The first concert of the academic year was introduced by Head of Performance, Richard Saxel, who also accompanied five of the six musicians. Two of these played two pieces, with Noah Frett book-ending the programme in a sturdy Purcell ‘Trumpet Tune’ and an eloquently vocal ‘Somewhere’ (Bernstein). The other dual performer was Tim Ayling who sang Caccini with beautifully clear diction and played a rollicking French horn piece with superb control.
Harrison White gave a confident reading of Tartini on double bass with a singing tone in the higher register and Cathy Hobbs gave us a delightfully Syrinx-like unaccompanied flute movement by Rosza. Hattie Allison played superbly in two movements of an arrangement for saxophone of Bach’s BWV 1020. I especially enjoyed the fluent allegro with its insistently repeated notes. Emily Hill gave an especially well-rehearsed rendering of the opening of Arnold’s clarinet sonatina. The full variety of this bipolar piece came over, not least the raucous humour and the subtle ending.
This was, I am sure, just a taster of longer concerts to come and further pleasant evenings in the MMS.
PJL