On a happier note: The Berwickshire carries this story which will be interest to all except tone deaf bloggees.
Youth to the fore at Paxton musical festival
YOUNG musicians play a significant part in the 16 events taking place at Paxton House during the forthcoming Summer Music festival, opening on Thursday, July 14.
One such group is the Bronte String Quartet who are making a return visit following their sell-out performances at last year's festival. Since winning several prizes in 2003, the group's busy schedule has included appearances at the Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Chelsea and Brighton festivals.The Bronte will be in residence on the first weekend of the Paxton festival, July 15 to 17, for three evening concerts of quartets and quintets, including the Schumann piano quintet and the less well-known Dvor‡k string sextet.On that Saturday evening, the 16th, the Bronte will share the platform with the young Scottish soprano, Catriona Holt, as soloist in Berg's ravishingly beautiful '7 Early Songs' and several by the master of song, Hugo Wolf. Catriona, a graduate of the Royal College of Music and the RSAMD, made her Edinburgh Festival debut last year in Weber's 'Der Freischutz', and will be touring England, France and Switzerland later this year as Papagena in Mozart's 'The Magic Flute'.Summer Music's annual Young Musicians Platform takes place on Tuesday evening, July 19. The concert has a distinctly international flavour, beginning in Spain with music by AlbŽniz transcribed for guitar, jetting off to Brazil for a piece by Radames Gnatalli for the unusual combination of cello and guitar, then returning to Europe for piano music by Debussy and Rachmaninov to be performed by Romanian, Ancute Nite. The evening ends in Russia with the deeply moving Eighth String Quartet of Shostakovich, written in memory of victims of Fascism and war.Stunning young violinist Jack Liebeck makes his first appearance for Summer Music on the festival's second weekend, July 22-24, in trios by Mozart and Schumann, four short pieces by Webern, and the festival's vibrant concluding string sextet, 'Souvenir de Florence' by Tchaikovsky. Jack's first public appearance was for BBC TV, aged 10, when he played the role of the young Mozart. From the age of 11 he has performed in concertos and recitals throughout the world, and he also appears as soloist on a Warner Classics CD of Oscar Wilde 'Fairy Tales' narrated by Stephen Fry and Vanessa Redgrave. On Monday July 18, masterclasses for piano and strings, led by three of the festival's distinguished performers and teachers, will include young players, as well as those of more mature years. These run from 10am to 4pm, and are free both for participants and audiences.Tickets and information from Paxton House (01289) 386291, www.fenyo-musicmakers.co.uk
07 July 2005Huttonian will as usual be offering accomodation to some of the musicians -the Bronte Quartet for the first weekend-the 'in residence 'refers to the Old Manse- and an Austrian trio plus Jack Liebeck for the second. There are still seats available for some concerts but it is all filling up very fast. Hurry
