tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217214942024-02-19T09:46:47.079+00:00PrettyInScarlettThe varied musings of a music maniac...Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-5014027192957314582019-03-22T15:16:00.002+00:002019-03-22T15:16:31.833+00:00Madeleine Mitchell at University of Leeds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Almost the end of term and another excellent lunchtime concert. Top violinist <a href="https://www.madeleinemitchell.com/">Madeleine Mitchell</a> performed a recital of:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Grace Williams –<i> Violin Sonata</i><br />Michael Nyman – <i>Taking it as Read</i><br />Edward Elgar – <i>Violin Sonata</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Elgar and the Williams sonatas were both energetic, intense works, with beautiful slow second movements (Elgar - based on 'wood magic'?; Williams - folk song influenced).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In between we were treated to <i>Taking it as Read</i>, which Madeleine commissioned from the composer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Madeleine is a world-class, award winning musician and her tone definitely showed this - overall a superb hour's music. </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-68301438111699679512019-02-17T16:55:00.000+00:002019-02-17T16:55:14.565+00:00Love, chaos and hope: Gabriela Montero and Scottish Ensemble in Kendal<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After a sublime Friday lunchtime concert, Saturday (16th February) got even better. The day started with the February edition of Clitheroe Piano Group, and even more than normal we had an excellent afternoon's music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quick smart up the M6 to Kendal and a quick meal courtesy of <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186326-d12864145-Reviews-Farmhouse_Kitchen-Kendal_Lake_District_Cumbria_England.html">Farmhouse Kitchen</a> (very nice) before we headed to Kendal Leisure Centre. <a href="https://www.lakelandsinfonia.org.uk/">Lakeland Sinfonia</a> seem to have a good set of concerts this season - I tried to book for Jess Gillham in January but sold out - and the February concert, <a href="https://www.gabrielamontero.com/">Gabriela Montero</a> and Scottish Ensemble, was definitely a treat. There seem to be a lot of season ticket holders as quite a lot of the audience seemed to know each other; and with a few single ticket holders like us, the hall was pretty full! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://scottishensemble.co.uk/">Scottish Ensemble</a> are a 12-piece string group, and a quick look at their website shows they are interested in anything strings! Gabriela Montero is renowned for her pianism, improvisations and compositions - certainly one of the draws for the concert was to hear her latest composition, <i>Babel</i>. Also that I really enjoyed hearing her back in 2017 in London.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Ensemble started off the evening with Mozart's <i>Divertimento in D K.136 </i>which was a lot of fun! Followed by J S Bach's <i>Ricercar à 6</i>, which was well played but not really my thing. We were then treated to an excellent performance of Mozart's <i>Piano Concerto No. 14 K449</i>. Dating from early 1784, this seemed to me to be a love story. The first movement seemed almost like an operatic overture and to me seemed to set the scene for two lovers first meeting, maybe in a village square. The slow movement (andantino) was absolutely beautiful, starting like a lament '(s)he loves me not' moving towards a more requited '(s)he loves me'. The finale (allegro ma non troppo) was all well-behaved jollity, until the cadenza, after which let's have a party! I haven't always been particular to Mozart - notably finding Concerto No. 17 dull (<a href="http://prettyinscarlett.blogspot.com/2009/02/venezuelan-maestro-comes-to-cardiff.html">Emmanuel Ax back in 2009</a>) although I'd probably think differently now! - changing tastes and all that - but the small number of musicians certainly added an intimacy that belied the size of the hall and really added to the performance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gabriela treated the audience to 2 improvisations as encores - the first one, a happy birthday to her husband (after the Ensemble had played the 'regular' Happy Birthday), followed by an improvisation on the Bond theme (audience suggestion). Both very popular.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That's about where the gaiety ends. In the second half we heard Gabriela's new composition, <i>Babel</i>, for piano and strings. The programme notes refer to the piece expressing Gabriela's frustration at humanity's inability to comprehend one another. I felt and heard three distinct sections: the first, an insistent left-hand voice at the piano with thin strings (very tender and melancholic); followed by a rhythmic turn to discord (perhaps reminiscent of Prokofiev's War Sonatas) which descended into cacophony; and a third, major-feel utopian end, with lines and spirals, ending in simple harmony. Beauty and its antithesis. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After that, everything went a bit Nineteen Eighty-Four with a performance of Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony Op. 118a (arrangement of the composer's<a href="http://www.quartets.de/compositions/ssq10.html"><i> String Quartet No. 10, Op. 118</i></a> by Rudolf Barshai). The fear that came through the second movement scherzo; and the passacaglia seemed very much the telescreen in the corner... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The works have been on tour - reviews in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/feb/12/scottish-ensemble-montero-review-royal-concert-hall-glasgow">Guardian </a>(London date) and the <a href="https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/17432835.music-review-scottish-ensemble-perth-concert-hall/">Herald</a> (Perth).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">An excellent evening but not one for the faint hearted! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-9598209416865663062019-02-15T14:27:00.005+00:002019-02-15T14:30:07.348+00:00Light, shade and sunshine - Chiaroscuro String Quartet and Gesualdo Six<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another new year, another hectic start! However I have found some time for concerts. The January edition of <a href="https://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/">Skipton Music</a> featured trailblazers <a href="http://www.chiaroscuroquartet.com/">Chiaroscuro String Quartet</a>. 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The programme was:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">BEETHOVEN String Quartet in D major Op.18, No. 3<br />MENDELSSOHN String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 12<br />SCHUBERT String Quartet No.14 in D minor, D810</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There's another review on the Skipton Music page <a href="https://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/concert/chiaroscuro-string-quartet/">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just as spring seems to be coming (judging by the bright blue sky outside my window), I have come back from a Leeds University School of Music lunchtime concert featuring the <a href="http://www.thegesualdosix.co.uk/">Gesualdo Six</a>. I had clean forgotten who was performing and just about made it in time, for an hour of 'Fading': pure, clean, beautiful singing. Not normally my thing, but the Six are really superb and their programme of candlelight and compline - related music was a real freshener.