PETER Sotheran and his wife Sue certainly proved “tuned in” when they had to respond quickly after learning that the pianist engaged to perform in Redcar had been taken seriously ill the previous evening.

Pulling out all the stops to prevent a cancellation Mr Sotheran turned to two boy wonders of the piano-playing kind, tenyear- old James Chen and his brother Jeremy, aged eight.

Both have studied piano under Barbara White, of Middlesbrough, since the age of six.

There was a collective holding of breath as the diminutive figure of Jeremy walked coolly to the enormous piano, at which a small wooden foot rest had been placed. There, without music, he played with faultless ease a selection of work by Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn. Every note memorised.

But more was to come.

James, already a confident and remarkably stylish performer, treated us to works by Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Chopin and Villa-Lobos with great aplomb. I was amazed at the sheer strength and precision with which he performed.

He took time between pieces to consider what was to follow. His rendition of the Chopin Nocturne in E flat major was beautifully expressed and this was followed by Villa-lobos’s O Polichinello – as rapid and explosive as the Chopin is romantic and soulful.

With less than three hours’ notice, the boys played a 45-minute programme completely from memory, having been whisked out of school at 10.45am and taken home to practise before the 1.30pm concert.

  • The next concert at Tuned In is piano a recital by Viv McLean on Wednesday, May 14. At Kirkleatham tomorrow, Arta Arnicane makes a flying visit. Tickets at £12.50 are available on 01642-477200.

Irene MacDonald