tonu Kaljuste
Royal Albert Hall, London
Late night proms always have a special atmosphere (and are always hot!) and tonight was no exception. Some really hushed singing celebrating Arvo Part's 90th birthday. Beautiful solo spot from one of the ladies in the choir and some sensitive organ accompaniment.
Conductor Tonu Kaljuste charmed the whole audience with his modest relaxed manner. There can never have been a quieter piece played as an encore....
Dating from 1956, Noel Coward's play "Nude with Violin" is rarely performed. It's a somewhat unsubtle dig at the modern art movement and the associated art critic world. Some good one liners, a superb spontaneous ad lib covering a slight blip from the sound engineer and a very 1950's cluttered set. A great evening's entertainment created by Director Enid Perry.
All the cast were good but special mention should go to the key role of Sebastian taken with obvious relish by Stephen Knight.
16th July 2025 - 21:30 hrs (?) - George and Dragon Music Night
George and Dragon, Ilfracombe, Devon
Roger Swann = vague guitar and vocals
Stumbled into a local musicians night at the George and Dragon after a few beers and enjoyed the friendly welcoming atmospher and varied music being performed by the locals.
Eventually a guitar was borrowed and your reviewer gave one of his rustiest performances ever.....
A wonderful summer's evening for listening to music ensured everyone enjoyed this concert presented by Shute Festival.
Some very sensitive accompaniment from Ivelina Krasteva contributed to first class ensemble. What a range of touch she has, light when needed but happy to add passion and power in Schumann's Fantasiestucke Op 73. Her "solo spot" of three pieces by Mel Bonis could so easily have been mistaken for Debussy.
Hugo Haag had technical security of his instrument and faultless intonation but rarely convinced your reviewer that he believed in the music. He always looked as if he'd rather not be performing!
10th July 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Michael Collins - Clarinet, Leon McCawley - Piano
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
One of the 74th "Seaton Music" season's concerts. Michael Collin's demonstrated immaculate control of his instrument, with some lovely pianissimo entries being particularly striking.
As he pointed out, it was rare to hear both the Brahms op 120 clarinet sonatas in one concert. They are contrasting in style so one might wonder why this is?
Joseph Horovitz's Sonatina was a frisky little number!
The Uffculme Real Ale and Music festival's second day featured the East Devon Rock Choir on the main stage (and then later doing a "flash mob" in the audience area to catch the punters out!).
Carey Camel's infectious enthusiasm really helps make every performance memorable for the audience.
A left handed guitarist who is very adept with foot control of backing loops to create bass lines over which he can both sing (at times in harmony) and play guitar and keyboard solos. All very slick. Still managing to find time for a bit of crowd banter too.
Sadly, three and a half pints of excellent ale later, your reviewer had to leave at this point. The event itself was scheduled to run through to midnight and would have made an excellent way to spend a day!
Great to be invited to play as part of the Fowey / Binic (Brittany) exchange festival. The farewell super took place on the hottest day of the year so far so the quintet opted to dress for comfort. Playing on the balcony of the sailing club gave us a great view over Fowey harbour.
Abbey Brass with "Informal" dress code - never mind the band, look at the back drop!
Lovely warm day at Bridwell Park craft fair - with some interesting stalls to enjoy. The East Devon Rock Choir did two sets, including much new interesting repertoire. Good dynamics in Blonde's "Call Me".
The East Devon premier of Philip Glass' second violin concerto pushed the orchestra (and perhaps the conductor too) a little out of their comfort zone but soloist Joel Munday carried the performance and thoroughly deserved the standing ovation from the sell out audience. A later work, it still contains the hall mark Philip Glass pulsating rhythmic modulations but there are efforts to introduce some greater tonal changes (perhaps the composer's response to the "Four Seasons" aluded to in the work's sub-title) which provided a welcome additional layer of complexity that is perhaps missing in many of the composer's earlier works.
Great to finish with Beethoven's Eroica Symphony - a work that still sounds as revolutionary today as it must have done at it's premier.
