Reviews
ANDOVER MUSIC CLUB
Review of the Britannic Ensemble Concert 22 October 2009
This concert was the annual “Gladys New Concert” in memory of our founder who started the club in 1946. The ensemble is a trio of vivacious young ladies - Charlotte Bettle (flute), Victoria Small (oboe) and Suzy Ruffles (piano). It was a pleasure to watch them, and they gave us a spellbinding demonstration of musical virtuosity.
The pieces were introduced mainly by Charlotte Bettle, who explained that, because they focus mainly on British composers, the name “Britannic” was chosen. We were this evening however to be treated to a mixture of British and French compositions.
The programme was varied and challenging – enabling the musicians to display their wide range of skills with pieces for all three as well as solo items for the flute and oboe. The Malcolm Arnold ‘Suite Bourgeoise’ was wisely moved to the end of the first half. With its five movements providing a scintillating variety of moods and rhythms, it concluded the session on a real high. The very long and demanding Trio by Damase which began the second half was performed with an apparent ease which belied the intense concentration which must be required for such a complex work. The Saint-Saens oboe sonata was beautifully performed and the concert concluded with another distinct high with the Madeleine Dring trio, the second movement of which is particularly melodic and moving.
Overall the concert was performed with a charm and undoubted virtuosity that gave great enjoyment to the audience and very evidently the musicians themselves. Particular mention must be made of the wonderful keyboard skills of Suzy Ruffles who hardly had a rest through the whole programme.
Review of the Britannic Ensemble Concert 22 October 2009
This concert was the annual “Gladys New Concert” in memory of our founder who started the club in 1946. The ensemble is a trio of vivacious young ladies - Charlotte Bettle (flute), Victoria Small (oboe) and Suzy Ruffles (piano). It was a pleasure to watch them, and they gave us a spellbinding demonstration of musical virtuosity.
The pieces were introduced mainly by Charlotte Bettle, who explained that, because they focus mainly on British composers, the name “Britannic” was chosen. We were this evening however to be treated to a mixture of British and French compositions.
The programme was varied and challenging – enabling the musicians to display their wide range of skills with pieces for all three as well as solo items for the flute and oboe. The Malcolm Arnold ‘Suite Bourgeoise’ was wisely moved to the end of the first half. With its five movements providing a scintillating variety of moods and rhythms, it concluded the session on a real high. The very long and demanding Trio by Damase which began the second half was performed with an apparent ease which belied the intense concentration which must be required for such a complex work. The Saint-Saens oboe sonata was beautifully performed and the concert concluded with another distinct high with the Madeleine Dring trio, the second movement of which is particularly melodic and moving.
Overall the concert was performed with a charm and undoubted virtuosity that gave great enjoyment to the audience and very evidently the musicians themselves. Particular mention must be made of the wonderful keyboard skills of Suzy Ruffles who hardly had a rest through the whole programme.
SEATONmusic
Review of concert performed on 28th April 2011
Sparkling end-of-season concert
Seaton Music Club enjoyed their last concert of the season with a programme largely devoted to British music, performed by The Britannic Ensemble (Charlotte Bettle - flute, Victoria Small - oboe and Suzy Ruffles - piano). The ensemble was founded in 2008 and they are becoming well known through their performances throughout the south-west of England.
Their programme of music by British composers was a novelty for many club members. ‘Suite Bourgeoise’ is an early chamber piece by Malcolm Arnold (better known for his film music like ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’). Its prelude and dances started slowly, but soon revealed a fascinating blend of counterpoint, jazzy rhythms, melody and mischievous fun.
More dances came in the ‘Summer Waltzes’ by Paul Harris, five pieces, in the words of the composer, representing the spirit of summer – warmth, golden colours and cheerfulness. The Britannic Ensemble conveyed these well in their elegant and beautifully balanced performance.
Balance and precision of both phrasing and dynamics were evident in the Divertimento by William Mathias, in which the players showed off the cross rhythms, lyricism and the unusual harmonies in the three movements.
Two solo pieces –Hamilton Harty’s ‘In Ireland’ for flute and piano and Rutland Boughton’s ‘Somerset Pastorale’ for oboe and piano displayed the expressive range of the two instruments, but also underlined the skill of the pianist in being always present but never dominant. Harty’s piece evoked street musicians in Dublin, while Boughton brought us nearer home with his work based on a Somerset folk song.
Madeleine Dring’s trio is perhaps the best known of the works in the first half. The beautiful long phrases and melody of the lyrical second movement and the jokey third movement showed off the players’ virtuosity.
The second half of the programme consisted of well-known orchestral works arranged for flute, oboe and piano – the overture to Mozart’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’, the overture to Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’, and Schubert’s ‘Trout’ quintet and music for ‘Rosamunde’. While we might have missed the orchestral colour we normally hear in these pieces, there was no doubting the sparkling brilliance and infectious enthusiasm of the playing which delighted the audience.
This evening of variety in style and content concluded the season of seven concerts.