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The programme - some of which I think is available on the group's website or Spotify - was: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thomas Tallis (c.1505 – 1585) – Te lucis ante terminum<br />William Byrd (c.1540 – 1623) – Aspice Domine<br />Jonathtan Harvey (1939 – 2012) – The Annunciation<br />Thomas Tallis – If ye love me<br />Gerda Blok-Wilson (b.1955) – O Little Rose, O Dark Rose<br />Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179) – O Ecclesia, occuli tui<br />Arvo Pärt (b.1935)- Morning Star<br />Owain Park (b.1993) – Phos hilaron<br />Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963) – Seigneur, je vous en prie<br />Cheryl Frances-Hoad (b.1980) – The Promised Light of Life<br />Luca Marenzio (c.1553 – 1599) – Potrò viver io più se senza luce<br />Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525 – 1594) – Io son ferito, ahi lasso<br />David Bednall (b.1979) – Put out into the deep<br />Josef Rheinberger (1839 – 1901) – Abendlied</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really really liked 'O Little Rose, O Dark Rose' - thought that was just fantastic lyrically and musically.</span></div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-86594080417733368312018-12-16T12:12:00.001+00:002018-12-16T12:12:45.496+00:00Guitar week: Gitarrissima and Sean Shibe<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Almost at the Christmas break and hectic as ever! This last week was a two-concerts week (with a Christmas party in the middle) and it was guitars all round.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First up, on 11th December, were <a href="http://gitarrissima.com/en/">Gitarrissima</a> of Vienna at <a href="https://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/">Skipton Music</a>. The quintet (reduced to a quartet on Tuesday due to illness) performed A Christmas Celebration - seasonal music and a very jolly evening all round. The group perform on a mixture of concert guitars, an octave guitar and an acoustic bass guitar and the sound is remarkably rounded, not necessarily to be expected for reductions of orchestral pieces. Each set of pieces was introduced by a different member of the group. In a lot of ways, Gitarrissima reminded me of Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain with their clever arrangements of well-known pieces as well as musical excellence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The programme included excerpts (arranged by the group) of Bizet's <i>Carmen</i>, Tchaikovsky's <i>Swan Lake</i> and <i>The Nutcracker, </i>all of which were performed very well but somehow the arrangements still felt a bit limited. <i>Hoe Down</i> from Aaron Copland's <i>Rodeo </i>was for me much better and rounded off the first half very well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The second half I enjoyed much more - the arrangements and the performances. After <i>The Nutcracker</i> extracts, we were treated to <i>African Suite - Bantu</i> by Andrew York (very energetic, excellent!); <i>Rhapsody Japan - Furusato</i> by Shingo Fujii; Leo Weiner's <i>Divertimento No. 1 Op. 20 - Fox Dance</i> and <i>Rachenitsa (Thracian Dances) </i>by Petko Stainov. I really enjoyed the Fujii, Weiner and Stainov - felt like the performances really came alive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To continue the party atmosphere, we were treated to a Christmas Surprise encore which was a medley of pieces including Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, It's Starting to Feel a Lot Like Christmas, Let it Snow, a few pieces I couldn't catch and finally Feliz Navidad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fast forward to Friday and the final lunchtime concert of the term at Leeds University School of Music. <a href="https://seanshibe.com/">Sean Shibe</a> has a lot of praise and awards for a still twenty-something, and it is obvious why. The concert started with Sean's own arrangements of Scottish Lute Manuscripts; he came onstage, sat down and started with no word to the audience, who were soon in rapt silence. The sound was soft and clear, very lute-like. Sean then briefly introduced the Scottish Lute repertoire and the folk and French influences, before performing a set of three English Lute pieces by John Dowland by way of contrast. These were almost rougher in timbre. The concert finished with JS Bach's <i>Lute Suite in C minor BWV997</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I particularly wanted to go and see Sean Shibe because of this year's ukulele development - my other ukulele is a lute!- one of <a href="https://muzikkon.com/lute-ukulele-6-strings-tenor-walnut.html">these</a>. I am trying various lute and classical guitar pieces arranged for re-entrant ukulele. All this is making me want to practise! Maybe there will be time over the Christmas break... </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-50574390375270079052018-11-21T19:42:00.002+00:002018-11-21T19:42:34.819+00:00New season at Skipton Music: Ensemble 360 and Steven Osborne<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since starting to attend <a href="http://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/">Skipton Music</a> concerts the quality has been very high, but this season seems to have started off exceptionally well. The seasons' concerts are in Christ Church Skipton, as the Town Hall is being refurbished, and the ambience and acoustic are very good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Catching up from 23rd October, adaptable chamber group <a href="http://ensemble360.co.uk/">Ensemble 360</a> showcased a contemporary piece by Jörg Widmann alongside its inspiration, Schubert's <i>Octet in F, D803</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Widmann, an <i>Octet </i>in five movements, was composed in 2004 and references Schubert rhythmically, and also with leanings towards the many hundred songs that Schubert wrote (third movement <i>Lied ohne Worte</i>). The first movement, <i>Intrada</i>, felt warmly off-kilter and <i>Lied ohne Worte</i> had a fantastic horn solo. However the piece was not that accessible to listen to. Whilst it certainly got the audience talking I'm not sure that may were big fans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Schubert Octet was more warmly received and I particularly enjoyed the second and third movements.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-Yj844AtYMnCRwnp51kGFl4RqqUgzmjIwdXn2gk71SpqGB4KwOOf4tlBYDIaB8eJQwsDfaACE2uVmiiV3m6XZitz7TYnLzPdHTPxnuWbRVn_HLCItww_mpnncwEZM7QEKL2LuQ/s1600/IMG_20181120_191437088a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-Yj844AtYMnCRwnp51kGFl4RqqUgzmjIwdXn2gk71SpqGB4KwOOf4tlBYDIaB8eJQwsDfaACE2uVmiiV3m6XZitz7TYnLzPdHTPxnuWbRVn_HLCItww_mpnncwEZM7QEKL2LuQ/s320/IMG_20181120_191437088a.jpg" width="179" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fast forward to 20th November and <a href="http://www.stevenosborne.co.uk/">Steven Osborne,</a> whom I eagerly anticipated. M and I heard Steven perform in 2016 as part of Ribble Valley International Piano Week and enjoyed the performance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This time, the programme was: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Poulenc <i>Three Novelettes</i><br />Debussy <i> Images Book 2</i><br />Prokofiev <i>Piano Sonata No.7</i><br />Schubert <i>Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat, D960</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I particularly liked the Poulenc pieces - even more so than Debussy! The first two Novelettes are from 1927 and 1928, whilst the third<i> </i>is from 1959. Steven introduced them as evidence that Poulenc didn't care too much for fashion! The third one developed a very eerie, spooky ending. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ending the first half with Prokofiev, this was very impressively played with a super 2nd movement - to me it sounded like stoicism in the face of disaster. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After the interval, we were treated to a fantastic rendition of Schubert's great last work - described by Steven as the calm release after the homages to Beethoven of Sonatas No. 19 and 20. Certainly, whilst Schubert seemed to be running the full extremes of emotion, there is a pervading sense of ending, of the finite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The encore was Debussy's Canope from Preludes Book 2, a real treat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After all this, I am looking forward to December! </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-85946558190197462882018-11-16T14:40:00.002+00:002018-11-16T14:40:48.656+00:00Bathed in sound: thoughts on Nightports w/ Matthew Bourne<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Another unusual direction with the lunchtime concerts series at University of Leeds, after austraLYSIS, however this time piano-based. