10 November 2022
On Tuesday we had the second Solo Concert Platform of the year which showcased the high levels of musical talent that the Abingdon School community enjoys. There was some very well-developed and artistic playing across a diverse range of repertoire.
The concert opened with Falkie Brocklebank who gave a jaunty account of Dukas’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice on the bassoon. Toby Williams then offered a fluent performance of Mozskowski’s Spanish Dance no. 2 on the clarinet followed by Elliot Liddle with a confident performance of Telemann’s Vivace in G minor. Howard Chung closed the first half of the concert with a stirring performance of Weber’s Andante & Rondo. Hayden Law particularly impressed with a really musical performance of Verdi’s Introduction and Entracte from La Forza del destino. It was clear that he knew the music inside out and was able to communicate naturally and with a real sense of flair. In hearing from these younger musicians, often for the first time, we got a real insight into the how music at Abingdon School might develop in the coming years.
The concert closed with performances from a number of pianists including Yubo Gao who gave a confident performance of Burgmuller’s Les Sylphes, Laurence Peverall whose Schumann was characterised by bold contrasts between powerful chordal material and delicate melodic passages. We finally heard from David You, who offered a stirring account of the Brahms’ A Major Intermezzo Op. 118 no. 2.
Overall, the standard of performance was truly impressive and certainly bodes well for the future of Music at Abingdon School. Our thanks must go to all the performers, their teachers, and our accompanist, Ms Stulting, for all the hard work they put into preparing for this event.
