PrettyInScarlett

Since starting to attend Skipton Music 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.  Catching up from 23rd October, adaptable chamber group Ensemble 360 showcased a contemporary piece by Jörg Widmann alongside its inspiration, Schubert's Octet in F,  D803 . The Widmann, an Octet 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 Lied ohne Worte ). The first movement, Intrada , felt warmly off-kilter and Lied ohne Worte 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. The Schubert Octet was more warmly received and I particularly enjoyed the...

Piano galore day! After the July meeting of a new piano meetup group in Clitheroe (very good fun) and a tasty meal, M and I headed towards Westholme School for the final concert in this year's Ribble Valley International Piano Week. The Piano Week has been on my radar for a while... as has stellar pianist Steven Osborne . This year the two coincided nicely. Steven's recital to close the Piano Week for 2016 was a programme of Schubert, Debussy and Rachmaninov: Schubert – Moment Musical (D 780 No 2) Debussy – Images (series I), Children’s Corner, D’un Cahier d’esquisses, L’Isle joyeuse Rachmaninov – Études-Tableaux Op 33; Études-Tableaux Op 39 Nos 2 and 9 Throughout, Steven played with elegance and simple absorption in the music; his quiet concentration drew in the audience and it was soon very obvious why he is held in such high regard. The Schubert piece was fantastic and certainly got everyone's attention - at the end there was complete silence before the star...