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://nightports.bandcamp.com/">Nightports </a>is based on a simple but unbreakable rule of restriction: only sounds produced by the featured musician can be used. Nothing else. But these sounds can be transformed, distorted, translated, reworked, processed and reprocessed, stretched, cut, ordered and reordered without limitation. Nightports is about amplifying the characteristics of the featured musician and the sounds they make.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today's concert was the live performance of this album. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The four musicians performed on three (prepared) pianos and electronics. The whole effect was very much contemporary piano to ambient electronics, reminiscent of Hauschka, Nils Frahm, plus Ólafur Arnalds in the more introspective sections. There were breaks for applause but the event felt very much like one journey through different sounds and emotions.<br />The prepared piano aspect of the performance was really interesting - pencils, boxes, clothes, masking tape, you name it! Piano as typewriter even at certain points.<br />The introspective sections very beautiful and remininscent of Arnalds.<br />The last piece started with electronic hip hop beat with seemingly random sound effects before morphing into a more pianistic based piece. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The album is available via <a href="https://nightports.bandcamp.com/">BandCamp </a>and <a href="http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/news/view/590/DM">The Leaf Label</a>. Definitely worth a further listen!</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-29026886649881039562018-10-19T14:56:00.001+01:002018-10-19T14:56:27.732+01:00austraLYSIS and VRi - new music at Leeds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first few concerts in the new season of events at University of Leeds School of Music have been incredibly varied.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first concert I saw was from folk band <a href="https://www.vri.cymru/">VRi</a>. The string trio performed a mixture of traditional Welsh songs and original compositions. Describing themselves as 'chamber folk', their songs varied from simple voice and accompaniment to foot-tapping energetic numbers (sadly no room for dancing in the Clothworkers' Concert Hall...) exploring Welsh folk but with an art music angle, as well as other folk traditions, with a lot of the music on their new album referencing the Welsh chapel tradition. Absolutely worth a further listen and their music is available on <a href="https://vriband.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fast forward a week to something altogether different. austraLYSIS: Torbjörn Hultmark & Roger Dean with soprano trombone, piano and live electronics. Riveting to watch their live electronics! I really enjoyed the piece about <i>Metamorphosis for Time and Space</i> - dots, lines, ?, volume - sound of science and it really felt like we were listening to the warp of space or the bending of time. A few mellower pieces including a Chaconne. However one piece featuring video was very odd. I couldn't reconcile the video with the concurrent live music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Torbjörn had a </span>circle of pedals to use with Ableton Live and other software, many of the pedals customised or custom made as he uses both hands for the trombone. Some are on/off some change by degrees; and no shoes! The soprano trombone already sounds very non 'trombone -like' and with some of the effects, the sound world generated was very far from the petite instrument we could see. <br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are some sound and video links on </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Torbjörn's </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.hultmark.me/index.html">website</a> as well as on the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.australysis.com/">austraLYSIS</a> page. </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-91869922690291025962018-09-13T15:39:00.001+01:002018-09-13T15:39:06.649+01:00LIPC further thoughts - pop up concert<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A chance to take an extended break and visit a different part of the University of Leeds campus. I'd not previously been in the <a href="https://marksintime.marksandspencer.com/home">Marks & Spencer Archive</a>, and it looks like a really interesting place. Definitely worth a future lunchtime visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The seminar room in the Archive was pretty full for the pop-up concert. Second round competitors Florian Caroubi and Fuko Ishii performed and took questions from the audience. Florian started off with Liszt's <i>Sposalizio</i>, followed by selections from Schumann's <i>Carnaval</i>. Very fluid and warm playing. Fuko Ishii contrasted with the latter movements of Schubert's <i>Wanderer Fantasy D760</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Following on from the performances, there was a 20 minute question & answer session in which both pianists answered general questions about their musical background and what inspires them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The event was very enjoyable indeed! There are photos on the M&S Archive <a href="https://twitter.com/MandSHeritage">Twitter feed</a>. </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-26815036185770434792018-09-12T11:51:00.003+01:002018-09-12T11:51:52.851+01:00Start to the season with Leeds International Piano Competition<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Three years passes pretty quickly! After a busy summer, my cultural activities are starting up again and first in line was the <a href="https://www.leedspiano.com/">Leeds International Piano Competition</a>. Sadly not enough annual leave left to binge-attend, so I selected one of the second round events (Friday 7th at 7pm) and a semi-final (Sunday 9th at 7pm). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Firstly, I had forgotten how long the rounds take! Each competitor was effectively playing a full on recital. Hard on the audience too, lots of concentration required (so I was very tired indeed on Friday after a full week and then 3 hours of music)! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The second round competitors I saw were Chao Wang, Anna Geniushene, Siqian Li and Samson Tsoy. Chao Wang played a superb <i>Moonlight Sonata</i> - such balance and softness! All the amateur pianists I know would love to play the first movement with the same sense of movement but stillness. However he didn't have the projection of the other 3 performers so maybe that was a factor in his elimination. Samson Tsoy pleased the audience with Mussorgsky's <i>Pictures from an Exhibition</i>, which was a good choice to show off his skills. Out of the four, I probably least liked Anna Geniushene - probably due to repertoire choices, because she clearly has huge skill and soft touch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday's semi-final was between Xinyuan Wang and Pavel Zemen. Another listener's test as the chamber music round was in addition to a full 45 minute solo recital! I liked the inclusion of the chamber music section but if it's to remain with the semi final solos, then something needs to be shortened. 45+30 minutes of performance is hard for everyone and as the evening ran late, I (and a lot of others) had to miss Pavel Zemen's chamber performance to make Sunday trains.