Chalumeaux at Hampstead

Jane Booth,Sarah Smith & James Brookmyre, chalumeaux
St Stephen's Church Hampstead,
9 February 2013

Linden Baroque pioneered combining professional and amateur players in 1983.

Their well attended concert in a splendid Victorian Gothic church was notable for featuring the little known precursor of the clarinet, a single-reed instrument with a full rich tone which belied its appearance, the small one looking more like a tiny sopranino recorder [see Fasch's Bb concerto on YouTube, not as secure as Jane in Hampstead !].

Best of this long programme was Telemann's double concerto with Jane Booth& Sarah Smith.

For us, the 16 movements of the Graupner & Fasch Suites in the second half seemed to be of lesser quality and outstayed their welcome (in a cold church!). They made us wonder about the choice of repertoire in this programme?

Peter Grahame Woolf