ENSEMBLE Andromeda provided a wonderful evening's music making for the penultimate concert in the current season.
Ann de Renais, soprano, Nicholas Cartledge, flute, and Michael Robinson, piano, have all had extensive international experience in a diverse array of styles and genres. They firmly believe it is possible to combine classical music, jazz and world music to create programmes with audience appeal.
This was shown to be true in an evening ranging from Mozart to Gershwin.
The first half of mainly French works ended with three of Canteloube's ever popular Songs of the Auvergne.
Nicholas, who is regarded as one of the country's finest flautists, joined Ann in a beautifully performed excerpt from Ravel's Scheherazade and Michael proved to be an excellent jazz player in Phillip Hammond's French Blue.
Following songs by Michel Legrand, the official programme ended with a Gershwin songbook but the artists returned to perform Autumn Leaves in which Michael sang as well as played. With his lovely tenor voice, he should sing more.
It is a constant mystery to the organisers as to why more people do not come to hear world class artistes in their own town at affordable prices. Those who do come will vouch for the excellence of their concerts.
The final concert of the season will be at 8pm on Saturday, May 7, at the Ecumenical Centre when the outstanding Irish pianist David Quigley returns.
He gave a memorable recital last season and was instantly invited back.
He will play works by Haydn, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms and Ravel.
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