Ric Graebner – composer

The Musicians of All Saints – all of them accomplished professionals – have a mission to perform new and unusual works alongside the more conventional repertoire and allow audiences to experience challenging and unusual programmes. Central to this concert was the first performance of Ric Graebner’s 3rd Oboe Concerto. I was uncertain what to expect. A distinguished academic and composer now in his 80th year, Graebner has written in a wide range of unashamedly contemporary styles, including the use of electronic techniques. This work, however, is exhilarating, accessible and immediately enjoyable, based on conventional tonality and structure. It has an underlying sense of astringent restlessness and occasional references, conscious and unconscious, to other composers: on a personal level, there was much that reminded me of the best film scores of composers such as Herrmann and Korngold. As soloist, Clare Worth was superb. This is not a bravura piece of writing for the oboe, designed to show off technique and little else, but is nonetheless technically demanding. Clare showed her mastery through exquisite breath control in long, sustained phrases, demonstrating beautifully the oboe’s capacity for plangent lyricism, particularly in the second movement, and contrasting with the energy and percussiveness of the string writing throughout the work: indeed, the solo line often emerges from the string accompaniment, and her rapport with the players was impressive. Faster passages showed brilliant articulation, and she reflected well the more rustic, lively 6/8 tempo of the last movement, though the underlying harmonic sourness makes it unclear whether this is a dance-of-life or a dance-of-death. The string orchestra – a mere 17 of them – created an impressive range of tonal colour and volume, with accurate rhythmic definition and wonderful forte interjections, along with the creation of an atmosphere of uneasy serenity in the second movement and one of barely controlled excitement in the last movement. This was a difficult score, and the sheer variety of the string textures says much for both the writing, the exquisite musicianship and ensemble-work of the players and the skill of their director, Andrew Sherwood in creating a first-rate performance.

In the Handel Concerto Grosso which opened the concert, there was some strong upper-string playing underpinned and complemented by sensitive performances by the cellos and bass – I particularly liked the lower string sonority and the walking bass-line in the third movement. Different sections showed great rapport in the way in which motifs moved from part to part, and the overall balance was excellent, with some fine short solo passages. A measured approach avoided any temptation to over-romanticization and, quite simply, the music was able to speak for itself in an almost understated way. With its crisp delicacy, occasional echo effects and great crescendos, the final movement involved more variety of expression, but still undertaken with precision and discipline. Overall, this was a performance of consummate professionalism: with relatively few players and an acoustic which was quite dry, the smallest of errors would have been evident – there were none and the tuning was especially good in what is often exposed writing.

Josef Suk produced his Serenade for Strings as a tour de force when he was just 18, and reflects both the work of his father-in-law, Dvorak, along with other influences. It has remained his most popular work and allowed the Musicians to show the full range of their skills. There was highly effective rhythmic definition from the start in those sections which reflect the folk and dance tradition, highlighting especially the variations in rhythm in the second movement and the rhythmic intensity of the last The players produced some wonderfully lush, indulgent full-ensemble playing, together with dramatically controlled gradations in volume, effective changes in time signature and a disciplined use of rubato. The sustained playing in the wistful third movement was sublime, with some fine performances from the cellists at the start and from the upper strings in passages over a pedal bass. The final movement, with its contrasting sections, was dramatic and exciting, a fitting climax to a performance marked by the quality of disciplined ensemble playing and an amazing breadth of musical colour.

Much of the credit for this top-quality concert must go to Andrew Sherwood. His unassuming, almost minimalist style of conducting shows someone who has worked hard with his musicians and trusts them to work with each other with the minimum of direction in the concert-hall. He can be proud of the ensemble he has helped create.
Sadly, there were were only around 50 to enjoy this highly professional and distinctive performance. I hope more people will come to future concerts, details of which can be found at:
www.musiciansofallsaints.co.uk

Jonathan Watts