The comparativist

P ercussionist Harriet Kwong played at Christ Church earlier today, as scheduled in the ‘Midweek Music’ programme, to a crowd of nearly one hundred music aficionados. Ms Kwong started and ended her concert with the snare drum, playing pieces by Alexej Gerassimez –a young German percussionist– and American Casey Cangelosi, hailed as the Paganini of Percussion by himself on his personal website. The highlight of the afternoon came from the vibraphone (the ‘marimba 2.0’), through a Steven Machamer arrangement of Bach's «Suite for lute in Gm (BWV 995)», which is itself an arrangement of cello suite (BWV 1011). The vibraphone emits a beautiful, perhaps eerie sound, and demands a very physical, almost performative approach: this concert was not just for the ears, as watching Ms Kwong glide through the vibraphone's three octaves was as compelling as following its melodies. Original-date: 5 March 2025