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Xinyuan had the crowd with him (and the hall was packed, compared to Friday). His choice of Kurtág, selections from <i>Játékok</i>, might not have been to everyone's taste but the sheer variety of sounds (and their performance) was super. <i>Örökmozgó</i>, at the end, was a real show stopper. It's a piece wholly of glissando runs, with the full <i>ppp-fff</i> dynamic range and a sharp end. Paired with Bach (<i>Partita No. 1 BWV825</i>) and Rachmaninov (<i>Variations-Corelli, Op. 42</i>). He also did very well with Brahms' <i>Piano Quintet Op. 34 </i>with the Elias String Quartet. Xinyuan's manner was also very warm, humble and he definitely has a sense of humour - giving a thumb's up to the audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pavel Zemen wasn't so lucky. Somehow he didn't seem to engage with the audience, and from my seat his programme of Rachmaninov <i>Sonata No. 2 Op. 36</i>, Janáček selections from <i>On an Overgrown Path (4, 6, 10) </i>and Brett Dean's <i>Hommage à Brahms</i> was, well, difficult. I liked the slow movement of the Rachmaninov but that's about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The finalists have since been announced: Anna Geniushene, Mario Häring, Aljoša Jurinić, Eric Lu, Xinyuan Wang. I'm pleased that Xinyuan Wang came through and I suppose the judges were looking at things I didn't see with Anna Geniushene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Chao Wang along with 2 other competitors, played a short piece on Tuesday 11th for the University Library's Tuesday Treasure event, which was all about music-related items from the special collections. I am also planning to attend one of this year's pop up performances at the M&S Archive. It's free but <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/music-at-ms-with-leeds-international-piano-competition-pop-up-performance-tickets-48686811564">ticketed</a>. I don't recall from the 2015 event that there were as many side-events (talks, masterclasses etc) and it's all excellent. The full list is on the <a href="https://www.leedspiano.com/whats-on/">What's On page</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm not in Leeds for the finals but all performances are available to watch on Medici TV. Sadly there aren't enough hours in the day for me to catch up on all the performances, but it's a very good innovation so that more people can engage with the competition performances.</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-58825157077479751082018-06-20T21:36:00.001+01:002018-06-20T21:36:56.187+01:00Sublime Song and Dance - Kathryn Stott at Skipton Music<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She may be a jet-setting, world class musician but <a href="http://www.kathrynstott.com/">Kathryn Stott</a> clearly likes to return to her 'home patch' area of Skipton. The audience like it too - <a href="http://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/">Skipton Music's</a> Tuesday 19th June concert (rescheduled from February) was I believe a sell-out. I have read articles about (and authored by) Kathryn in the pages of Pianist Magazine and similar publications so it was a treat to see and hear her in person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The concert theme was Song and Dance - a celebration of an upcoming milestone. The programming was excellent - whilst Kathryn is clearly a pianist of considerable talent, she programmed pieces that are within range of keen amateurs, such as Grieg's <i>Lyric Pieces Op. 52</i>. Although I've not tried any of the <i>Op. 52</i> set, I have learned some of the other <i>Lyric Pieces </i>and Tuesday's performance was an example of how the pieces really are songs without words. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first half of the recital moved from the smooth <i>Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring</i> and Grieg through a very energetic Chopin <i>Mazurka (Op. 7 No 1)</i> to the heights of Ginastera's <i>Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2</i>. Loved the second, <i>Danza de la moza donosa</i>, and I think the audience boogied off to tea and coffee after <i>Danza del gaucho matrero</i>. A similar trajectory after the interval, from Bach <i>Sicilienne</i>, through Strauss/Grainger, Hough/Wild through to a jaunty <i>Mazurka </i>from Cuban Ernesto Lecuona. Rounded off back to simple beauty with an encore of Chopin's <i>Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. Posth</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Next season Skipton Music temporarily moves venue, to <a href="http://christchurchskipton.org.uk/">Christ Church, Skipton</a>. Looking forward to it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-24432253302044564612018-05-16T21:44:00.001+01:002018-05-17T10:26:56.593+01:00Ólafur Arnalds at the Royal Albert Hall<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Continuing the music theme and fresh from GNUF, next stop the <a href="https://www.royalalberthall.com/">Royal Albert Hall</a>! What a way to experience my first RAH event than with <a href="http://olafurarnalds.com/">Ólafur Arnalds</a>! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbDqqPtqWr6GEHZMYsBKdPJi7JTcDdChJxMSh2qsP2ac47CBYPC_ITa9jGyTF3G3YT4slhaQJpwmTPeyo7UqeXO4MVLlBpcW7uty_FysRYPQ0p2yUwRsZJuqG55Icl9-c6KwvwQ/s1600/band.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbDqqPtqWr6GEHZMYsBKdPJi7JTcDdChJxMSh2qsP2ac47CBYPC_ITa9jGyTF3G3YT4slhaQJpwmTPeyo7UqeXO4MVLlBpcW7uty_FysRYPQ0p2yUwRsZJuqG55Icl9-c6KwvwQ/s320/band.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just going in to the building, there was an incredible atmosphere. Stopped off at the Berry Bros & Rudd bar en route to our seats. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A short support set by composer/percussionist <a href="http://www.manudelago.com/">Manu Delago</a>, who was very impressive. Initially I thought he was playing some variant of steel drums, but in fact it was an array of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_(instrument)">Hang</a>, which are great! A really lush, warm sound.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ólafur's mix of strings, piano with multimedia felt at home in the 'orchestral' setting of the Hall (nearly Proms season!), in particular given that the set was all instrumental pieces. It was interesting to see the sheer variety of people who all have being an Ólafur Arnalds fan in common. I find that a lot of Ólafur's magic is in the silences and spaces in between notes, and a few times there were audience interruptions - but also, a lot of times when the whole hall was completely still and silent. The set was a mixture of new new songs (so new only <a href="https://mkx.lnk.to/rememberID">re:member</a> is currently available - streaming and YouTube), along with older and newer recorded material. All equally brilliant. A lot of the new technology on set involved algorithms matching the lighting setup with the songs. The atmosphere was both big and intimate, although a different intimacy from that of his 2013 Barbican show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6ptqfNOpUpzZbTNpB4DRqoq4AY0qCUrbnqcBCCwwPGPFHOEnV1zMP-cymLz3Ye5egoD1LPe6vme6FuYAMs6QFNnnkMwpv7LkvYC-BwoeDi0_ypSYRV7aUAiUEctK2dzveZOliw/s1600/OA_before_encore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6ptqfNOpUpzZbTNpB4DRqoq4AY0qCUrbnqcBCCwwPGPFHOEnV1zMP-cymLz3Ye5egoD1LPe6vme6FuYAMs6QFNnnkMwpv7LkvYC-BwoeDi0_ypSYRV7aUAiUEctK2dzveZOliw/s320/OA_before_encore.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even though it was all brilliant, one of the best of the best bits was the final encore - </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ólafur played Lag Fyrir Ömmu alone on stage with his band playing the string parts offstage almost as an echo. Just gorgeous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-15929987612099500342018-05-16T21:16:00.003+01:002018-05-16T21:16:58.551+01:00Finally made it! Grand Northern Ukulele Festival 2018<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the things on my bucket list when we moved to Skipton was to attend Huddersfield's very own <a href="http://northernuke.com/">Grand Northern Ukulele Festival - GNUF</a>. Then my busy diary got in the way... This year, I decided what the heck, I was going to go anyway, busy diary or no. Glad I did!