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Stabroek News

Strong 'Classics in June' at King's House
published: Friday | June 22, 2007


Left: Soprano Lori Johnson (right), accompanied by pianist Stephen Shaw-Naar, who played for almost the entire programme. Right: Steven Woodham concentrates during his performance. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

When violinist Steven Woodham, accompanied by Stephen Shaw-Naar on piano, bent his knees with each brisk movement of his bow, then stood upright to bring Sergei Prokofiev's March to an end on Sunday evening, the applause was long and loud.

And it continued as most of the performers at 'Classics in June', put on by Soroptomist International of Jamaica (Kingston), returned for a final acknowledgement by the near full house in the King's House ballroom, St. Andrew.

Flute had taken centre stage in the first section of the concert, hosted by Dervan Malcolm, who handled names from Dmitri Kabalevsky to Frederic Chopin with aplomb, after pianist Justin Yapp opened with pieces from Chopin and Francis Poulenc. Shaw-Naar took over the piano and would stay there for the rest of the concert, first accompanying flautist Michele Boulel, who applied her golden instrument to Handel, the pair taking Handel's Sonata in E Minor through four moods.

The rice fields

Boulet explained the background to Wil Offermans' Honami before she did it without accompaniment, saying that it was written by a Belgian who spent a long time in Japan. "This piece is about the rice fields," she said, explaining that 'ho' means 'ear' and 'nomi' means 'wind'.

Seeing her sway as she started on a low note, helped with the image of rice bending before the wind, Boulet rising to a high, near keening note in the slow piece.

Her gold flute was joined by the silver instrument of Laurice Barnaby for Haydn's String Quartet in F Major. At the end of the piece, which started slowly and then picked up in pace, they smiled with each other and nodded to the applauding audience.

Shaw-Naar joined the flautists for the Flower Duet from Leo Delibes' Lakme, Boulet and Barnaby leading off the slow, near stately song, falling silent for the pianist to solo and then coming in again on a low note. And during the piece Barnaby stopped for Boulet to soar alone, the reverse happening for Barnaby's lower register to register alone, then both ended on a sustained note along with Shaw-Naar.

Happiness sadness intertwined

There were no takers when Boulet asked if anyone knew the meaning of 'Undine', but general recognition when she asked if anyone knew The Little Mermaid. She gave an extended explanation of the tale of love between mermaid and knight, in which happiness and sadness were intertwined, as well as the four movements and their meanings, ending with "at the very, very end you will hear her funeral".

The evening's sole vocal performer, Lori Johnson, opened the second segment of 'Classics in June' literally on a high as she applied her soprano to music from Handel's Rinaldo, Alban Berg's Sieben fruhe Lieder and Mozart's Chi sa, Chi sa, quai sia, accompanied by Shaw-Naar. Her hands rose from her sides to clasp briefly over the abdomen of her bronze dress as she sang the first song, Shaaw-Naar playing the final notes after she had stopped singing. A slight smile showed relief after some early signs of nervousness and Johnson gave her voice full reign on the next relatively short piece, the next, also from Berg, being even shorter.

The last song was the most lively of her set, Johnson taking a series of high notes that allowed her voice to fill the room. And it was replaced by strong, extended applause at the end.

Rippling notes

Shaw-Naar played music from Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt, a series of rippling notes featured in the latter, before combining with Woodham to bring 'Classics in June' to an end.

Woodham stood at the ready, left hand extended and cradling the violin, as Shaw-Naar started off, then came in, his eyebrows going up intermittently. There were especially strong endings to three of their four pieces, Woodham closing Sergei Rachmaninoff's Vocalise with a long, high note, then there was a fine note followed by a flurry in Henri Wieniawski's Kujawiak (Second Marzuka).

And then March brought 'Classics in June' to an end.

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