Classical Music and Dance

Expect rain, I wrote on Wednesday. Well, there was certainly rain. But what I hadn’t expected was that it would be so cold they weren’t just not casting clouts ere May was out, they were dragging them out of the wardrobes and putting them on again.

Never mind. There was a warm bath waiting in St Margaret’s Church at Betley, in the form of the Arabesque Duo. The concert, in aid of the church’s project to build a school in Ghana, was billed as “Tranquil Classics”, and there’s something so relaxing about the combination of flute and harp you could bottle it and flog it to overstressed executives.

That’s not to say there was anything sleepy about this lovely performance. Russell Gillespie and Lauren Scott, who form the duo, are agile and accomplished and the music, though sometimes popular, was never sloppy or soupy.

Exotic rhythms

Indeed, the Sonata by Andy Scott demanded that the harpist drummed on her instrument as it went through some exotic rhythms. Though written only five years ago, this was proper modern classical music with structure, rhythm and attractive melody. But then, it had to be good. Andy Scott is harpist Lauren’s husband.

Mrs Scott also gave us the lowdown on her instrument, which is far more complex than you may imagine. It’s rather swanlike; the harpist smiles and strums on top while her feet do all the work.

Russell Gillespie played the Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen on the alto flute, big brother to the normal concert flute. It demanded an awful lot of puff, he revealed, which is probably why I’d never seen one before.

The duo have made some records too. I overheard someone in the interval recommending one for in-car use. Certainly, it would banish road rage forever, though you might miss several motorway exits as well.

WHERE I’LL BE NEXT  

There’s an organ prom in Hanley this (Saturday) lunchtime, and Robert Thompson who performed so well in the Michael Harding International Piano Competition is at Keele tonight.

But I might get back to Stafford again for the Chiarina Trio at St Mary’s Church on Wednesday, for they are playing the cute Dvorak Dumky Trio.

Chris Ramsden