Just listening

An unexpected and unusual delight tonight - we were able to listen to a splendid orchestra live in Dunoon, playing fine music excellently. Usually if we want to hear a live orchestra, we end up in Edinburgh or London or - closest of all - Glasgow, but to be able to walk down the road and in ten minutes be inside the venue - the excellently refurbished Queen's Hall - that is a bonus. 

The orchestra was the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Holly Mathieson (you can just see her marching onstage, in grey); the solo violinist in the Mendelssohn violin concerto was Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, who looked about 15 and played like an angel. We had Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn and Beethoven, and I remembered being 18 at Proms in Glasgow, at a time when I heard live music every week and never gave it a thought. 

I think what struck me most was the lovely sound of a quiet, multi-layered chord played perfectly in tune - how seldom I hear that these days! And I loved the fact that the audience remained utterly silent between movements - I don't care for this fashion of clapping before a piece is done.

I think Dunoon ought to run this kind of thing more often ...