Earlier this month we had a delightful lunchtime harp recital with Aisha Palmer, one of the Philharmonia’s MMSF fellows. Aisha finishes her fellowship this year and will then launch herself into the big bad world where she hopes to find herself an orchestral position. I am sure she will.
Very stupidly, although I recorded what she played I failed to record her introductions, so I think this charming piece is by Benjamin Britten and Christmas related…
However, what I do know is that she also played some Scarlatti, some Fauré and Debussy’s Claire de Lune. And if you are thinking how sorry you are to have missed Debussy played on the harp, there is a treat in store.
On Sunday March 9th my good friend harpist Hugh Webb will be joined by flautist Nancy Ruffer and violist Bridget Carey (who many of you will know from Madeleine Mitchell’s London Chamber Ensemble) for a whole programme of Debussy, interleaved with some pieces from Bridget’s composer husband Paul Archbold. Full details to come very soon.
Highgate International Chamber Music Festival
Aisha’s concert came in the middle of a very busy week spanned by this year’s Highgate International Chamber Music Festival. As a result I only managed to catch two events – the 4th December concert which included the premiere of Natalie Klouda‘s ‘Tor Mordôn’ – and the screeening of Buster Keaton’s ‘Sherlock Junior’.
‘Tor Mordôn’ was performed, and indeed partially inspired by the Antigan heritage of Isata and Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Over 20 minutes it lilted through delicate folk melodies before rumbling, rather wonderfully, into and around the peaks of Snowdonia.
The Kenneh-Masons were then joined by Elena Urioste on the violin and Benjamin Roskams on the viola to play Robert Schumann’s delightful Piano Quartet in E flat.
Sherlock Junior is 100 years old this year – and for Buster Keaton fans is a ‘must see’. The eye watering stunts that he performs during the ‘dream sequence’ would be pretty impressive even today. A hundred years ago with no technical support and no safety equipment…. Stunts aside, it is such a delightful whimsical little story. And it was enormously enhanced by Stephen Prutsman‘s 2007 score played by the super enthusiastic quintet who included a slide whistle, kazoo and musical tapping spoons in their instrumentation for the day.
The film is being shown elsewhere, often with live accompaniment, so do try and catch it. If all else fails you will find it on line.
More Colin Currie…
As fully registered Colin Currie groupies, my good friends Sue and Roger and I were to be found at King’s Place last week for another dose of Colin Currie’s amazing percussion. The highlight of this performance (although everything, obviously, was excellent…) was a new arrangement of Anna Meredith’s – Bumps Per Minute – Studies for Dodgems.
Given that Bumps Per Minute was commissioned by Somerset House for an installation in their courtyard in 2021 and created so that ‘every thump, bump and swerve of the 18 dodgems around the track can trigger a separate composition’ it is the perfect piece for a percussion group – and fully lived up to expectations.
For any other groupies out there, your next chances to hear Colin will be in Manchester in mid February for a Philip Glass festival, in Milan for Steve Reich on 18th March (appealing…), or on Sunday 23rd March in Brighton for more Reich.
And if percussion is not your thing, do not forget the soothing New Year treat of….
Nathaniel and La Pompadour on January 30th
Book here – for 30th January
Preludes, suites, rondeaux and minuets from the Anna Magdalena Bach books.
£30 to include 18th century supper – and do not delay as we expect a full house!
For other future happenings in at Hampstead Lane and elsewhere – see our Upcoming Events page.
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