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving the Queen's Award</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The full lineup information for GNUF2018 is still on the website. For 2018 there were events Thursday through to Sunday. I made it for Saturday and Sunday daytime. Contrary to my norm, I had not planned on which stage/any workshops etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Saturday started well when I bumped into another ukulele acquaintance on the train at Leeds. Good start! After collecting my wristband and a programme I chilled over lunchtime, catching the vibe on Mim's stage in the <a href="http://www.thelbt.org/">LBT </a>courtyard. Including the presentation of the <a href="http://northernuke.com/queens-award-voluntary-service/">Queen's Award</a> for Voluntary Service!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Early afternoon I attended a talk by Rob Collins of <a href="https://tinguitar.com/">Tinguitar </a>about sustainability in ukulele design. Lots of interesting information and examples of different woods along with some really lovely sample ukuleles (London plane). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After soaking up the atmosphere and thoroughly browsing the merch (if I ever get a winning lottery ticket I want a <a href="https://www.ziegenspeck-ukulele.de/english/instruments/harp-ukulele/">Ziegenspeck Harp Ukulele</a> - tried this and it's amazing) I went to the Unplugthewood stage. I caught the end of Fake Plastic Tigers' set followed by fingerpicking by Oli Mansell - so assured and he's still a teenager. I absolutely LOVED <a href="http://www.belfastukejam.com/">Belfast Ukulele Jam</a>. Their set was super, bouncy, infectious fun and really good stagecraft. Queen, Prince - a right royal selection!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The downside to this amazingness was that I missed the Main Stage performance by Andy Eastwood with his premiere of new composition,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>SpaceScape</i>. There are videos on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NorthernUke">GNUF Facebook</a> page which are worth a listen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday I arrived at the LBT in time for the end of the Breakfast Jam. After a brief pause in Queenie's chatting to <a href="http://www.coolcatukes.com/">Cool Cat Ukes </a>aka Simon, I spent the next hour and a half jamming in the bar, mainly with <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/ukulelemugs/">Maldon Ukulele Group</a> but really it was a bar full of ukers! Exhausted the GNUF 2018 songbook in time for the Main Stage shows, including highlights <a href="http://ameliacoburn.co.uk/">Amelia Coburn</a> and <a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/RobinEvansEsq/">Robin Evans Esq</a> - folk and blues (world record blues, no less!). Hawaiian treats from Peter Luongo and ensemble, then time for the train home and a sleep. The weekend was by no means over...</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-42725425239018943472018-03-18T16:13:00.003+00:002018-03-18T16:16:42.771+00:00Snowy spring thoughts<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last year I suffered from stress-related anxiety problems. Since then I've been exploring ways to help myself with the aid of a few stress management/stress reduction courses. So far, so good. One thing I have tried is to go to a concert with no expectations of myself. Somehow, I think I'd fallen into the trap of thinking about what I would write from a concert experience, therefore missing out on being really in the moment. I've tried writing no notes, taking no photos, doing no prior research (sometimes avoiding programme notes), nor listening, leading to some reflections on the recent round of concerts that I've attended. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last week, 11th March, I attended a celebratory event 'A Life in Music: Celebrating Dame Fanny Waterman' at University of Leeds. The event comprised an extract from Dame Fanny's personal archives (recently donated to the University), a conversation and a concert. The archive documents looked really interesting and there were lots of curiosities - Dame Fanny's judging notes, newspaper clips from some of her early concerts in the 1940s, photos, letters and more. The librarian on duty explained that nothing has yet been catalogued (and there are over 50 boxes of items) so when and where any archive documents will next surface...?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The conversation between Dame Fanny and former pupil was interesting and humorous - her autobiography would definitely be worth reading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Federico Colli had been scheduled to perform the afternoon recital, but was indisposed and <a href="http://www.leonmccawley.com/" target="_blank">Leon McCawley</a> stepped in at the last moment. The programme was: Haydn (<i>Piano Sonata in C minor, HXVI:20</i>); Hans Gál (<i>Three Preludes Op. 65</i>); Chopin (<i>2 Nocturnes Op. 37</i>); Beethoven (<i>32 Variations C minor, WoO80</i>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Leon was amazing. I regularly attend recitals by good artists, but this recital demonstrated the difference between a good pianist and an exceptional pianist. The Gál preludes were really interesting, with floating melodies over burbling harmony. By far the best performed pieces were the Chopin preludes - absolutely amazing, movement and stillness and contemplation. The recital is available on <a href="https://livestream.com/uol/events/8105618">Livestream</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Going back a few weeks to a completely on spec gig at The Live Room, Saltaire to see <a href="http://www.therailsplitters.com/bio/">Railsplitters. </a>I knew nothing about them, had heard no music - attending on the recommendation of friends. Turned out to be a really good evening, with two distinct halves - relaxed then more bouncy Friday-night vibes. Railsplitters are a fun bluegrass/roots/different band from Colorado - definitely worth a listen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few weeks before that, and back in Skipton Town Hall for an evening recital by <a href="http://www.arcusquartet.com/">Arcus Quartet</a>. From the Royal College of Music, the Arcus Quartet are developing a name and a reputation with performances in high class venues. The programme consisted of Haydn, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn. By far the standout piece was Shostakovich - <i>String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108</i>. Written as a memorial to Shostakovich's wife Nina, the three movements are a short, sharp exclamation of pain, loss and farewell. The Arcus Quartet performed this piece as a much tigher unit than the other quartets on the programme - clearly a favourite of theirs and it showed in their superb performance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Postscript to an excellent Friday lunchtime concert - Tchaikovsky Piano Trio performing Tchaikovsky's <i>Piano Trio in A minor Op.50. </i>A big piece, it took up almost a full hour! Not a piece I have heard before so it's now on my further listening list, but an excellent performance. </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-21917728573952095832018-01-28T10:53:00.003+00:002018-01-28T10:53:58.260+00:00New year bonanza<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I emerged from almost 2 months of cold after cold in time for the new year's concert beginnings. Firstly, the still-quite-dark January days were much brightened by <a href="http://www.boxwoodandbrass.co.uk/" target="_blank">Boxwood & Brass</a>' visit to <a href="http://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/" target="_blank">Skipton Music</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As a six-piece group, Boxwood and Brass perform on replica late 18th-century wind instruments (clarinet, horn, bassoon). They use these instruments in performing music of the era, showing how much the colour and texture variety of early instruments was used by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Weber. Each instrument was introduced to the audience - the basics of how they worked compared to the modern instrument, how different keys suited different instruments, and more! