Soo-Jin Hong  violin,  Soo-Kyung Hong  cello  

Jens Elvekjaer  piano

Haydn: Trio in E minor Hob XV/12

Beethoven: Trio Op. 70 No.1 “Ghost”

Ravel: Trio

Victoria Sayles and Martin Cousin are both rising stars in their own right, and together they certainly lit up the stage at Keswick Theatre for the latest concert for Keswick Music Society on February 21st.

It was clear from the very start of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata Op.12 No 1 that this duo meant business: Victoria’s purposeful playing making the most of every accent and staccato, with plenty of brio as Beethoven intended.   Every ounce of dynamic contrast was wrung from her 1596 Amati violin, while Martin Cousin’s fingers rippled apparently effortlessly through the accompanying arpeggios and semiquaver runs.  The ensemble was faultless as each player alternated between the roles of soloist and accompanist in all three movements. The occasional inaccuracy of intonation was the price paid for such a spirited and exciting performance.

Victoria’s rather aggressive style of violin playing detracted a little from the dreamy melodies of Kreisler’s arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Scheherazade’, but was perfectly suited to Lutoslowski’s ‘Subito’.  Written in 1992, Subito contrasts flashy violin pyrotechnics with lyrical episodes in close juxtaposition, suggestive to me of the contrast between the drama of the high fells and the peace of the lakes and valleys of the Lake District. It was charismatically performed by both players, and clearly enjoyed by the audience.

Schubert’s Sonatina in D Major began at a very brisk tempo, and produced some of the best playing of the evening, especially in the second movement where both instruments duetted smoothly and sensitively.  The final movement was again a little quick, and although the staccato notes were beautifully together, the semiquaver scales lacked definition at this speed. 

The fast tempi continued into Franck’s Sonata in A Major, highly charged with emotion, which was particularly brought out in the more Lento sections of the first movement and the flute-like pianissimos of the second movement.  At times in the louder sections, the left hand of the piano threatened to overwhelm the sound of the violin, but Victoria was clearly in her element as she leant back, closed her eyes, and losing herself in the music drew everything possible out of her violin.

An encore finished the evening – Elgar’s Chanson de Matin – taken at a characteristically brisk tempo, sent the appreciative audience home with a song in their hearts.

                                                                                                                                                                   Ian Wright

It would be hard to think of any better showcase for the young people in our area than the concert given last Wednesday in the Theatre by the Lake. A packed auditorium was treated to a rich variety of music of all styles, featuring instrumental and vocal solos, duets, trios, quartets and a huge range of ensembles. It is difficult to justice to all the performers but I was struck by all their enthusiasm, joy in making music and their seeming lack of nerves in performing to a huge audience as well as their undoubted musical ability.

The evening got off to a real swing with Keswick School’s own sixteen piece Jazz Orchestra who performed with great pizzazz. Without exception all the groups in this evening’s concert were extremely well coached and played with a real sense of ensemble, listening carefully to each other. There were three string groups: a string quartet, a violin trio and Keswick School’s “Mainly Strings” which rounded off the evening with a taut rendition of Nyman’s well known composition “Palladio”. I think we were all entranced by the Junior School Guitar Ensemble who performed “Bags Groove”. Seven young guitarists demonstrated how beautiful the classical guitar is; each flawlessly played a short solo accompanied by the rest in a delightful arrangement. Other instrumental ensembles included a Keswick School’s extremely fine Senior Flute Ensemble, absolutely together and well in tune and a delightful flute duet played by Allish Butland and Hannah Piercy .

We were fortunate to be treated to a number of excellent choirs and vocal ensembles as well as soloists. The Keswick School Junior Choir gave a lovely performance of “Love is all around” before being joined by Keswick School’s M.O.V.E  (Male Only Vocal Ensemble) singing “Hallelujah”. The first half of the concert coming to a close with “M.O.V.E” performing “Stand by me”. It was wonderful to hear and see a vocal group consisting almost entirely of sixth form young men who sang with such joy, enthusiasm and expertise.  In addition to the large vocal groups we were treated some excellent duos and trios. Lois Lane and Rachael Twyford sang beautifully Mendelssohn’s “I would that my love”.  Sol Ligerwood showed impressive artistry sensitively accompanying himself on the guitar and Luke Protano was an excellent accompanist to Rebecca Smith.  Hannah Fanning and Hannah Breese  accompanied by Sam Morley gave a spirited performance of “I’m yours”. The arrangement of Buble’s “Everything” was musically well thought out and exquisitely performed by Annemarie Quinn, Rebecca Wright and Chris Nelson.

