Opening concert

St Nicholas Church, Guisborough

A CAPACITY audience was welcomed by Joel Brookfield who explained the slightly delayed start and the revised order of the programme.

Franck’s exquisite String Quartet in D opened the first performance of the Festival, and was very warmly received.

The first movement, soulful but powerfully expressed by two violins, viola and cello, provided a beautiful entry to the work. In the second movement there were some fine solo passages for cello and viola, with a very sweet violin accompaniment, the whole piece seamlessly coming together, though varying in mood.

A staccato theme introduced the third movement, contrasting strongly with the preceding two and continuing the contrast with a wandering, halting section, demanding some very fine bowing and fingering. Variety was again provided by the smooth, sweeping opening to the fourth movement, while achieving a full, rich sound with cello and violins playing against each other, and a perceptible lingering trace of Franck’s signature melody. Truly a masterwork.

The cellist on this occasion was Jamie Walton, the founder and curator of the Festival. He has a very fine pedigree as a performer, having played and recorded with major orchestras at home and abroad.

In the second half, Syrinx by Debussy for solo flute, played by Dan Watts, emerging like music from out of nowhere, had an almost hypnotic effect – a beautiful piece.

Maxwell Davies’ Two Dances from Caroline Mathilde op. 144d, an entrancing combination of flute and harp featuring Dan Watts, flute, and Olivia Jaguars, harp, is a lilting, lovely piece, and the instruments on this occasion were particularly favoured by the very good acoustic in this venue.

Debussy’s Danse sacree et danse profane for harp and strings swept us along with a sweetly flowing melody for violins and harp, while cello and double bass provided warmth and tone.

Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro for flute, harp, string quartet and clarinet brought the concert to a powerful finale, applauded to the rafters.

Irene MacDonald