Anyone who had heard the concert given by the
string section of Chetham’s School at last year’s Lanercost Festival
would have had high expectations for this year’s offerings from
their wind and brass players together with a pianist. They would not
have been disappointed. The audience was treated to a well-balanced
programme which once again demonstrated the technical skill, and
more importantly, the sheer musicianship of these students who
ranged in age from fourteen to seventeen. Flute, clarinet, and
bassoon players represented the woodwind and two trumpeters and a
tuba player the brass, all of whom took full advantage of the
priory’s wonderful acoustics.
It is probably more difficult to wow an audience with brass
instruments because the repertoire is much more modern and has often
been written by specialist composers to show off the technical
prowess of the players. Such pieces are consequently demanding of
the listener as well as the performer. That every single contributor
rose to the technical challenges of this ambitious programme and
still managed to maintain sensitivity whilst revealing the musical
threads is therefore particularly praiseworthy. The more lyrical
passages were superbly played and one aspect that was noteworthy was
the ability to articulate the attack of notes in quieter sections.
To single out an individual from the performers is difficult but the
pianist, Cason Klang, was unique as the only non-blower. He gave a
particularly mature interpretation of Chopin’s Ballade No 1 in G
minor, despite the acoustics being less helpful to the piano.
Mention should also be made of the accompanist, Silvia Fraser, who
supported many of the players with great skill and empathy.
Thursday 19th June 2008, Evening
7.30pm
'From Italy ... with Love' – Ida Maria Turri and
Wyn Davies.
Ida Maria Turri
Review by Keith Maclennan
Congratulations to the Lanercost Festival for
bringing Ida-Maria Turri back to Cumbria, a pleasure for the
audience which the singer showed every sign of sharing. She treated
us to a programme of dramatic pieces which displayed to the full her
range, her variety of tone-colour and her ability to communicate.
There were operatic arias, from the teasing Gipsy Song in Carmen to
Azucena's savage memories of death in Stride la vampa. Even more
convincing was the delightful O eterni innamorati from Tabarro.
Frugola appeared as a convincing character in this cameo role with
mockery of her menfolk and tenderness towards her cat.
Puccini also figured as composer of self-standing
songs, with A te, a mixture of the dramatic and the intense, and the
enchanting little L'uccellino. More ambitious were three Richard
Strauss songs. Throughout the performance, Ida-Maria showed her
ability to articulate the words and convey their sense, and she
captured with great force the pathos of the last words of each
stanza of Allerseelen: Wie einst in Mai. But perhaps the most
interesting part of the programme was the trio of songs which
concluded the first part, presented to Ida Maria and her husband
Stefano by their composer Riccardo Giavina, including a striking new
setting of Kennst du das Land.
Ida-Maria's accompanist Wyn Davies performed a
faultless role, compassing the orchestral reductions and the purely
piano settings with equal and unassuming brilliance. He even burst
into song towards the end, in a setting of a charming duet from an
Italian musical which I think to the British members of the audience
(there was also a strong Italian contingent) was as unknown as it
was to me.
Wyn Davies
Friday 20th June 2008, Evening
7.30pm
A recital by Korean piano virtuoso Young-Choon Park.
Review by Ian Warnes
Young-Choon Park, a slightly built, elegant, young Korean lady sits
at the piano in the magnificent setting of Lanercost Priory. The
sound that soars to the roof is a splendid stream of eloquently-
welded piano music, as colourful and varied as any I have ever
heard. It was as if an orchestra with its infinite variety of tones
were within that Steinway grand!
The Haydn B minor
sonata, breath-takingly beautiful, transports us back to the
Esterhazy palace with its opulent splendour and its well-mannered
elegance. In the performance of this piece, our pianist demonstrates
much rubato- quixotic and beguiling, intriguing and dangerous, but
always with total mastery of the instrument. Maybe this was the
style and fashion; to take such liberties with this out- pouring of
Haydn’s musical genius. A Viennese thing!
Next comes Mozart – the A major sonata. Dazzling and
self-confident, the player takes command, giving us an extraordinary
interpretation of this well-known work, always with most excellent and
exquisite tonal ranges. At least nine colours in her rainbow!
With the two Beethoven works we know now to expect an extraordinary
rendition. And we are not disappointed! The Pathetique, as fantastic as
it is strange, and the Apassionata - how does she produce so much power
out of only one piano?
All-in-all a brilliant
performance of these classical sonatas, strangely executed in full HD
colour by a master musician.
Saturday 21st June 2008,
9.30 am
Young Musicians Competition
Last year's winner, Andrew Ritson, receives his certificate from
Grant Seaton of the Cumberland Building Society
Review by Martin Johnson
This year we were treated to a whole morning and
afternoon of thrilling and sensitive performances from sixteen of
the area’s most talented young musicians, singing and playing in
styles ranging from Bach to Cole Porter. The first prize in the
under 19 class was awarded to Magdalena Loth-Hill (violin) for a
breathtaking performance on the violin of the Brahms scherzo,
followed by a radiant account of Sarasate’s Malaguena. Second prize
was won by Wyn Chan (piano) who played Bach’s prelude and fugue no.
