There are those who complain that Berwickshire is a cultural desert. With not even an odd Oasis-Kelso, for example is in Roxburghshire and Duns, the county town of Berwickshire, has declined intellectually since the demise of Duns Scotus, the philosopher who is (probably erroneously) thought to have had some connection with the town. Thus the Paxton Musical Festival, if not an oasis, is at least a welcome watering hole. This is a two long week ended (?) chamber music event attracting distinguished musicians from all over the UK (one from Japan) playing mostly for love (certainly not for much money)
Tout Berwickshire attends and from much further afield. It is not Glynebourne sartorially but out come the tweeds, the faded kilts some of dubious provenance , the rarely worn suits, the deer stalkers and the wispy beards. This is no Hicksville audience. The county is full of retired music critics, recently de-chaired Professors of Philosophy, former Oxford students who read PPE and chieftains of obscure clans who are probably rocket scientists in their spare time.. One critic whose reviews are identified only as JHLT gave one of the musicians a fearful grilling ('how is that you too have read PPE?' He kept asking) no doubt preparing a scathing column for next Thursday's Berwickshire. He handed over his card- a cheaply produced scrap of paper- which proudly stated 'No phone, no fax, no e-mail' In other words 'no come back' to any vitriolic literary cavils. Thursday could bring interesting reading.
Much will depend on how the Schoenberg went down with JHLT. I feared the worst when the opening bars almost shook the ancient pictures in the gallery out of their gilded frames, jolting awake two sleepers along the row from me. (?music critics from the SIS-they employ a lot of sleepers it is said) A genuinely hick audience would have started throwing the gilded chairs around at this point but last night's lot really enjoyed the performance, shouting, refinely, for more. An imaginative choice by the impresario who obviously knows his Berwickshire. Well done Gustav. Do it again next year. Please