Horn Section (after a warm rehearsal but before a pre-concert dinner): Roger Swann (principal), Hilary Gunn, Chris Mayhew
One of the most peaceful concerts your reviewer has ever enjoyed. The bird song outside was audible all evening, gently matching the quiet sophisticated guitar playing on show.
Aleksandra Sapok used her right hand position to great effect throughout, creating an immense variety of tone to suit the music's mood. Ben Salfield played a guitar made to his own specification which had fourteen strings and was tuned as a lute and had the rear of the neck shaped as is a lute. He described it as "like a lute but more rugged and stable".
Starting firmly in the Elizabethan era they ended with their own arrangements of two pavanes, by Ravel and Faure. After this quiet end to the quiet concert they chose an even more subdued piece as an encore, one of Sati's Gymnopédie. It shows great confidence in their own musicianship to avoid the temptation to end on some fancy flamboyant lollypop, confidence that was completely justified.
A varied programme enjoyed by performers and audience alike on this sunny Sunday afternoon.
Highlights include the string playing in the slow movement of Beethoven's 2nd Symphony and the flute playing of Suzanne de Lozey in Mendelssohn's Scherzo from Midsummer Night's Dream.
Emma Rowe is a relative newcomer to the orchestra and she sounded particularly settled and relaxed in the "hot seat" of first oboe.
15th May 2025 - 19:00 hrs - Joel Mundy (violin) - Alex Wilson (piano)
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
A concert presented by Seaton Music (still fighting the repurcussions of the closure of the Gateway in Seaton).
Really good to hear works for violin and piano by Lili Boulanger (a gentle enchanting series of miniatures) and Eugene Ysaye's Poeme Elegiaque (a particularly expressive performance).
14th May 2025 - 17:00 hrs - Die Walkure - Live stream from ROH, Covent Garden
Scott Cinema, Sidmouth, Devon
Does a review of a live screening from the Royal Opera House through a local cinema have a place on these pages? Given that it was a really emotionally moving experience I think the answer is a whole hearted "yes".
The sound was good, the chair was comfortable and the view was uninterrupted. Close ups of the singers revealed the quality of acting that matched the quality of the singing. Especially so in the case of Elisabet Strid taking the role of Brunnhilde.
A small but very varied audience (including one teenager) were gripped by the production. One audience member was heard to say "it doesn't feel like a long opera". In this production (Director Barrie Kosky) this was most definitely the case.
10th May 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Isca Ensemble South West - Isca Chorus - Roger Hendy - Amy Garson (sop), Maria Brown (alto), Michael Graham (tenor), Tim Mirfin (bass)
Exeter Cathedral, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
An all Dvorak program based upon a performance of this composer's Stabat Mater, Op 58.
This is a rarely performed masterpiece, containing melodies characteristic of Dvorak but also moments of spiritual calm and soulful yearning less typically associated with the composer.
Horn Section (after enjoying a good pre-concert dinner): Mike Ogonovsky, Roger Swann (principal), Hilary Gunn, Chris Mayhew
18th April 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Guys and Dolls - Centre Stage
Exmouth Pavilion, Exmouth, Devon
Frank Loesser's show was written in 1950 and is set in the New York gangster/gambling underworld of this time. But it's tightly constucted plot packed with wonderfully over-the-top characters still seem fresh today.
Every song in the show is a winner and the libretto is full of witty one liners (some of which would have benefited from just a little slower delivery to allow the audience to catch them).
Centre Stage is a youth theatre with a wide range of ages represented on stage. They did a great job under director Sue Bonnett. All the leads managed their roles well and the very young Lt Brannigan (Seb Martin) must have watched plenty of Kojak and Columbo episodes!
10th April 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Quartz Saxophone Quartet
United Reform Church, Seaton, Devon
Another extra concert presented by Seaton Music who are still waiting patiently for the promised reopening of the Seaton Gateway building. Moving away from the more classical biased ensembles (string trio/quartet etc) this concert featured the Quartz Saxophone Quartet (Paul Stevens - soprano, Christian Forshaw - alto, Brad Grant - tenor, Mick Foster - baritone).
