Chetham'sChetham's School of Music at Christ Church

Chetham's School of Music does it again. They had a solid performance earlier this year, too, but Christ Church was at half capacity then. Today, however, most of the ~300 seats of this modern stage were occupied by either people or their coats.

Chetham's brought a clarinetist, a singer and a violinist. Shia, the clarinetist, offered a very pensive interpretation of a selection of Mozart's «Clarinet Concerto» (K662).

A very animated Izzy commanded the stage next; this young singer offered a Mozart aria from «Don Giovanni», Schubert's «Auf dem See» and «My heart is like a singing bird» of Christina Rossetti; Ms Izzy has a very versatile voice (as proven by the aforementioned list); I wouldn't be surprised if she starts her career interpreting soubrette roles, not only because of her sweet timbre, but for her cheerful stage presence.

Finally, Kester took the stage. He rushed through a selection of Bach's «Partita N.º 3 in E» (BWV 1006), for he was trying to get to what was, I believe, the highlight of the day: a marvelous rendition of Maurice Ravel's «Tzigane» that fully embodied the fiery take on gypsy music Liszt and Brahms popularised. This very technical piece found its match in a very technically brilliant Kester. This piece also showcased the talent of today's accompanying pianist, Mr Nick Oliver, who, judging from his enthusiastic performance, also prefers impressionism over baroque or classical.

30 of October, 2024