|
|
|
|
|
| Edinburgh : A&E : Festivals : Fringe Reviews |
|
|
Rating Guide None = Unmissable 
= UnwatchablePage number refers to the Fringe programme
Drams Music Women's barbershop arrangements of Jazz me blues; Hello my baby; When I fall in love; Ain't misbehavin'; There I've said it again; , Could I have this dance?; Secrets; Take another guess; The joint is jumpin'; That old feeling; Love eyes medley; If you really love me; Tiger rag; Land of light; Just a wee deoch-an-doris Performers Vocal Zone: Gwen Topp, Anne Cargill, Dorothy Main, Val Muir Date 13 August 2005 Venue St Andrew's & St George's Church (Venue 111) Address George Street Reviewer Bruce Haughan
This was a highly professional show, even down to the details of uniform and jewellery worn by the members of Vocal Zone, Gwen Topp, Anne Cargill, Dorothy Main and Val Muir, and the way they handled the one tuning miscue of the show. It was all acoustic, too - not a mike or amplifier in sight - which gave them much greater flexibility and rapport with their hugely enthusiastic audience, and which demonstrates to even younger generations that, in so many venues, you do not need amplification to reach your audience. You do, however, need to learn how to pitch and sell a song, and this Vocal Zone does with apparently effortless ease. One thing, though: they sang their first number on the infamous dead spot of the St Andrew's & St George's Church platform: dead centre in the long curve of this beautiful oval church is, sadly, a bad place to sing in. By the time they got back to it, several numbers later, however, they were ready for it, and won.
Not unexpectedly, most of the songs in programme were from the American repertoire, the home of modern close-harmony barbershop singing. The programme ended, however, with a couple of Scottish numbers, William Jackson's Land of light (it is good to hear that splendid tune beginning to find its way into the wider consciousness) ingeniously combined with Roy Williamson's Flower of Scotland, and Gerald Grafton's and Harry Lauder's Just a wee deoch- an-doris, perhaps the one song of the show that really does need to be sung by men, if the distinction has to be made. Barbershop singing still seems to be divided into male and female. On the showing of Vocal Zone, female barbershop singing holds its own. As a devotee of male-voice singing, I am converted. Is the time coming when we can look forward to mixed-doubles barbershop? There could be room for all three sets of voices in barbershop. Until then, we look forward to future visits to the Fringe by Vocal Zone. Haste ye back! © Bruce Haughan. 14 August 2005. Published on www.edinburghguide.com See
also www.vocal-zone.co.uk
Harpsichords at St Cecilia's Series Drams None Music A L Vivaldi: Solo for chalumeau and bass in G minor; Sonata for recorder and bass in G minor; Concerto for harpsichord in C (arr J S Bach); G F Handel: Solo for recorder and bass in D minor; Solo for chalumeau and bass in B flat; G P Telemann: Concerto for Harpsichord in G minor (arr J S Bach); Solo for chalumeau and bass in B flat; Solo for recorder and bass in F minor Performers Gerard McDonald (chalumeau and recorder); John Kitchen (harpsichord) Date 27 August 2005 Venue St Cecilia's Hall (Venue 31) Address Niddry Street, Cowgate Reviewer Nick Scott
Promoted by The Friends of St Cecilia's Hall, this Festival series of six recitals entitled Bach to Beethoven features music by Dussek and Clementi (which takes the form of a lecture-recital explaining their influence on the young Beethoven), Scottish and English Baroque music and Couperin. Evening concerts have included operas and a novel peformance of Schubert's Winterreise using a puppet, animation and lighting!
In this, the fifth concert, it was the turn of Messrs Vivaldi, Handel and Telemann to provide the music for today's recital, which featured John Kitchen (harpsichord) and Gerard McDonald (chalumeau and recorder) in a programme entitled The Art of the Mock Trumpet. Gerard McDonald also introduced the items and gave some background information (sort of verbal programme notes) on each piece. The chalumeau is the forerunner of the clarinet although much smaller in size. Like the clarinet, it has a similar mouthpiece and a single reed. For a time, the two existed alongside each other, but by the 1770s the chalumeau was superseded by the clarinet which had become well established by then. Interestingly, the lower end of the clarinet's register is called the 'Chalumeau' - a term still used today. In addition to works for chalumeau and recorder (with harpsichord accompaniment), the programme also contained two solo pieces for harpsichord - Concerti by Telemann and Vivaldi (both arranged by J S Bach). Finely woven masterpieces in their own right, it was the latter that was particularly impressive. Playing a single manual Jacob Kirckman haepsichord, John Kitchen demonstrated his phenomenal dexterity in the complex and extremely demanding first and last movements. Equally nimble was Gerard McDonald as he moved from chalumeau to recorder and vice versa with equal ease; and proved that in the right hands, these two instruments are extremely versatile. Truly remarkable was the final movement of the last piece in the programme - Telemann's 'Solo for recorder and bass in F minor' - which featured a particularly spirited final movement, played at breathtaking speed.
Eighteenth century music is not everybody's 'cup of tea' and is somewhat of an acquired taste. However, one cannot help but admire and appreciate the high degree of musicianship and expertise that this genre demands. The combination of the music and the magnificent surroundings, conjured up a feeling that one had left the twenty-first century and travelled back in time to a more genteel and less stressful age. Now, that in itself has to be a commendation. © Nick Scott 27th August 2005. Published on www.edinburghguide.com Run dates: 20-21 August (15.00); 23-25 August (20.00); 27-28 August (15.00). N.B. Different artistes and programmes feature in each concert/recital (see Fringe Brochure Page 88)
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Edinburgh Film | Edinburgh Theatre | Edinburgh Festival | Edinburgh Venues | Photos |
|||
