Corbridge Chamber Music Festival - Day 2

This has been a much more challenging day.

The 11am concert was called A Poet's Love. We heard the Fruhling Clarinet Trio, Op. 40. This was new to many of us. It's a lyrical and accessible piece.

James Gilchrist (in my blip) sang Schumann's Dichterliebe Song Cycle for tenor and piano, Op 48.  I have never particularly enjoyed lieder, but was close to being a convert after this wonderful performance. In my blip James is holding the hand of Benjamin Frith, who is a superb accompanist.

We rushed home and I threw a bit of lunch down my throat (!) before I returned to Corbridge to sing in Fauré's Requiem, conducted by Martin Neary. He did an excellent job with the choir - a disparate group, although many people clearly knew the work well. We performed it with violin, 'cello, "harp" (aka piano) and organ, to a small but perfectly formed audience of family and friends. The young soloists did well.

I raced home and we had a quick meal.

The 7.30pm concert was quite challenging. It began with a wonderful  performance of the Poulenc Flute Sonata. (Adam Walker and Huw Watkins). 


In my croft or sullen art is a new piece for tenor with string quartet. I found this very hard to listen to, although there were some magical moments. Words by Dylan Thomas, music by Huw Watkins.

It was followed by On Wenlock Edge by Vaughan Williams with tenor and piano trio. This was easier, but I had honestly had enough of the tenor voice by now. (Sorry JG, who sings wonderfully.)

The last piece was Brahms' Clarinet Quintet in B minor, op115. It's a great piece but I think I was beyond tired by now and Mum wasn't comfortable. It's high time they removed the pews and put in comfortable seats.........


In other news: Oscar was curled up and sleeping on top of one of our garden walls earlier today. The walls are about 10 feet high and have flat coping stones on the top. (He still won't come in, but it feeding at least twice a day now.)