A MUSICAL zephyr blew through All Saints Church, Penarth on Monday, May 2, during an extra-special lunchtime concert.
The source of the melodic breeze was a flotilla of flutes from Southampton, a magical ensemble of 15 musicians who had been playing with the 40-strong Flautissimo orchestra which had been on a short tour of the region.
It was a packed programme, under the direction of Joanna Price, which moved between a fun arrangement of Leroy Anderson’s famous The Typewriter to the more traditional Suite in B Minor by JS Bach.
The blending of the piccolos and concert flutes with the less familiar alto, bass and contrabass instruments was literally breathtaking and imaginative.
A rounded, sweet sound created in the arrangement by Robert Rainford of selected movements from John Rutter’s Suite Antique, was a definite highlight. The concentrated effort to arrive at such a precise and balanced performance was amazing.
Intricate harmonies and key changes in a modern version of the Welsh ballad Immortal Invisible was delightful, too, as was the lilting playing of Amy Rice-Young’s adaptation of Scarborough Fair.
An inventive and multi-styled rendition of the well-known Welsh folk tune The Ash Grove concluded a bank holiday treat.
Mike Peirson
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