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Scholars' Recital

9 February 2009

Many of Highgate’s most talented musicians gave a delightful recital on 9th February, and the sublime surroundings of the historic Burgh House in Hampstead proved to be the perfect setting for an exquisite evening of chamber music.

The recital opened with Ben Gerrans’ notable performance of Elizabethan song; a quietly beautiful Mozart Adagio was next, played deftly by pianist George Spence-Jones, followed by the purity of Katie Matthews’ soprano singing an aria from Purcell’s operatic and tragic masterpiece, Dido & Aeneas. Two showpieces rounded off a varied first half: Oliver Zeffman and Max Davidson displayed great technical command as they bowled us over with some fiendishly frenetic Russian and American chamber works.

A brief repose was followed by a charming Telemann bassoon sonata in a well received performance by Kate Brooke, Frances Jones and Katie Matthews. Sam Carl then changed the mood with an alluring account of a Schumann song, followed deftly by Guy Purssell’s committed account of the first movement of Frank’s Violin Sonata. Joanna Siddall then gave two commanding and stylish performances of both a 19th century German song and a Cole Porter number. An evening of classy performance and high quality music-making from some of our most accomplished musicians concluded with a couple of Gershwin piano works Performed by Henry Zeffman that caused the enamoured audience to tap their feet before making their way through the February night.

The Head of Keyboard, Vincent Barr, did a wonderful job of accompanying all the performers with sensitivity. The evening was, all in all, a journey worth making, and a most enjoyable occasion.

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