This established group played a good range of music, Mick Foster's own antiphonal arrangement of a work by Hildegard of Bingen was an atmospheric opening to the second half and contrasted well with Will Gregory's Hoe Down which was an excellent ending of the first set.
Christian Forshaw played eight parts on the recording that the quartet worked with as they added in the four live parts which, combined, form Steve Reich's New York Counterpoint. A very convincing performance.
An intense harrowing programme (for both the audience and performers) consisting of just two works: The Piano Trio No 2 Op 67 of Shostakovich and Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps.
All players were totally committed to their art. From the moment cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker opened the concert with her super pianissimo super high harmonics in the Shostakovich through to the equally quiet and equally high violin notes in the Messiaen this was a concert that had the full concentration of the listeners.
Clarinetist Matthew Hunt perfectly captured the birdsong movement in Messiaen (perhaps the only moment of real relief in the whole evening).
Maybe not an obviously enjoyable concert but most definitely a moving one.
The London Mozart Players showed sensitivity when accompanying the choir and soloists. Impressive solo singing from the two sopranos Lucinca Cox and Daisy Wolford.
Joel Munday's first appearance with LMP was assured and confident, offering much lyrical and expressive playing to enjoy.
A good evening's music making enjoyed inspite of the cold venue!
1st March 2025 - 19:30 hrs - ISCA Ensemble - Roger Hendy - Jordan Black (clarinet)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Sidmouth, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Playing on a basset clarinet and demonstrating full control of the instrument over a very wide range of dynamics, Jordan Black made the Mozart clarinet concerto easily the highlight of the concert. Never over sentimental, never showy but always sustained phrasing with a sense of direction, this was playing of the highest order. Having the chance to perform with musicians of this calibre is one of the many good reasons to enjoy playing with the ISCA Orchestra.
The most effective piece in the programme was the delightful "Suite of Scottish Dances". Written in 1946 by William Alwyn (1905-1985) this series of short movements neatly evokes shortbread box images of Scotland.
The orchestra's new principal oboe, Emma Rowe, has an attractive stable tone and plays with unfussy security. She is a welcome addition to the woodwind section.
20th Feb 2025 - 19:30 hrs - Ryan Corbett - Accordion
United Reform Church, Seaton, Devon
An extra concert presented by Seaton Music, responding to the seemingly chaotic situation with repairs to the Seaton Gateway building structure.
The United Reform Church is an intimate space, perfect for the enjoyment of Ryan Corbett's very varied programme. The distinctly Russian sounding works by Vladislav Zolotaryov worked especially well. It's interesting to observe that these were the only pieces played that were originally composed for the accordian.
How wonderful to see Thea Musgrave in the audience for this first performance of a new production of her (both music and libretto) 1977 opera. The audience applause for her during the curtain calls was most moving.
The title role is a huge sing, being on the stage for virtually the whole running time. Vulnerability, genuine maternal love and (perhaps) lack of wisdom when handling her seemingly power mad suitors were all equally well conveyed by Heidi Stober.
When seeing two operas on consecutive nights comparisons are inevitable. Compared with the flamboyant music of Turnage yesterday, this evening's pallet was of much more subtle shades, arguably more reflecting the lead character's nature rather than the court pagentry or the brutal blunt "masculinity" of James Stewart, Lord Darnley and the Earl of Bothwell.
Mark-Anthony Turnage's brand new opera received rave reviews in the press at it's first night (11th Feb 2025) and your reviewer is in full agreement. This is a show that is a winner from every angle.
The portrayal of the formal chit chat that goes with any large family event is captured perfectly (and therefore brings many moments of humour to the evening).
John Tomlinson's Grandpa is touchingly believable as he doesn't quite fully remember both his relative's names and the lines of his (rather witty) speach. He almost steals the show!
Beneath all this is an underlying portrayal of the damage child abuse can do to the helpless victims and the way individuals so often turn a blind eye to events (the work's penultimate scene is the morning after with everyone leaving, jolly and polite, as if it had been a typical family celebration night).
