RondoRotundo
28.09.2004, 13:47
Did anyone attend the Malcolm Arnold concert by Grimethorpe at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London last night?
What a superb evening and how well attended for a Monday evening.
The band were on top form and we were treated to two hours of music by not only Malcolm Arnold but also Walton - The First Shoot, Vinter - Spectrum, Howells - Pageantry and Howarth - 5 Folk Songs which featured Soprano vocalist Christine Buffle, an item which proved a welcome contrast with the band parts so subtley scored.
The Arnold items featured were Four Scottish Dances, Siciliano (Little Suite No.1), Four Cornish Dances, Fanfare for Louis (featuring Richard Marshall and Lee Rigg offstage), Little Suite No.2 and Fantasy with Rondo (Little Suite No.1) as the encore.
I seemed to be surrounded by non-bandspeople who were bowled over by both music and musicianship and most were unprepared for what they actually encountered in both musical content and quality of performance.
Apart from the odd momentary slip (and loose canon in Spectrum!) the playing was superb, in particular the slow and quiet passages were of a very high standard making the listening all the more enjoyable and it was great to hear three percussionists playing the more simple, but no less effective, parts in the lesser works, eg. the Maraccas in the Siciliano.
Certainly the audience went home well pleased and the band, too, must feel justifiably proud of their performance.
What a superb evening and how well attended for a Monday evening.
The band were on top form and we were treated to two hours of music by not only Malcolm Arnold but also Walton - The First Shoot, Vinter - Spectrum, Howells - Pageantry and Howarth - 5 Folk Songs which featured Soprano vocalist Christine Buffle, an item which proved a welcome contrast with the band parts so subtley scored.
The Arnold items featured were Four Scottish Dances, Siciliano (Little Suite No.1), Four Cornish Dances, Fanfare for Louis (featuring Richard Marshall and Lee Rigg offstage), Little Suite No.2 and Fantasy with Rondo (Little Suite No.1) as the encore.
I seemed to be surrounded by non-bandspeople who were bowled over by both music and musicianship and most were unprepared for what they actually encountered in both musical content and quality of performance.
Apart from the odd momentary slip (and loose canon in Spectrum!) the playing was superb, in particular the slow and quiet passages were of a very high standard making the listening all the more enjoyable and it was great to hear three percussionists playing the more simple, but no less effective, parts in the lesser works, eg. the Maraccas in the Siciliano.
Certainly the audience went home well pleased and the band, too, must feel justifiably proud of their performance.