It is hard to do justice to all the solo performers and each one of them deserved our approbation.  As well as a number of fine pianists, we heard Guitarists, a Harpist, Trombonist, Saxophonist, Flautists, Violinists, Vocalists and even a Rapper. All the pianists Ellen Angus, Adam Hull, Savannah Robinson, Danielle  Butchart, Joshua Selby, Charlotte Strachan, Georgia Snyder and Rebecca Wright played with great accuracy and a real sense of style be it classical, Jazz or just easy listening. My only slight word of criticism here of the whole concert and not one aimed at the excellent performers, is to ask why the technicians chose to amplify a superb Steinway Grand Piano through loud speakers. Eliot Lord’s classical Guitar Solo was exquisite, Hannah Breese gave a well controlled performance of a Handel Flute Sonata with beautifully executed ornaments and it was wonderful to have  and fascinating to watch an excellent  Harp solo played by Louis Grove.  Jenny Bradley and Becky Baker performed two very good solos on the violin, Alice Ma delighted us on the flute with Norton’s “Seashore” and Ben Rothwell gave a lively performance of “Frenesi”. Two excellent and lively solos using backing tracks were performed by Andrew Hughes on Alto Saxophone and Sam Morley on Electric Guitar. There were also many excellent vocal solos by Kate Harwood, Rosie McGowan, Cheri Brownbridge, Katie Dalzell and James Woodcock who has an amazingly mature voice for one so young. Finally, and not least we were all captivated by Segun Balogun’s Rapping.

Keswick and the surrounding area can be justifiably proud of its young people and musicians and this was an evening not to be missed as parents, family, friends and music lovers gathered together in our own theatre to enjoy music making of a very high calibre. Thanks are due to the Keswick Music Society for promoting this wonderful event, the Theatre staff for giving a real touch of professionalism, all the music staff who inspired our young people and gave up so much time to support them and most of important of all our thanks are due to Marie Lee, Director of Music at Keswick School, for organizing an evening not to be forgotten.

                                                                                                                                                                 John Green

Review (2)

Sunday 10th January 2010

The Heath Quartet

String Quartet

Oliver Heath,  Rebecca Eves  violins

Gary Pomeroy  viola,  Christopher Murray  cello

Those who braved the bitter weather to attend The Theatre by the Lake on Sunday were rewarded with an excellent concert given by the young and very accomplished Heath String Quartet. Formed in 2002 at the Royal Northern College of Music the ensemble is achieving success in the UK and abroad.

The well balanced programme of works by Beethoven, Tippett and Debussy showed off the range of style and technical assurance of the players, and their musical maturity did not detract from the vitality and freshness of their playing.

The programme opened with Beethoven’s early String Quartet op.18 no.2.  The opening ‘motif’ was characterful and was playfully passed among the performers as the movement progressed. Scale passages were well articulated and there was some very effective pianissimo playing. The Adagio was serenely played by the first violin over sensitive accompaniment from the other instruments .The more dramatic section was passionate and the silences between the chords were very effective. The Scherzo was light and precise and the first violin executed the virtuoso scale passages with skill. In the last movement the instrumentalists played as one with the parts deftly dovetailed.

Michael Tippett’s String Quartet no.2 was composed during the Second World War and shortly after his Oratorio ‘A Child of Our Time’, echoes of which could be heard in the uneasy, restless rhythms of the last movement. The Heath Quartet seemed very much at home in this music. I heard several members of the audience afterwards expressing surprise at how much they had enjoyed it and I think this was due to the conviction and commitment of the players.

The lyrical first movement flowed freely with warmth of tone from all four players, building up to a more passionate section before returning to a soft close. The second violin opening of the Andante was highly expressive and the mood was taken up by each player in turn in this slow fugue. The music reached a climax before dying down to an effective quiet ending. The Scherzo raced along with scampering staccato passages and the dramatic and forceful passages in the Finale were contrasted with expressive lyrical sections before the tender peaceful conclusion.

Emma Johnson and Friends

It was a highly-gifted clarinettist, Richard Mühlfeld, who inspired Brahms in his last years to write four masterworks for his instrument. The second sonata is an absolute gem - three movements that seem like one long tune. Emma and John realised its lyrical beauty to the full. The general mood is affectionate, but the second movement’s chorale perhaps foreshadowed the serious songs and valedictory organ pieces. There are many delightful exchanges between the partners, not to mention the rippling ‘anything you can do I can do better’ passages; the hymn-like figure is blazed out triumphantly at the end. A truly memorable performance!

Full marks to Natalie for giving us the Frank Bridge sonata. She had fallen in love with the music at first sight, and played it with great artistry, ably matched by John, a sympathetic chamber music artist with a technique more than equal to whatever comes along.

