St Mary in the Castle Sunday 12 May 

Buster Birch’s five-piece combo, based in Orpington, consists of Neil Casey on piano, Pete Ringrose on bass, Buster himself on drums and, providing the necessary eye-candy, glamorous blonde saxophonist Jo Fooks.  Together they provide a tight attractive sound which was obviously greatly to the taste of the Friends of St Mary in the Castle for this, the final Sunday Jazz Breakfast of the season.

Billed as Buster Plays Buster the first half was a Tribute to the Greats remembering the performers, writers and film-makers of the Twenties and Thirties, before the second half when St Mary’s was miraculously transformed into a cinema thanks to the ingenuity of resident Sparks man Josh.

This was for the showing of a Buster Keaton movie of 1924 in its original sepia, the ‘silent’ film Sherlock Jnr.  This was shown as it would have been at the time, though not with the addition of a honky-tonk piano of the period, but the smooth accompaniment of Buster Birch’s group. The music followed the action supporting but not over-powering it.  The film includes a catalogue of adventures and ‘stunts’ which were still breathtaking in their execution, and obviously really thrilled the audience. No models or synthetic sounds were around in 1924!

Buster described how lengthy was the process of marrying the sound to the pictorial aspect, working on it full-time for a minimum of three months.  In view of this, when asked what was his next project, this was a matter of conjecture! Assuredly we hope one day to see the results of his next venture.

In the meantime, certainly many other audiences, once they hear about Buster Birch’s work, will be anxious to see not the occasional clips which appear from time to time in TV programmes, but the complete film as we were privileged to enjoy on Sunday at St Mary’s. MW

 St Augustine’s Church Bexhill, Saturday11 May

Many great composers overcame appalling complications to create their masterpieces.   Beethoven’s deafness is probably the one which springs to mind, but many suffered mental problems, and one of the worst affected was Robert Schumann.

A lifelong sufferer, then known as writer rather than composer (his father was an author and bookseller) he attempted suicide in the Rhine but was saved to live for only two years in seclusion.  Yet despite this his work comprises some of today’s most charming and memorable pieces.

Scenes from Childhood, which followed Peter’s sparkling treatment of the Arabesque in C (Opus 18, 1839) with which he opened the programme, subtly reflected their theme, as it were, ‘musically pictorial.’

The opening work, From Foreign Lands and People was among the most popular.  By the Fireside was appropriately dreamy, with Träumerei (Reverie) a popular stalwart of Classic FM.  The contrast of Frightening with the following Child Falling Asleep revealed anew the composer’s scope. 

The four contrasting pieces making up Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque included the much maligned Clair de Lune, Peter demonstrating its regeneration with the fingers of a maestro.

Grieg’s Three Lyric Pieces were just that, delightful tone poems reproducing their titles, Album leaf, Peace of the Woods and Homeward. And for the greatly demanded encore, from the pen that composer for which Peter is internationally celebrated, Chopin’s Waltz in C sharp minor.

The concert grand was supplied by Blüthner Piano Centre, thanks to the support of Miss Penelope White, with St Augustine’s benefitting from the proceeds of the performance. MW