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of the programme, I particularly enjoyed the two arrangements (by bassoonist Robert Percival) of two Mozart pieces - the <i>Serenade in C minor K388/406 </i>and the <i>Symphony No 39 in E flat K.543</i> - character, colour of sound and texture excellently demonstrated (though that's not to say that I didn't enjoy Beethoven's <i>Sextet in E flat Op.71</i> or Weber's <i>adagio and rondo</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I felt like I was listening differently. The earlier instruments did not have the range of projection that is available with modern instruments so the whole dynamic level was quieter. The way the sounds came together, coupled with the style of music, was also very subtle - concentration needed, definitely an active listening experience!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">By contrast, Friday's lunchtime concert at University of Leeds School of Music featured rising stars <a href="https://www.solemquartet.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Solem Quartet</a> in a performance of Beethoven's <i>String Quartet No. 8</i> (second of the Op. 59 Rasumovsky cycle) with a selection of Adès to start. Is it the choice of the season? - as the Adès, <i>The Four Quarters (2011)</i> was performed at Skipton Music in October by Doric String Quartet. This time, only 2 movements - <i>Days </i>and <i>The Twenty-Fifth Hour</i>. Benefitted from repeat listening though I still like <i>Morning Dew</i> the best of the four movements... The Beethoven quartet was super - big, ambitious (presumably very challenging to play) with a really gorgeous second movement and a jolly gallop in the 4th movement - sounded to me like a ride out on a sunny day but then the horses get spooked... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-74925922641847004532017-12-12T14:58:00.000+00:002017-12-12T14:58:03.287+00:00Piano delivery!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">...For Leeds University School of Music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To celebrate the delivery of 27 Steinway pianos, the School of Music performed a newly commissioned piece - for 28 pianos! The performance is available to watch again at <a href="https://livestream.com/uol/steinway1">https://livestream.com/uol/steinway1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Short but snappy - a mix of Reich-style randomness with a Bach style finale. Plus some funky lighting! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Full press release <a href="http://music.leeds.ac.uk/news/school-of-music-gets-key-upgrade-with-prestigious-all-steinway-school-status/" target="_blank">here</a> and photos on <a href="https://twitter.com/leedsunimusic?lang=en" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-24401281569256762292017-11-26T14:48:00.004+00:002017-11-26T14:48:56.874+00:00The Golden Thread - Music for Gamelan<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Almost the end of November and another term of excellent concerts is almost concluded. The high quality continues - this Friday, 24th November, featured music for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan" target="_blank">gamelan</a>. I have read with interest about gamelan, notably in the excellent <a href="http://www.theotherclassicalmusics.org/book.html" target="_blank">The Other Classical Musics</a>, but have never heard the ensemble live. Leeds music students who had spent this term learning gamelan music, performed a mixture of traditional and modern pieces under the name The Golden Thread. I was NOT disappointed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I liked all of it! But particular mention to the traditional pieces <i>Lancaran Singanebah</i> and <i>Lancaran Tropong-bang</i> - excellent, immersive stuff - and the new pieces, firstly <i>When East Meets West</i>. This used gamelan timbres to sample Western popular music - I'm sure I heard 'Another One Bites The Dust'!! - complete with sunglasses wearing students. The second, <i>It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas</i>, added a shadow puppet show to the performance, referencing the traditional artform of <i>wayang </i>performance theatre. The Christmas story was narrated with references to traditional Western seasonal songs such as <i>Silent Night</i> and <i>We Three Kings</i>. With a bit of jingle bells at the end... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am not sure I can make the last Friday concerts, so if that was my last one of the season, what a high! It looked and sounded such a lot of fun - I definitely want to try this!</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-3294353537271168322017-11-19T11:52:00.002+00:002017-11-19T11:52:38.186+00:00Even more excellence: Gabriela Montero, Cafe Culture<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mid-month and my concert calendar is in full swing. When tickets for <a href="http://www.gabrielamontero.com/" target="_blank">Gabriela Montero</a> were released, I decided to treat myself to a day trip to <a href="https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/" target="_blank">Wigmore Hall</a> on 13th November. Definitely worth the effort!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The recital programme was Schumann's <i>Kinderszenen Op. 15</i> and Shostakovich's <i>Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor, Op. 61</i>. First, the <i>Kinderszenen</i>. Deftly demonstrating the variety within this set of piece, the intensity of Gabriela's performance went up and up - at the point of <i>Traumerei</i>, any audience murmur hushed completely; after this most famous piece, I thought the performance got even better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Shostakovich <i>Piano Sonata</i> was (is) a complete contrast. Written during wartime and in between his <i>Seventh </i>and <i>Eighth </i>Symphonies, the sonata, whilst a memorial to former piano teacher Leonid Nikolaev, also contains a commentary on the times. The three movements are dramatic, lyrical, tragic. For me - a lot of angst in the first movement, moving from an almost skip, through bells tolling, to a maniacal unease; some emotional similarity to Prokofiev's sonata of the same time?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The second movement, <i>largo</i>, is the essence of Shostakovich's memorial to Nikolaev. A waltz, albeit sad and full of memory; fine subtle dynamics here. The final movement, a take on a theme & variations with a very wide range of moods, became almost as if the piano was a machine! An excellent performance and definitely one to revisit. Even though attending live, I am looking forward to re-hearing the concert via iPlayer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The recital ended with an improvisation. Rather than asking the audience for a motif (which I think many were expecting), Gabriela created a fresh improvisation lamenting her broken country. A very touching lament and fitting perfectly with the Shostakovich and there were certainly no audience complaints, very much the opposite!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A few days' brain rest and a concert with a difference. Members of <a href="http://skiptoncamerata.com/" target="_blank">Skipton Camerata</a> have worked with local bistro Hettie's to put on a series called Cafe Culture, with chamber music performances alongside an evening meal. Wednesday's concert was themed '<a href="http://skiptoncamerata.com/whats-on/75/cafe-culture" target="_blank">Clara Schumann: A Woman's Place</a>' and included her Piano Trio alongside that of Niels Gade. On arrival we had an introductory talk about Clara Schumann and her G minor Piano Trio - themes, structure, revolutionary aspects - all very interesting - before a simple supper laid on by Hettie's staff. After supper we heard both Trios in performance. It was a nice, friendly way to showcase excellent music in a very good performance - I know that there are music lovers who find the formal concert setting a bit off-putting, and this was a really nice way to perform chamber music in a setting more akin to how such music would originally have been heard.