Notes from a Small Island is a series of concerts in which pianist Mark Bebbington showcases major works by British composers of the twentieth century. In this second concert of three, Mark is joined by some of London’s leading instrumentalists for a delightfully rich and varied chamber programme.
John Ireland’s lush Fantasy-Sonata for Piano and Clarinet, reflecting in 1943 the composer’s recent experience of evacuation from Jersey, paves the way for an earlier example of chamber music written in time of war: Elgar’s sublime Piano Quintet of 1918. Rejuvenated and inspired by the peace and rural beauty of the Sussex countryside, Elgar displays imaginative, unabashed late romanticism and a richness of texture that is at times almost orchestral – ‘full of golden sounds and I like it,’ wrote the composer himself. Linking the two works is a pair of pieces by one of this country’s most respected composers, Peter Dickinson (b 1934). First, Lullaby: originally part of a six-movement suite called ‘The Unicorns’ (1982), it has been arranged by the composer for both voice and clarinet, and now for solo piano in a version dedicated to Mark Bebbington. It is followed by a set of miniatures - five delicious ‘Forgeries’ evoking in turn the spirits of Poulenc, Hindemith, Delius, Stravinsky and Bartok.
Concert Programme available to read or download >>HERE<<
Concert Promoted by Kestrel Music