St John's Kirk concert a success

Jun 5 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

PERTH Festival of the Arts should be congratulated on continuing to foster the careers of young artists. The quality of these events being recognised, the Saturday Morning Concert in a very full St John’s Kirk was a total pleasure.

Five outstanding young players, four woodwind players and a pianist, took to the concert stage this year. Local interest was present in both Lawrence O’Donnell, bassoon, and Michael O’Donnell, oboe, both brought up in Scone and both of whom warmly thanked their first teacher Philip Alexander.

Lawrence began with a movement, arranged for solo bassoon, by CPE Bach. Stretching up from the resounding low notes Lawrence made a noble sound.

Next came a Sonata in C Major, given on bassoon and piano, by JF Fasch, a contemporary of JS Bach in Leipzig. Here a walking-pace Largo led to a fluent Allegro with nice ornamentation. This was followed by a lyrical Andante with Lawrence good in the changes of register and the echo effects, as he was with breathing tested by the constant rapid motion of the Allegro assai.

Joined by James Burke, clarinet, we had Glinka’s Trio Pathétique, which sounded neither Russian nor particularly emotional. Written early and after experiences in Italy it was, rather, a fluent operatic scena with clarinet and bassoon replacing the singers. The tuneful Allegro was followed by a sparkling Scherzo with filigree piano writing excellently played by Alexander Karpeyev. A lowering start began the Largo, before becoming a Bellini-like, lyrical duet. A dramatic link led to the cabaletta and a grandstand finish.

Eilidh Gillespie, flute, joined for Saint-Saens’ Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs. Exactly as she said it was ‘a really fun piece’ with the wind instruments sounding their colourful best in the acoustic.

It was back to oboe, bassoon and piano for the final work: Poulenc’s Trio. In the first movement it was by turns vivacious, lyrical then madcap. In the second we had almost a 20th century Mozart. The Rondo finale revealed the bright joy of playing, with its episodes more song-like.

Cheered to the echo, the five returned often to the platform, once tricking Lawrence O’Donnell into taking a solo bow.