Chamber Music

Ahead of the first exeat of the Lent Term, ensembles were the focus of this concert. First up was the Freddie Graham Jazz Quartet playing Gershwin’s timeless classic ‘Summertime’ from Porgy and Bess. Having just received news of his distinction at LTCL, Freddie (Sch. Mus) was on fine form with a number of blisteringly virtuosic solos, underpinned with solid accompaniment from Sam Talbot-Williams on bass guitar and Tom O’Sullivan (Exh Mus.) on drums. Next up was the Barbershop choir which presented three pieces made famous by the Kings Singers in their acclaimed acapella concerts. First was the American classic ‘Shenandoah’ arranged by Bob Chilcott (who will be coming to Sherborne as a tutor at the inaugural Choral Course this July). Filled with Chilcott’s trademark close harmony style, of particular note was the accomplished blend of voices from across the ensemble. ‘You are the New Day’ by Welsh songwriter John David gave a more contemporary edge, but retained the similarly luscious harmonic language.

In acknowledgment of the concert’s coincidence with Burns’ Night, the group gave a rendition of the old favourite ‘Loch Lomond’, the arrangement evoking bagpipes drifting over rolling glens and augmented by the group’s carefully perfected Scottish accents! The final ensemble of the concert was the Brass Quintet, who gave an energetic performance of a suite of three pieces by little-known composer Ludwig Wilhelm Maurer. This then contrasted with a moving rendition of Harold Arlen’s ‘Over the Rainbow’ in an arrangement exploiting every nuance of the ensemble’s timbre. To bring the concert to a close, Angus Williams (Sch. Mus.) sang Schumann’s ‘Mondnacht’ (‘Moonlit Night’) from Liederkreis, exhibiting a remarkable delicacy of tone to communicate the dream-like atmosphere of the piece, appropriately ending with the words ‘And my soul spread/Her wings out wide,/Flew across the silent land,/As though flying home.’

The Freddie Graham Jazz Quartet will be performing again on the 15th of February for a Charlie Parker tribute evening.