</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-5579560636482423872017-11-11T15:42:00.002+00:002017-11-11T15:42:52.122+00:00Skipton Music new season highlights<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first two concerts of Skipton Music's 2017/18 season maintained the high quality I have come to expect of the concert series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First up in October was <a href="http://www.doricstringquartet.com/" target="_blank">Doric String Quartet</a>, with a programme of Mendelssohn, Thomas Adès and Haydn. The Adès, <i>The Four Quarters (2011), </i>was probably unknown to everyone except the quartet - but definitely worth investigating. The piece is in a classical string quartet model and follows the process of a day in time, comprising 4 movements: <i>Nightfalls</i>, <i>Serenade: Morning Dew,</i> <i>Days </i>and <i>The Twenty-fifth Hour</i>. I particularly liked <i>Morning Dew</i> - concurrently reminding me of early morning light hitting blades of grass, or morning commuters arriving in a big city imagined as colliding atoms. <i>Days </i>hat 'flap of the day' and 'mid-afternoon meander' aspects to it. The Mendelssohn (Quartet in E flat, Op, 12) and Haydn (String Quartet Op. 20 No. 5) were very enjoyable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fast forward a few weeks (feels like fast forward!!) to <a href="http://trioconbrio.dk/" target="_blank">Trio Con Brio Copenhagen</a>'s performance. Another excellent evening. This time, the newest piece started the evening - a performance of Sven-David Sandström's <i>Four Pieces (2012)</i>. This was not so understandable as the Adès piece from October - albeit within, lots of beautiful moments, stark icy coldness and lyrical song sections.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Trio followed the Sandström piece with a very well known trio, Beethoven's <i>Ghost - Trio in D Major Op. 70 No. 1</i>. Excellent performance and a very contemplative rendition of the famous slow movement. No slacking after the interval - we were treated to an exuberant performance of Schubert's Trio No. 1 in B flat D898 - performance quality ever increasing. I particularly enjoyed the second and fourth movements.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In total contrast, the encore was the (I think) third movement from Dvořák's '<i>Dumky</i>' trio (<i>No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, B. 166</i>) - ending the evening on a reflective, calm mood. Resulting in very loud applause!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In December it's definitely a festive focus with <a href="http://www.skiptonmusic.org.uk/concert/joglaresa/" target="_blank">Joglaresa</a>. </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-64988107145327849422017-10-20T14:38:00.005+01:002017-10-20T14:38:52.287+01:00Hope, distilled: Jill Crossland at University of Leeds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For a piano geek like me, today's lunchtime concert by <a href="http://music.leeds.ac.uk/people/jill-crossland/" target="_blank">Jill Crossland</a> at University of Leeds was a must-see/hear. Jill performed a programme of 18th century keyboard music, comprising D Scarlatti, JS Bach, Rameau and WA Mozart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After a slightly stressful few weeks it was a really positive experience to sit and hear pure, hopeful music - a cascade of wellness. The very first piece, Scarlatti's <i>Sonata in B minor</i> K19, was like measured droplets of water - a dose of calm to set the pace, followed by the <i>Sonata in G</i>, K146.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jill then delighted the audience with a selection of Rameau pieces and selection from Bach's <i>Well-Tempered Klavier, Book 1</i> (17, 21 and 23 I think - though I am sure there was a bonus piece!). The final work was Mozart's <i>Piano Sonata in C</i>, K330. Joy and hope and resolution. I was floating! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The sum total of the programme brought to mind the famous quote of Julian of Norwich: <i>All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well</i>. I left the concert hall feeling refreshed and much more positive. </span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-57205599656718416892017-10-06T14:37:00.001+01:002017-10-06T14:37:07.854+01:00Matt Anderson Jazz Quartet at Leeds University School of Music<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A new academic year at Leeds and the first term along boasts a pretty good lineup of lunchtime concerts at the School of Music. The first one saw Matt Anderson Jazz Quartet - <a href="http://www.matt-anderson.org.uk/" target="_blank">Matt Anderson</a> (saxophone) <a href="https://martinlonghawn.com/" target="_blank">Martin Longhawn</a> (piano)<a href="https://twitter.com/vicary_sam?lang=en" target="_blank"> Sam Vicary</a> (double-bass) <a href="http://www.samgardnermusic.com/" target="_blank">Sam Gardner</a> (drums). This quartet of long-time collaborators and friends was formed during studies at Leeds College of Music; now living further afield, this was a unique opportunity to hear them play together once more.<br /><br />A really fun hour of music - not my normal style of music but well performed, with very good examples of communality in music making. Pieces by Gardner, Anderson and Longhawn as well as American Songbook classic and final Charlie Parker. <br /><br />The rest of the Lunchtime Concerts are listed at <a href="http://concerts.leeds.ac.uk/">http://concerts.leeds.ac.uk/</a></span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-24839531634581178022017-05-28T14:22:00.002+01:002017-05-28T14:22:36.643+01:00Museuns at Night - Leeds and Aoife O'Donovan at Brudenell Social Club<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMT32clfC-m4BqeZ3MzFHCcK0EyrteAyC9vQOYbB9-OV0nm17qNbR3GvSqPipXRyiGu4GR_d_mabzKyoXj1xthrmNsJlb4vn8zn6zYPu663hBRFU1k36PVwXvtYI20Lq7lLdnJQ/s1600/embroidery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMT32clfC-m4BqeZ3MzFHCcK0EyrteAyC9vQOYbB9-OV0nm17qNbR3GvSqPipXRyiGu4GR_d_mabzKyoXj1xthrmNsJlb4vn8zn6zYPu663hBRFU1k36PVwXvtYI20Lq7lLdnJQ/s320/embroidery.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My attempt at embroidery</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Two weeks, two more great events. First up a Museums at Night event including music held on 19th May. The <a href="https://twitter.com/LULGalleries" target="_blank">Leeds University Library Galleries</a> hosted an event looking at the anniversary of the Russian Revolutions. A ticketed 18+ event, there was plenty of space and time to look at the various activities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Musically, members of the Leeds Festival Chorus performed 3 times, selections from Rachmaninov's <i>Vespers</i>. Spine tingling stuff and very effective use of the space in Parkinson Court. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Members of stage@leeds performed dramatic readings from eyewitness accounts of the two Revolutions. This took place in the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery, where there is currently a special exhibition of items related to the Revolutions. Diary entries, photographs, personal belongings of British citizens resident in St Petersburg/Petrograd - all of which were referenced in the readings - the exhibition is a</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> real eye opener and well worth a visit. Although the whole of the Treasures Gallery is worth multiple visits. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In one corner of the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, there was a pop-up embroidery event - anyone could participate in creating an item, either based on artifacts on display or something else! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwC1VyNmmLtd_BArMYx7SsGMEXeQ8HuNhI3tywqpDhiSEjpoh1NEVmpqu43BzP6tf64TNQ3Kq-ORrnkfikiPjqb_tCDZby0dyBw58ZW2bZ-YiWWaUCo-VohnnVYTLzy-vx6P0E9w/s1600/aoife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwC1VyNmmLtd_BArMYx7SsGMEXeQ8HuNhI3tywqpDhiSEjpoh1NEVmpqu43BzP6tf64TNQ3Kq-ORrnkfikiPjqb_tCDZby0dyBw58ZW2bZ-YiWWaUCo-VohnnVYTLzy-vx6P0E9w/s320/aoife.