We made it!

Piers Hellawell has been the composer in residence for this year's Corbridge Chamber Music Festival. I missed his afternoon talk (because I had a snooze) but I was at the afternoon concert where his work, Weaver of Grass was played.

This composition was inspired by Angus MacPhee of South Uist who, despite serious mental illness, made some sense of life by making useful articles from grass.

It was arresting, dramatic and challenging for performers and audience alike. When they played the last chord, the expression on Lucy Gould's face said it all - "we made it to the end together!!"

My blip is the composer congratulating Ben Frith, the pianist. They are standing by the piano and the arches of the choir stalls are behind them.

This evening we heard the Elias Quartet (you MUST hear them if they come to a concert hall near you) play Schubert's Quartettsatz D 703, then a quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and piano by Rabl. Brahms encouraged young composers like Rabl. This was not great music, but the players made it sound good.

Finally, the Trout Quintet, played to popular acclaim.

Not it is all over for another year. I may need a day or two to recover!!