Hello Rene

The wonderful Corbridge Chamber Music Festival is over. The musicians must be exhausted but they should be well satisfied with their efforts.

Here you see Lucy Gould, founder of the festival and of the Gould Piano Trio. She is waving to Mum who was not well enough to attend the concerts. The musicians all signed a card and said the festival was not the same without her. 

Says it all really.

Today's concerts were terrific. John Casken, composer in residence, spoke about Shadowed Pieces  for violin and piano. He gave an excellent talk which helped us to understand the music. He condescended to let me photograph him. (See him in an extra.) He proved a slightly tricky subject because he did not want to look where I suggested - to put some light into his eyes! The overhead lighting is very difficult to manage.

The evening ended with the Goulds playing Dvorak's Piano Trio in F minor, Opus 65, a work of monumental proportions. We also heard Robert Plane give an exemplary performance of the Crusell clarinet quartet in Eflat. Before that a single movement of a string quartet by Mahler (who knew?). He wrote it as a teenager but never completed the other movements.

It's been a brilliant weekend of sublime music.

Thank you to emhowl who reminded me of this happy moment one year ago.