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aoife O'Donovan</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Thursday, 25th, we discovered <a href="http://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brudenell Social Club</a> thanks to <a href="http://www.aoifeodonovan.com/" target="_blank">Aoife O'Donovan</a>'s current tour. A really good, cosy, friendly venue and meeting place. After having seen Aoife with the I'm With Her tour it was interesting to see her performing solo. The set comprised mostly songs from <i>In the Magic Hour</i> and a few covers, with a couple of older songs thrown in. A super event, with good solid support from <a href="http://blairdunlop.com/" target="_blank">Blair Dunlop</a>. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-53988247289667832352017-05-08T21:17:00.000+01:002017-05-08T21:17:04.081+01:00Lunchtime Harp: Hugh Webb at Leeds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bright sunshine and another excellent lunchtime concert. This time the programme was a selection os solo harp pieces with <a href="http://concerts.leeds.ac.uk/events/hugh-webb/" target="_blank">Hugh Webb</a> performing. <a href="http://stonerecords.co.uk/artist/hugh-webb/" target="_blank">Hugh</a> was a charming presenter as well as performer, providing interesting information behind his programme of 20th century harp music (but then, according to Hugh, the concert harp is a 20th century instrument).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The programme started with the evocative <i>En France</i> by Marcel Tournier. Sounds of the sea - very nice anticipation of summer. Then came Benjamin Britten's <i>Interlude from Ceremony of Carols </i>- a clear sonic difference from Tournier, very simple and direct. Colin Matthews' <i>Little Suite for Harp</i> was possibly my favourite piece of the hour - 3 short movements (march, barcarole, toccata) with preludes in between - from sublime to angular. Similar to the Peter Moore lunchtime concert, the programme here demonstrated the wonderful range of the instrument.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Robert Keeley's <i>Farid </i>left me behind a little, but Hugh's own piece <i>Tone, tone, semitone</i> and some jazz flourishes to end an excellent concert. I floated back to work - thinking One day... one day... I would love to learn this instrument...</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-73234312488136727482017-05-03T21:22:00.002+01:002017-05-03T21:22:47.914+01:00Performance perspective: A Classical Interlude at Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festival, Clitheroe<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The May Day weekend saw the annual <a href="http://www.rvjazzandblues.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues festival</a> hit Clitheroe. An amazing lineup of musicians across 17 venues for the weekend. The festival is entirely volunteer run and they did an amazing job! This year, the festival organisers had a few branch-out events including <a href="http://www.ccguk.org/event/RVJF_:_A_Classical_Afternoon_Interlude-212" target="_blank">A Classical Interlude</a> - a morning of classical guitar and an afternoon of piano. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Members of the Clitheroe Piano Meetup, myself included, were invited to perform at the Interlude concerts. They were held in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clitheroe_Library" target="_blank">Clitheroe Library</a> - so far, so familiar as this is the venue for the regular piano group. Multi instrumentalists John Hesketh and Ian Plested performed solo and duo guitar repertoire to a packed out room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the piano slot, there were 5 performers: John Hesketh, Nick Mahon, Margaret Plested, yours truly and <a href="http://www.richarddinsmore.co.uk/" target="_blank">Richard Dinsmore</a>. The repertoire - what a selection! Somehow independently of each other we'd ended up focusing on quite a few French composers. After a more 'classical' start from John and jazz from Nick, Margaret included Debussy's <i>Arabesque No. 1 </i>in her section, followed by me with Erik Satie (<i>Gnossiennes 1-4)</i> and Benjamin Godard (<i>Au Matin</i>), followed by more Debussy (<i>Reverie</i>) and Poulenc (<i>Improvisation No. 13</i> and <i>Toccata from Trois Pieces</i>) by Richard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The room was pretty full and the audience very enthusiastic! Definitely helped with the nerves (although playing a familiar piano was another bonus). For me, I enjoy the Satie <i>Gnossiennes </i>so much that I was floating away on them whilst playing. Very nice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Big congratulations to all the performers. Same time next year??</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-68540214564704111872017-03-25T12:57:00.002+00:002017-03-25T12:57:33.830+00:00Trombone awsomeness: Peter Moore at Leeds University<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A real lunchtime treat a few weeks back -the ever increasing chaos of my life at the moment means sadly I have only now found the time to write! Taking an hour out of the whirlwind I went to see <a href="http://ycat.co.uk/artist/peter-moore/" target="_blank">Peter Moore</a>, with pianist Robert Thompson, play one of Leeds University School of Music's Lunchtime Concerts. What an hour! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Peter Moore won BBC Young Musician in 2008; since the he has gone from strength to strength including nomination as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist and as a Young Classical Artists Trust musician.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the lunchtime recital, the programme was:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">James Maynard - <i>new work </i>(premiere 30th January 2017 at Wigmore Hall)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Manuel de Falla - <i>7 Canciones populares Españolas</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Reynaldo Hahn - <i>A Cloris</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Henri Duparc - <i>La Vie antérieure</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Eric Ewazen - <i>Sonata for trombone and piano (1993) </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Everything was fantastic. Throughout, the sheer range of textures and emotions that Peter pulled out of the trombone was amazing; from a dreamy softness in the Maynard work to the third of the de Falla <i>Canciones </i>- all super. The range of works showcased Romantic, contemporary and jazz-tinged styles. Even a bit of Springsteen - the first movement of the <i>Sonata </i>by Ewazen contained ideas which in my ears related to some of the harmonies and timbres of a song like <i>Jungleland</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Peter is on social media too - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pete.moore.9/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/pete_moore_" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Future concerts highly recommended!</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721494.post-74576404978186026022017-03-04T18:55:00.003+00:002017-03-04T18:55:58.500+00:00múm: People on Sunday<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After purchasing tickets for Lubomyr Melynck, I saw this performance and thought - yep, that sounds good! <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_on_Sunday" target="_blank">People on Sunday</a> (Menschen am Sonntag) is a German silent film from 1930, filmed in summer 1929. A portrayal of daily life in Berlin at the time and the desire of workers to enjoy their leisure time! <a href="http://mum.is/" target="_blank">múm </a>are an experimental group from Iceland. Think indie/electronic/ambient and very enjoyable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The combination - a highly enjoyable, informative, funny, relaxing evening. I hadn't seen Menschen am Sonntag before and it was interesting to watch - bits of Berlin that I recognise, beer drunk from big goblets (think oversized wine glasses), the feel of warm sunshine and the breeze off the lake. Great! As was the social commentary - including how modern the lifestyles of the characters were (or maybe, how much continuity there is between the late 1920s and today). The live improvised score from múm was very in keeping with the film - both matching the sunny weather and the scenes/emotions played out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05487238234084494727noreply@blogger.com0