A very colourful score (the band must have loved playing this) and the fast paced drama was well acted and sung by the whole cast.
A night of celtic traditional music from this group of four musicians. Iain MacGillivray demonstrated perfect control over stopping and starting the highland pipes - no mean feat. Excellent flute/whilstle and violin from the band too.
An enchanting production with full of subtle fairytale effects (you feel certain you must have missed some). The light yet sumptious score was immaculately played by the orchestra under the baton of Lithuanian Ms Šlekytė.
The two lead roles, Kate Lindsey (Hansel) and Heidi Stober (Gretel), were believably childlike in their stage presence and sung exquisitely.
Can you really do a musical without a live band? Singing to a backing track inevitably means synchronisation is lost from time to time, particularly in the songs where the tempo needs to be pulled around (Fagin's "I'm Reviewing the Situation" was the most extreme example of many).
But if you pick a good show (and Lionel Bart's 'Oliver!' surely falls into this category) and have good lead roles (Fagin (Tucker Scott-Stevens), Oliver (Spike Harvey) and Nancy (Laura Addy) were excellent) then this can be easily be overlooked.
The sound balance ("Seventh Wave Audio") was kept to sensible levels - almost all the lyrics were audible (some other local amateur groups could learn from this!). A good production (with a tense brutal closing sequence (albeit with a happy ending)). All in all a good nights entertainment.
10th Dec 2024 - 19:00 hrs - Colyton Grammar School Christmas Concert
Cottrill Hall, Colyton Grammar School, Devon
A night packed with variety, showing many strengths from Tom Brimelow's Music Department. Various orchestras and choirs were put through their paces along with the Jazz Band and several smaller sized ensembles.
All performances were enjoyable. Special mention for year 10 school violist "T Smith" and his solo performance of a movement by Telemann.
7th Dec 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Isca Ensemble South West - Roger Hendy - Julian Trevelyan (piano)
Sidmouth Parish Church, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Rousing opening of Shostakovich's Festival Overture (taken at a safe rather than scary tempo) was a pleasing musical contrast to Julian Trevelyan's attractive playing in Beethoven's Emperor concerto (although one did feel the soloist would have been happier with a brisker finale).
The under tempo theme continued in the second half with some relaxed speeds in extracts from Delibe's Copelia.
The audience seemed happy enough though. They deserve credit for turning out in the aftermath of storm "Darragh" and sitting in a church which was distinctly on the cool side.
Good to record the enjoyment offered by the Colyton Primary Academy choir (under the direction of Mrs Whitehorn). The young singers sang with enthusiasm and joy (and did some good choreographed movements too) and were a highlight of the Colyton Christams Fayre.
It's not so easy to be enthusiastic about the performance of Honiton Band on the stage in the town hall. The leader kept his rain coat on whilst the remainder of the band wore uniforms to varying degrees. They had to restart one carol and they played a version of "We Three Kings" slower than a funeral march. Very shoddy.
30th Nov 2024 - 19:00 hrs - Bude Choral Society - John Hobbs - Katie Wright (sop), Charlotte Badham (mezzo), Matthew Jeffrey (ten), Julian Rippon (bar)
Bude Methodist Chapel, Bude, Cornwall
Roger Swann = horn
A varied baroque programme (Bach, Vivaldi, Handel) with the chorus accompanied by Divertimento Orchestra but with horns featuring only in the first piece (Bach Cantata BWV 65) a rather strange event to be involved in as a player.
21st Nov 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Ryan Corbett - Accordion
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
The second concert of the 74th "Seaton Music" season. Ryan Corbett's fingers are as fleet as they are long (and they are very long!).
He explained some of the basic complexities of the "Classical Accordion" and at the same time demonstrated the most musical use of the wide range of tone colours and dynamics the instrument is capable of. The audience were spellbound through out his two hour performance.
The regular spot by these musicians in the open air lounge was clearly well appreciated by the locals, many of whom demonstrated their approval of the music by the amount of grogue (local white rum) they consumed.
