Canterbury Festival Lunchtime Recital

Date: Thursday 16 October 2008

Every year, as part of the Canterbury Festival, St Edmund's musicians are invited to entertain the lunchtime audience at the Festival Club. This year, to a background of soup, paninis, and bottled beers, eight soloists and one vocal ensemble impressed the 40-odd lunchers, with a varied programme of well-known classics, and one or two real novelties.

John Bungay (violin) started proceedings with the Hungarian gypsy dance, 'Czardas' by Monti. Jessica White-Pearson (flute) then soothed the elderly audience into an early afternoon nap with her 'Syrinx' by Debussy. Benedict Preece (French Horn) woke them again with the lively Rondo from Mozart's 2nd Horn Concerto.

Our German contingent then took the stage, with Ulrike Brinkmann (flute) playing the beautiful Largo from Quantz's Fourth Sonata, and Jennifer Grun (soprano) singing Schubert's 'Die Forelle' - 'The Trout' - in his, and her native language. Alex Abley (recorder) then offered a rarity, Colin Hand's Sonatina (3rd movement), accompanied, as ever, by the omnipresent Spencer Payne.

The recital then concluded with Sophie Belinfante (violin) holding the audience spellbound with her rendition of Beethoven's 'Romanze' in F, a twelve strong vocal ensemble delivering Chilcott's arrangement of 'Londonderry Air' - 'Danny Boy', and Tom Vafidis (Alto Saxophone) giving his all, and brilliantly, to Woods' Sonata for Sax.

Many thanks to John Prebble for the opportunity to perform, and many thanks to the St Edmund's musicians for performing so admirably.