Skip to main content

Summer songs 1 and 2: Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain plus Concertgebouw Amsterdam

Do you uke? Yes? You'll come away inspired. No? ha - ditto anyway -  the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain come highly recommended. Not just a musical show but a real evening of entertainment. I was far too busy laughing for taking photos - whilst trying to follow the very intricate arrangements and playing styles.

In between jokes, the 8-strong orchestra played a variety of old and new songs arranged very skillfully for their ensemble of ukuleles - from 'fridge magnet' tiny to a bass ukulele. Some of the set pieces are available on the Orchestra's YouTube page. Amongst classics such as Morricone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly were inspired takes on songs such as Get Lucky, Kiss and even Teenage Dirtbag. Party in the aisles of the Alhambra.

In complete contrast, a midday break from touristing round Amsterdam led us to the Concertgebouw for a bite-sized free concert. Within the calm of the Kleine Zaal  - packed with a mix of locals and tourists - we heard members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra perform a 35-minute programme:

Weber - Finale - Allegro (from Trio in g, Op. 63, J 259)
Schulhoff - Andante con moto; Andante;  Rondino -  Allegro gaio (from Concertino)
Brahms - Scherzo: Allegro - Molto meno allegro (from Horn Trio in E-flat major Op. 40)  

The Weber movement suited the summer's day perfectly - bright and warm. The Schulhoff which followed was rather more complex but equally rewarding. The movements from the Concertino showcased a sound derived from the Carpathian folk tradition - lots of complex rhythmic motifs and contrasting melodies, with a very lively folk dance in the Rondino.  The exuberance continued into the final section, with the lively lighter movement from Brahms' Horn Trio.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Angela Hewitt Week, 14th-20th May 2012

I just received information from a friend about Angela Hewitt Week in Ottawa, 14th-20th May as declared by Mayor Jim Watson. Ms Hewitt is performing with Chamber Players of Canada on Friday 18th May; there will also be An Afternoon With Angela Hewitt on 20th May at the National Arts Centre hosted by the Canadian Friends of the Trasimeno Music Festival .

Mini update

I have finally sorted out my site links to reflect some new/renewed interests and my current location. We have something of a National Arts Centre bonanza shortly: I had already booked to see Angela Hewitt on 16th Feb but found a good ticket offer on LivingSocial.com to see Radu Lupu this coming Wednesday, 26th. In addition to all that, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross (his recent book, Listen To This , is excellent, as well as his previous tome, The Rest Is Noise ) is giving a talk there on 13th February. This is all followed in March by a complete about turn to the Bronson Centre to see Finnish band Apocalyptica . They have been somewhere on my radar for a while but I was spurred on to book tickets after a bout of nostalgia. M and I were regular visitors to Wolverhampton UK to see various bands at Civic Hall/Wulfrun Hall; a few months ago a mutual friend posted on that there Facebook thing about seeing said Apocalyptica at Wulfrun Hall. Nostalgia for the venue and renewed intere...

Light, shade and sunshine - Chiaroscuro String Quartet and Gesualdo Six

Another new year, another hectic start! However I have found some time for concerts. The January edition of Skipton Music featured trailblazers Chiaroscuro String Quartet . The quartet perform with gut strings but that doesn't mean they're old fashioned! They generally perform standing up and certainly there is a lot of movement and vibrancy in their performances. The programme was: BEETHOVEN     String Quartet in D major Op.18, No. 3 MENDELSSOHN     String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 12 SCHUBERT     String Quartet No.14 in D minor, D810 I have a love/hate relationship with the Schubert 'Death and the Maiden' quartet (much like the Brahms piano quintet) and I have to say I wasn't expecting to enjoy it... but in fact this was the best performance of the evening.   There's another review on the Skipton Music page here .  Just as spring seems to be coming (judging by the bright blue sky outside my window), I h...