The music was good, varied, mostly local (of course the odd Bob Marley cover), tightly played and not overly loud. Some UK pub bands could learn a lot from these players.
27th Oct 2024 - 11:00 hrs - Coffee-Time Concert, Ottilie Brazier-Pethick (flute), Oriel Chapman (organ and piano)
St Andrew's Church, Colyton, Devon
A most enjoyable demonstrate of young local talent. Particularly effective choice of stops in the Piere a Notre Dame from Boellmann's Suite Gothic to create a soft mellow tone, contrasting attractively with the sound world of the previous movement.
Ottilie Brazier-Pethick neatly captured the lightness of foot of the goat in Honegger's Danse de la Chevre.
The first concert of the 74th "Seaton Music" season. A great piece of programming including works by Sir Arnold Bax and Judith Weir (her "Blanche comme la neige" was a single movement taken from her piano quartet; It was a great shame we didn't get a chance to hear the whole work).
Perhaps the (unexpected?) highlight was the Op21 Piano Quartet by Herbert Howells. What a powerful piece this proved to be. The quartet really created some atmosphere in the very moving slow movement.
The performance of these two rarely heard Bernstein operas (linked by storyline but written thirty years apart) was made more practical by the reduced orchestration of Garthedwin Sunderland. One suspects a certain amount of extravagent Bernstein colour might have been lost in this process.
In the end the evening proved quite quite an emotional rollercoaster ending eventually with on an optimistic note with this disfunctional but well meaning family agreeing on a pact to accept differences and work together. A good lesson for life....
Amongst the excellent cast the two ladies shone: Wallis Giuna as Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti) and Rowan Pierce as Dede (A Quiet Place).
20th Oct 2024 - 15:00 hrs - Axe Vale Orchestra - Walter Brewster - Faye Mayer (clarinet)
The Gateway, Seaton, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
A programme of rarely performed works by English Composers it was great to have a chance to play the "Little Suite No. 1" by Malcolm Arnold, one of the first orchestral works your reviewer ever played.....
Faye Mayer wasn't frightened to ebb and flow with the tempos in Stanford's Clarinet concerto, working hard to bring out the latent expression in the slow movement and the quirky dance style of the outer movements.
Horn Section: Roger Swann, Peter Milmer (principal), Rafe Home, Mike Ogonovsky
19th Oct 2024 - 19:30 hrs - Isca Ensemble South West - Roger Hendy - Kacper Nowak ('cello)
Exeter Cathedral, Devon
Roger Swann = horn
Dvorak's lyrical 'cello concerto may not have been the wisest choice of work to perform in the vast acoustic cavern of Exeter Cathredral; much of Kacper Nowak's perfectly paced haunting performance was lost for many in the audience.
This was not the case for the final movements of the Symphonie Fantastique where the full force of heavy brass and enthusiastic percussion let rip. But the most beautiful playing in the piece was from the oboe / cor anglais (Joe Sharp and Andrew Maries) in the "Scene in the Country" [third] movement.
Horn Section: Chris Mayhew, Hilary Gunn, Mike Ogonovsky, Roger Swann (principal)
A chance to perform in the beautiful parish church in Kenton. A wide ranging programme included "Movie Night" by Paul Foster and "Pipistrelles" by Paul Drayton, both local composers. Great to have Paul Foster in the audience.
Abbey Brass (left to right): Paul Thomas, Tony Hindley, Roger Swann, Martin Cleaves, Jeremy Loysen
20th Sept 2024 - 19:30 hrs - "It's Murder at the Town Hall"
Town Hall, Colyton, Devon
Described as "A comedy by Chrissy Evans - an evening of conspiracy, corruption and death with local actors" this evening proved to do exactly what it said on the tin. Set in the fictious town of Seaford the local council extraordinary meeting was definitely extraordinary!
Good acting throughout and a plot with more twists than a snakes and ladders board featuring all the typical (???) characters on a local council the story had a happy ending with the "bad guy" on the losing end. A really good "local" evening!