2, and two of Bartok’s dances in Bulgarian rhythms with wonderful
clarity and vitality. The winner of the third prize was Andrew
Ritson (euphonium) whose fine musicianship was evident in a
contrasting programme of contemporary works by Philip Sparke and
Ennio Morricone.
In the under 15 class the first prize was awarded
to Wyn Chan (piano) who astonished us with his musical maturity in
performances of Marcello’s Presto and Schumann’s Traumerei. The
second prize was won by Will Macgregor (clarinet) whose warm tone
and sensitive melodic line shone in works by Mozart and Alec
Templeton. The winner of the third prize was Noriko Moffat (piano)
playing a Mazurka by Chopin and a sonata movement by Mozart with a
delightful musicality.
All of the other performers in both classes were
praised by the adjudicator Marilynne Davies for their high standard.
They were: Victoria Adams (soprano), Louise Brown (flute), Kate
Caruana (flute), Natalie Clarke (mezzo soprano), James Henderson
(flute), Henry Jeffrey (Trombone), Cameron Mitchell (treble), Simon
Newing (percussion), Christine Stewart (soprano), Myrna Tennant
(soprano) and Catherine Tomkins (violin). Piano accompanists were
Cilla Grant, Martin Johnson and Lyn Young.
Prizes were presented by Helen Little and Harriet
Sykes, representing the Cumberland Building Society who generously
co-sponsored this event with Brampton Parish Council.
One of the oldest and most famous brass bands in
the world.
Review by David Drury
The stirring strains of the traditional march “Knight
Templar” provided a fitting opening to the entertaining programme
brought by Besses o’ th’ Barn, one of the foremost names in banding
circles. Under the baton of charismatic musical director, John North,
there was something for everyone with music ranging from the classics,
with Mozart’s “Magic Flute” and Vaughan Williams’ “Prelude 49th
Parallel”, through jazz with Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” to Broadway with
music from “Mack and Mabel”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Jesus Christ
Superstar”. In addition there was a contemporary piece entitled “Where
Eagles Sing”, composed for brass bands in 2006 and inspired by composer
Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s encounter with an American Bald Eagle during a
visit to a Florida bird sanctuary. The glorious, soaring melody,
expressively played, depicts the grace and grandeur of this bird in free
flight and was greatly appreciated by the audience.
Two soloists were featured, both offering beautiful, slow melodies.
Matthew Sale (cornet) played “Share My Yoke”, an arrangement of a
Salvation Army choral work and Amy Schumaker (euphonium) presented
“Michelangelo” by Norwegian composer Sigvart Digsland. Both were
sensitively played and sympathetically accompanied by the band with
controlled ensemble playing.
An addition to the printed programme, a splendid arrangement of the hymn
tune “St. Clements”, showcased the band’s subtlety, technical ability
and power. The concert’s joyous encore, “The Floral Dance”, had the
audience heartily clapping along with the band.
This wonderful concert showed how versatile a brass band can be,
offering rich variations in style, tone, colour and sound in equal
measure. It did much to enhance the reputation of both the band and the
Lanercost Festival.
Sunday 22nd June 2008
10.00am
Festival Eucharist
Sunday 22nd June 2008
7.30pm
Edward I - The Musical Spectacular
A welcome return for the concert
that stunned audiences in September 2006 at the 700th anniversary
celebrations of Edward 1’s 6-month stay at Lanercost.
Review by Myrna Reay
This unique piece was written in 2006 by Ian and
Stephen Warnes of Omega Music, aided by Ian's wife Linda and
developed and orchestrated with the help of Ivan Whetton, to
commemorate the 700th anniversary of the arrival of the illustrious
despot, King Edward 1, at Lanercost Priory. Also included were two
adaptations of songs written for the 'Border Ballads' TV programme
by Cumbria - based musicians, Maddie Prior and Rick Kemp of Steeleye
Span, and, in fact, Maddie herself took part in the production.
Part One outlined the history of the Priory and set the scene.
Maddie Prior’s beautiful Kyrie achieved the quality of the chiming
Priory bell whereas the male voice ensemble telling the story of
Robert de Vaux, the Priory’s founder, was reminiscent of Carl Orff.
Geoff Gray as the King, was impressive with his bold, bass voice.
The pizzicato fiddles in the Villein’s Song, sung and ably played on
the accordion by David O'Donnell, added humour. The narration, in
rhyming verse, was eloquently delivered throughout by John Rimmer.
Part Two opened with a rousing choir and fine woodwind playing.
There were superb performances from Paul im Thurn (de Brus) and Ian
Wright (Prior), who portrayed Edward’s many conflicts arising from
his battles with the Scots.
The orchestration was full of unusual delights, such as the driving
seven-beat rhythm of “Red John Comyn” and the discordant passages,
which burst in on each line of “Oh God Our Help in Ages Past”.
Maddie and Rick's rousing anthem, 'Peace on the Border', had us all
singing along at the end of the evening. It was a privilege to be
part of the full house at Lanercost Festival’s 2008 finale.
