Chipping Sodbury Music Society A Feast of Baroque At the November concert the audience was taken on the Grand Tour by the Passacaglia Duo of Annabel Knight, flautist and Robin Bigwood, harpsichord.

In the safe hands of our tour guides we followed Handel, Bach (father and son), Telemann, Rameau, Hotteterre and Bigaglia; a feast of baroque music ensued. The silvery tone of the harpsichord was complemented by the reedy tone of the early wooden flute. The pathos of slow movements and brightness of the faster movements were consistently realised. The busy interplay of instruments revealed innate musicianship and concentration.

Of the many works presented the harpsichord music by Rameau showed off to perfection the subtle tone colours achieved by Robin Bigwood. The breath control of Annabel Knight on flute or recorder, whether in long drawn out slow movements or dazzlingly fast movements was remarkable. The Grand Tour had been successfully accomplished.

A member of our audience commented, afterwards: “We both thoroughly enjoyed the evening, enjoying not only the music, but also the background information to the pieces and the instruments. In fact, Robin was kind enough to partly dismantle his Harpsichord in order to show and demonstrate its mechanism.”

The next concert of Chipping Sodbury Music Society’s 65th Season, in the town Hall at 7.30 pm on 22 January 2013, will be given by Rosalind Ventris, viola and Lara Dodds-Eden, Piano. Their programme entitled “The Romantic Viola” will comprise music by Schumann, Paganini, Hindemith, York Bowen, Milhaud and Prokofiev. They are sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.

Gerry Philp – 21 November 2012