The Brahms Trio was marked by wonderful ensemble and some exquisite exchanges between clarinet and cello, particularly in the lovely slow movement. In the ensuing waltz Emma set an appropriate mood of New Year’s Day Concert abandon, with a touch of Hungarian verve in the finale too. All very rhythmic and spirited!

The encore went even further - a czardas by Monti, which seems to exist in a horde of arrangements. Here, the artists really relaxed - hamming up the café music with a delicious relish very much to the taste of all.

The artists had had horrendous Sunday journeys, but still found time and energy to join in a pre-concert talk, led by Brian Richardson. Its primary aim was to introduce a new Trio by John Ireland, reconstructed by Canadian clarinettist Stephen Fox, from earlier attempts the composer had had second thoughts about. Despite, or perhaps because of, some stylistic incongruities, it proved a real addition to the repertoire, giving a most exciting and refreshing start to a concert that really had everything. But this is where we came in!

                                                                                                                                    Andrew Seivewright

The two major works were the Sonata in E minor by Haydn and Prokofiev's Sonata No.7 in B flat major. In the Haydn, the tempi were well chosen, contrasting the playful outer movements with a more contemplative central Adagio, and including a little flexibility in places. The level of tone seemed in scale with what could have been achieved on the smaller pianos of Haydn's day, and the dynamics were well varied. Prokofiev, on the other hand, was writing for the modern piano, and makes full use of the extremes of loudness and quiet playing which Yevgeny Sudbin handled without ever forcing the tone, which was subtly graded. The first movement had an almost frenetic quality at times, although with moments of great finesse, and in the second movement the inner melody was projected with warmth and lyricism. The finale was a tour de force of rhythm and dexterity, to which few could aspire.

Prokofiev's contemporary, Medtner, deserves to better known, as the two extracts from his Fairy Tales tellingly illustrated, the one flowing and romantic and the other more impassioned and powerful in impact. The four Mazurkas of Chopin chosen formed an effective group, with the bright D major dance standing out from the more introspective minor key examples. The textures were well balanced between the hands, and there was some subtle and effective use of rubato.

Scarlatti, of course, never wrote anything for the piano, but his short harpsichord sonatas are often included in recitals, and are something more than warming-up exercises (although he called them 'esercizi'), with their delicate textures and uncluttered counterpoint. There was a certain coolness and detachment in their performance, allied to excellent technical and musical control.

Overall, we were fortunate indeed to hear this most talented young pianist in Keswick, well maintaining the reputation for high quality music making which draws so many admirers to the Music Society's concerts each month.

                                                                                                                              Ian Hare

Bradley Creswick  director / violin

 J.S.Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major was one of six orchestral pieces dedicated to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg in 1721. Reminiscent of the Italian concerto, it was played with a lightness and warmness that allowed the melody to come across without clouding the counterpoint that is one of the delights of Bach’s music.

Though created over 200 years after the Brandenburg concerto Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings sat very comfortably alongside it. The Northern Sinfonia’s string section allowed the single melody to weave its way through the piece very effectively, building emotionally to an intense peak which then dissipated away to the haunting final chord. A measure of the quality of the performance was the length of the silence before the applause commenced, it was a beautiful moment of stillness. One can see why this work has found worldwide popularity and is often used to purvey tragedy and loss.  

Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in Eb, originally written for Anton Weidinger to showcase his keyed trumpet. This gave the instrument a chromatic range which meant that lower pitched melodies could be managed on the trumpet for the first time, something Haydn used to great advantage. Richard Martin was the soloist in this very popular concerto. The Andante was played in a very lyrical way, the beautiful tone of the trumpet being complemented by the orchestra. Though not error free the exciting third movement showed considerable agility with the technical difficulties being negotiated with ease. The strings should be congratulated on some excellent accompaniment during the whole work.

Antonin Dvořák's Serenade for Strings in E major was composed in 12 days in 1875. For all it’s speed of composition it remains one of the composer's more popular works. There was great musicality from the opening moderato, (with some lyrical playing from the second violins and cellos) to the lively finale. I found the Larghetto particularly moving with the flowing wistful melodies bringing the best out of the players.

The concert was brought to its conclusion with a return to Haydn and his “Farewell” symphony. The orchestra followed the tradition of each player leaving the stage after completing their part, even though the remainder of the orchestra continues performing. This is believed to stem from the piece's first performance. Haydn's Eszterháza musicians, weary after what had already been a long season, asked Haydn whether he might convey a message to the Prince about their fatigue. Rather than confront his employer directly, Haydn decided to communicate through his new symphony. Prince Nicolaus got the message - and granted the musicians their vacation shortly after the work's premiere. This was a particularly fitting way to say goodbye to one of violinists whose farewell performance it was.

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