classical guitarist in sinfonia’s spotlight

ARTS thewestmorlandgazette.co.ukTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 201884

Another finemidday musicrecital by twoexperiencedperformersTHE third concert in Kendal’sMidday Concert Club currentseries was given by cellist,Christian Elliott, and pianist,Robin Green, writes CLIVEWALKLEY.

As usual, a large audience waspresent to hear yet another finerecital by two highly experiencedperformers. Christian Elliott is theprincipal cellist of the IrishChamber Orchestra and a memberof several chamber ensembles; heis also a composer. Robin Green is aprizewinning pianist and nowenjoys a full time career as soloist,chamber musician, conductor andteacher.

Two works were on theprogramme: Beethoven’s early Gminor Cello Sonata, Op 5 No 2 (achange to the advertisedprogramme) and Brahms’ CelloSonata No1 in E minor.

In his early cello sonatas,Beethoven stretched the pianist’stechnique beyond that required forthe early piano sonatas: in short,there is a lot of rapid passage workwhich requires nimble fingers andcareful balancing with the cello.But Robin Green made passagesthat give many an amateur pianista headache appear effortless, thehallmark, of course, of a realartist. In a similar way, althoughperhaps not as technicallychallenging as the later cello

Classical guitarist inSinfonia’s spotlight

SEAN Shibe is regarded as oneof the foremost guitarists ofhis generation.

Earlier this year he was awardedthe Royal Philharmonic Society’sAward for Young Artists, one ofthe youngest performers to receiveit.

On Saturday, November 10(7.30pm), Sean will be soloist withthe Royal Northern Sinfonia atKendal Leisure Centre’sWestmorland Hall.

As part of the Lakeland SinfoniaConcert Society series, once againthe programme has a theme; thistime the audience will be whiskedoff to sunny Spain.

Hence, the six string classical acewill play Joaquin Rodrigo’s muchloved Concierto de Aranjuez.Rodrigo, nearly blind since agethree, was a pianist, and did notplay the guitar. Yet he stillmanaged to capture and projectthe role of the guitar in Spanishmusic, particularly in theconcerto, his most famous work.

Written in 1939 at the end of theSpanish Civil War, the piece wasinspired by the gardens at thePalacio Real de Aranjuez (theRoyal Palace of Aranjuez), thespring resort palace and gardensbuilt by Philip II in the last half ofthe 16th Century and rebuilt in the

middle of the 18th Century byFerdinand VI. The predominantlylyrical work attempts to transportthe listener to another place andtime through the evocation of thesounds of nature.

The first half of the concert hasthree other pieces with Spanishconnections: Rossini’s sparklingoverture to The Barber of Sevilleis well known.

The two other short Spanishpieces may be less familiar:

Joaquin Turina’s L’oracion deltorero - the Bullfighter’s prayer -originally written for a quartet oflutes, but for the sinfonia concertan arrangement for chamberorchestra that imagines thebullfighter at prayer beforeentering the arena.

Plus, Boccherini’s La musicnotturna dell estrade di Madridwhich consists of five shortmovements descriptive of variousaspects of the nightlife of 18th

l Six string aceperforms JoaquinRodrigo’s concerto

Sean Shibe is soloist with the Royal Northern Sinfonia at Kendal Leisure Centre’s Westmorland Hall on Saturday

By Adrian Mullen01539-790259

Phenomenal adventure captured in proseHARRIET Sandys has led apretty astonishing life,achieving so much for somany people and travellingmiles to war-torncountries.

Originally fromGraythwaite near NewbyBridge, Harriet’s BeyondThat Last Blue Mountainmentions her early lifegrowing up in the LakeDistrict, the late, greatformer Abbot Hall ArtGallery director, MaryBurkett - who was a hugeinfluence in her life - butmainly tells of her life as ayoung woman living andtravelling alone withoutfinancial or practicalsupport in the north westfrontier of Pakistan,Afghanistan, IraqiKurdistan, Bosnia andSyria during the years ofconflict between 1982-1995.

Harriet will give a talkand power pointpresentation at the WellsFestival of Literature thismonth and will be signingcopies of her highlyregarded book atWaterstones book shop atKendal at 2pm on Friday,November 16.

The book has been

incredibly well received:BBC chief internationalcorrespondent, LyseDoucet, describes it as “anextraordinary journey byan extraordinary woman,

beautifully told andbravely lived. Storytellingat its best.”

Until she was 18, Harrietlived a sheltered and rurallife in the Lake District.

Her parents hoped that,after leaving boardingschool and “doing theSeason”, she would meetand marry a suitableyoung man. Instead, afterlearning how to restoreoriental carpets, shetravelled alone to Pakistanand see for herself theplight of thousands ofdisplaced Afghan refugees.

Determined to dosomething about their diresituation, Harriet set up asmall silk weaving projectfor illiterate Turkmenrefugees and was sent byUNESCO to Mazar-i-sharifto work with Afghanistan’slast remaining silk ikatweavers.

During those years she

Harriet Sandys will be at Waterstones on November 16

sonatas, the cellist is required todemonstrate full command of histechnique and to play as an equalpartner with the piano. ThisChristian Elliott did.

Throughout the concert there wasa wonderful sense of rapportbetween the two artists and thiswas demonstrated in the openingof Beethoven’s sonata. The slowopening section is dramatic withits sudden dynamic explosions,contrasts between long smoothmelodic lines and more dottedrhythms and, in the final bars, longrests for both players; these areunsettling and create a sense ofuncertainty for the listener. All thismaterial and much of whatfollowed, was subtly understated:Beethoven’s dynamic markingswere never taken to the extreme ascan happen given the power ofmodern instruments. The followingallegro was exciting and the playfulcharacter of the rondo finale was asheer delight.

Brahms’ E minor sonata was awell-chosen work to balance theBeethoven. Again, restraint was acharacteristic of this performance.One of the qualities that stood outwas the beauty and delicacy ofRobin Green’s pianissimo playing;another was the ability of bothplayers to sustain Brahms’ lovelymelodic lines. The final movement,a demonstration of Brahms’contrapuntal mastery was excitingas both players wrestled with thefugue subject. The sense ofcompetition as the melodicmaterial passed between them wasfully realised making this athrilling end to a fine concert.n The next Kendal Midday

Concert Club recital features theMaggini Quartet on Wednesday,November 14. The eminent quartetwas formed in 1988, its name takenfrom the 16th Century violinmaker, Giovanni Paolo Maggini.

KMCC performances start at 1pmat Kendal Town Hall.

was arrested bythe KHAD,narrowlymissed beingblown up,survived acutebacterialmeningitis in aKabul hospitalunderbombardment,and rescued anabandonedpi-dog puppywho became

Century Madrid. One movementfeatured in the 2003 film Masterand Commander, but the bestknown is probably the last – theRetreat – which describes thenight watch clearing the streetsand closing the city gates.

The second half of the concertfeatures Mozart’s HaffnerSymphony, originally written as aserenade but reworked intosymphonic form.

Tickets on 0333-666-3366.

her devoted companion.At the end of the first

Gulf War she travelledwith the Peshmerga inthe newly-liberated IraqiKurdistan, then in 1994she joined a group ofunemployed buildersand decorators drivingconvoys of food and aidfrom Croydon to theMuslim enclaves inBosnia Herzegovina.

Harriet’s story is aphenomenal adventurewhich she captures incompelling and wellcrafted prose.

Beyond That Last BlueMountain is publishedby Medina Publishing,Surbiton, Surrey.