A little over a week before Christmas, the internationally acclaimed ensemble, L’Octuor de France, gave an outstanding concert in St Thomas’s Church, Winchelsea; jointly hosted by Winchelsea Arts and the Thomas Harris International Piano Foundation. These highly talented musicians journeyed from Paris specially for the occasion and their performance certainly did not disappoint.
The first half consisted of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s clarinet quintet, composed in 1895 and packed full of lyrical melodies. The glorious acoustic of St Thomas’s and the stunning clarity of the chamber playing combined to make this a most memorable rendition.
Following the interval, all eight players returned to the stage for Schubert’s famous Octet. It was highly appropriate that the second half should include music by another expert composer of melody. This is by far the most monumental of all Schubert’s chamber works and the six movements were played as with one voice with an excellent sense of ensemble and togetherness.
The concert proved to be a fitting tribute to Thomas Harris, a much beloved friend of Winchelsea Arts and St Thomas’s Church.
The next Winchelsea Arts concert will take place at 7.30pm on Saturday February 24 with Niall O’Riordan, flute, and Anne Marshall, piano.
Photo: courtesy of L’Octuor de France
Photo: courtesy of L’Octuor de France