Our first young woman is Aisha Palmer, a Philharmonia MMSF fellow for whom we hosted a recital at lunchtime on Tuesday – and what a delight that was.
Aisha played Bach, Hindemith, the French harpist and composer Henriette Renié, Grace Williams, Bellini and Canadian composer, Caroline Lizotte – the first section of whose Suite Galactique (taking you from the depths of the earth to the planets) she plays below. But first the opening of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor which sounds amazing and so different on the harp.
So who are our second set of young woman?
This is clarinetist Hannah Shivlock and pianist Viola Lenzi.
Hannah is a graduate of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire, has collected a score of prizes and was playing with the Royal Opera House last year. Viola also studied at Trinity Laban although she is Italian and first learnt her trade at the Pietro Mascagni Conservatoire in Livorno. Viola has also won a clutch of awards and has taken part in New Lights Contemporary Festival and the London Film Festival.
Hannah and Viola have been performing together for the last two years and they will be playing for us at the Highgate Society’s lunchtime recital on Sunday 14th July at 12 noon. (Come at 11.45 if you would like a free glass of Buck’s Fizz!)
Their delightful sounding programme, in which Hannah wil be playing a bass clairnet, will include, among other things, pieces by the great Argentinian tango composer, Astor Piazzolla, Eric Satie’s Gymnopedie, a Hebrew melody, Hamabdil, and Hungarian folk dances!
12 noon – 14th July – 10a South Grove N6 6BS – £15 to include the Bucks Fizz. Book here or pay on the door.
Mozart at St Jude’s
The wonderful Proms at St Jude’s in the heart of Hampstead Garden Suburb are in full swing at the moment – and there are still a few days of events still left so do check in. Sadly, I have only managed to go to one event this year – but it was a corker!
Mozart’s Symphonies Nos. 29 & 33 with the Echo Ensemble, his horn concerto with the extraordinary Felix Klieser and what turned out to be a fascinating and moving tribute by Echo director Noah Max to his late uncle, Edward Max played by Noah’s father and Edward’s brother, eminent cellist Robert Max.
The horn concerto was delightful as always and played with huge panache and style by Felix Klieser who was born without arms and plays his horn with the aid of the toes of his left foot.
In fact, if you are to play instrument with no hands, the horn (which Klieser started to play aged four) makes sense as the vast majority of the work is done by the embouchure leaving only the valves to be operated by some agile toes. None the less to achieve the mastery of the instrument that Klieser has is still extraordinary.
I rather feared that my enjoyment of his performance might have been spooked by overhearing an elderly man in the interval saying:
‘Although I love this concerto I can never hear it without hearing Michael Flanders lamenting the loss of his horn…. I’ve lost that horn, lost that horn, found that horn…gawn…‘ How right – I had actually forgotten this epic F & S take off of Mozart which you can hear him singing here on YouTube.
I am happy to say that Mr Klieser did manage to banish Michael Flanders for me – but, I did check with our latter day Michael Flanders, William Godfree, and they will be singing the Lost Horn on July 8th at our Flanders and Swann evening.
If you wish to join us there are now less than handful of tickets left so you need to book now. £30 to include an appropriate 1950s supper afterwards – Book here.
For other happenings in July, at Hampstead Lane and elsewhere – see our Upcoming Events page.
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