The first concert of the new season took place on Friday 7th February, when we welcomed the Pentland Trio with a programme of music by various composers. Last year we enjoyed an evening with the Hans Gal Trio, but Katie the cellist has left to study elsewhere, so Emma Donald and Ailsa Aitkenhead have been joined by Tim Cais as cellist, and the trio has had a change of name. This was their debut concert as a group, and they brought a trio by Haydn and one by Beethoven: but both these are quite short works, so in between the two major works we were treated also to solos from each of the players.
The evening started with the Haydn trio known as the ‘Gipsy Rondo’ from the last movement which is clearly influenced by Hungarian gipsy dance music and which the players clearly much enjoyed performing. Between this and the Beethoven trio, which, especially in the last movement – a theme and variations – explores different textures and combinations of the three instruments, we were treated to a violin romance, the Swan movement from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals and a Chopin Nocturne. Here Ailsa showed enormous sang-froid, as just at the end of the Swan movement the cable connecting the clavinova to the electricity supply disconnected itself. After a small amount of somewhat embarrassing grovelling on the floor the right terminal was located and normal service resumed, and the Chopin was delightful.
All the players will be back during this coming season, Ailsa on 7th March with the flautist Michael Ready for what promises to be a very interesting recital, Tim (with Ailsa) in April for a cello recital, Emma and Tim with the Fyrish Quartet in May, and we hope to hear Emma in July as part of Turadh but the date for this has yet to be confirmed.
Our next concert will be on Friday 6th March
Wyvis Churches 