Reviews

When you go to a concert you may hope for moments of delight but you do not expect the hairs to stand up on the back of your neck. Yet this is what happened to many of us in this concert by the … [Read more...] about Gesualdo Six Concert 22nd October 2021

In 2015 two young prize-winning musicians, the British cellist Cecilia Bignall and the Russian classical accordionist losif Purits met to form Duo Bayanello, now described as one of the most exciting … [Read more...] about Duo Bayanello with Andrey Lebedev

This concert, called Caledonian Connexions, proved full of contrasts, twists and turns.  Choral music that intrigued and enlightened at one. Obviously the theme was Scotland - mostly by association. … [Read more...] about Index Cantorum – St Peters Church – June 8th 2018

This is the fourth time Sansara have performed for Stockbridge Music. The choir has grown fast in stature here and abroad, and it’s difficult to avoid endless superlatives about their singing. Here … [Read more...] about Concert by the Sansara Consort – St Peter’s Church – 10th November 2017

They have thrilled us before in the ideal acoustic of Stockbridge Town Hall. Remarkably, three years on, the make-up of this superbly gifted youthful group has seen only one change, the viola player. … [Read more...] about Concert by the Delmege Quartet – Stockbridge Town Hall – September 16th 2017

  By James Montgomery Had Jean Mouton been in St Peter’s Church Stockbridge for this additional Stockbridge Music concert (he was born around 1459 and lived for at least sixty years) a warm … [Read more...] about Review of Sansara – Monday 11th December 2016

By James Montgomery Does Professor Norris ever sleep? He must be the most energetic and prodigious musician alive today. You name it, he’s done it, does it, plays it, and will tell you anything … [Read more...] about Review of David Owen Norris – Saturday 15th October 2016

By James Montgomery Thomas Weelkes was described by the authorities at Chichester Cathedral as a ‘comon drunckard, notorious swearer and blasphemer’ and sacked in about 1615 for being inebriated … [Read more...] about Review of Index Cantorum – 17th September 2016

  By James Montgomery With attack, that’s how these young players began their performance. This was the spirited first of four movements of Haydn’s String Quartet Opus 76, written in his … [Read more...] about Review of The Alauda Quartet – 23rd April 2016

By James Montgomery What other instrument played these days possesses more than four thousand years of beguiling musical pedigree? I suspect hardly any. The ancient Egyptians would have marvelled … [Read more...] about Review of The London Harp Trio – 12th March 2016