On a surprisingly sunny end-of-winter afternoon, a troupe of Carthusians set off on their journey to the Cardinal Clinic in Windsor, where their concert that evening could very possibly be classed as the event of the season…
The evening began with Mozart’s melodramatic Adagio and Fugue in C minor, beautifully executed by the Chamber Orchestra; the leader, Kiann Chow (W), verged on the extraordinary with the stunning solo in the fiery Fugue. Later came music from the Brass Quintet, expertly led by Chris Tucker (G), and provided an uplifting atmosphere with a concoction of maritime and pastoral repertoire, including ‘Sunset Shanty’. The Saxophone Quartet followed soon afterwards, wowing the already mesmerised audience with a selection of traditional and modern pieces, very much suited to the group’s easy-going and flavoursome playing (‘Subway’, the finale, was a particular hit).
After the interval (when many a profiterole was scoffed), the grand finale had at last arrived: Kiann Chow as soloist in the Mendelssöhn Violin Concerto, superbly backed by Charterhouse Symphony Orchestra. Needless to say, her success at the Charterhouse concert a few weeks previously was repeated once more, and, far from battling with the rather difficult acoustics of the hall, Kiann captivated her spectators with incredibly sensitive playing.
Dr Morrish (W 53) had kindly invited Charterhouse to perform at the Clinic, and the orchestra was joined for this event by his daughter Sarah (G 97). The evening’s great success was only topped by the colossal mountain of sandwiches on offer to the delighted Carthusians before the performance.
Verdict for the evening: Delightful, delicious, de-lovely!
Katya Kazakevich (V)