It has been quite a while since my last visit to listen to pupils of Manchester's Chetham's Music School. And this evening I was to listen to four very different ensembles, composed from the always talented students from that establishment, perform in their very own and very wonderful concert venue, The Stoller Hall.
First to take the stage this evening was a very large group of the younger pupils, some only 10 years old, in a string ensemble called 'Violetta' They played unconducted, at least in the traditional sense of the word, although I do think one of the bass players was a teacher and was leading the ensemble from the back. The first piece was the 'Intermezzo' from Holst's St Paul's Suite which, perhaps mainly due to nerves, was a little rough around the edges. However, once the ensemble had got that in the back of the net, their second two offerings were much more successful. 'Tonight' from West Side Story worked excellently in this string ensemble arrangement by Robert Longfield, and they finished with Kazik's arrangement of Piazzolla's Libertango - a piece of music which seems to be cropping up on every concert programme lately! It was a joy and a delight to watch these youngsters at the very start of their music-making journey, and they need all the support and encouragement they can muster in order for them to realise their young ambitions.
Next came another rather large ensemble, the Brass And Percussion Ensemble, to be precise. A few of the very young ones played here too with a majority slightly older group. Conducted by David Chatterton, they played another piece bt Holst; this time his Suite No 1 for brass band in Eb major. This three movement suite was bright, jovial and played with skill.
The final ensemble to grace the stage before the interval was Chetham's Saxophone Choir. 11 older teenagers playing all the varying saxophones between them creating a breadth of sound from the deep and sonorous bass sax to the sopranino's shrill soprano. Hearing both Vivaldi and Shostakovich played by these instruments sounded truly odd, especially the Vivaldi. I don't think I've ever heard a Concerto Grosso played on saxophones before, and the fast passages full of passing notes and trills can not have been easy to execute on such instruments. Shostakovich's Festive Overture on the other hand sounded extremely bare and exposed in this arrangement. Both pieces felt a little like classroom exercises / experiments rather than pieces meant for public performance, however that is the fault of the arrangers, not the musicians, and conducted by Andrew Wilson the ensemble responded excellently to his direction, adding a surprising amount of volume dynamic, especially in the second piece.
After the interval and we came back to the Chetham's Sinfonia. An ensemble which looked very much like a concert orchestra, so where the distinction lies between the two I am uncertain. The first two out of the three pieces they played were conducted by Nicholas Jones, with the final piece being under the baton of Tom Redmond. I have never seen Redmond conduct before and it was a revelation. I liked his style enormously, being punctilious and controlling when needed, as well as being very animated himself, but also able to relax, stand back and allow the musicians to take care of certain passages themselves only interrupting with the slightest arm-wave where necessary.
For the opening piece, Grieg's piano concerto, first movement, a young student pianist provided the piano solo, and proved beyond doubt that she was a force to be reckoned with. Rebekah Yinou Tan - (I believe someone told me she was 12 years old) - showed not just a mastery of the technical aspects of the piece but also put a deal of emotion behind it too. Grieg's piano concerto is one of my favourite concertos of all time, and I know the work intimately. Tan's skill and accomplished virtuoso performance impressed greatly, and she fully deserved the multiple rounds of applause afforded her.
This was followed by the second movement of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. Again another very well known and loved piece and the Sinfonia responded well to Jones' direction. However, the final piece, the final movement of Dvorak's 8th Symphony, under Redmond's direting, came alive, springing violently to life from the very first fanfare right through to the ebullient yet pompous final chords. The Sinfonia seemed to respond more to Redmond as they upped their game quite noticeably. A brilliant end to a wonderful concert.
Evenings like these are so important in the development of the young scholars. Playing live concerts in differing ensembles to the general public is by far the best way to learn so many things which simply can't be classroom taught. A huge bravo to all the students performing this evening; well done to you all and I look forward to coming along some time soon to your next public event.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 11/2/20
No comments:
Post a Comment