April 2008

Dear music lover,

"...and now, please welcome Owen Gunnell and Oliver Cox, the O Duo", announced Alison and we applauded. Two energetic lads bounded up the steps on to the stage and they applauded us as they moved to their instruments. But their clapping became more rhythmic as they started beating on the bongo drums, which became their first piece, "Bongo Fury". Moving on to the marimbas with Ravel's "Alborado", and a work by Bach, their performance illustrated the possibilities and, to my ear, the limitations, of the resonant sound of the marimbas. However, when they asked for audience help for Dave Brubeck's "Take Five", they received instant, and very talented, assistance. The last piece in the first half was an "improvisation for Inverness: never heard before and never again!"

The second half also started with the bongos, followed by a work by Piazzolla, which gave Oliver the opportunity to describe the composer's introduction of a "new language - the nueva tango". The best was, perhaps, left for last with the encore - Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee". It is a frenetically fast piece at the best of times, but the duo, playing one marimba, then each moved round to the other side of the keyboard, without interrupting the music; which meant that one of them played the notes on the "standard" keyboard, while the other played them upside down and the wrong way round!

This concert marked a wonderful end to a wonderful season. Your enthusiastic response to a variety of performers - from piano soloists, guitar and percussion duos, a piano trio, string and piano quartets, a brass quintet and a clarinet quintet - shows your genuine love of chamber music in all its varieties. Next season, the formula continues, starting with Aisling Agnew and Matthew McAllister, a guitar and flute duo, on 17th September. It'll be great to welcome you back.

Paul