This term's first concert set a high standard for the rest of the year, displaying exceptional levels of talent and musicianship. Sam Johns started the concert with two movements from a Haydn trumpet concerto, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. A particularly noteable performance was Latifah Hamzah's rendition of the 2nd movement of Sibelius' E major violin concerto. She displayed extraordinary technical prowess and a clear understanding of the music, producing a rich and subtle tone that gave the piece the justice it deserves. Stephanie Jury lightened the mood with an enjoyable interpretation of Ellington's 'Take the A train', providing an appropriate contrast to the other pieces. Supposedly the composer of the piece, Billy Strayhorn, was travelling to meet Ellington in an attempt to stun him with his compositions and musical ability. He travelled on the train from Pittsburgh to Harlem to reach Ellington, so when asked what the title of his piece was he was so excited by Ellington's interest in his music that he could only shout out the name of the train on which he had been travelling; thus the piece came to be known as 'Take the A train', the 'signature tune of Duke Ellington's band'.

Sonja Riley and Mark Leventhal made their debut within the music block with performances of Debussy's 'Jardins sur la Pluie' and a Courante from Bach's cello suites respectively. 'Jardins' is a difficult piece at the best of times, but Sonja dealt with the nigh impossible tenth jumps with confidence producing an overall effect that was very impressive. Richard Pelmore gave a rousing rendition of Rachmaninov's prelude in C sharp minor, the piece that catapulted Rachmaninov to fame in 1892. The piece was written shortly after he graduated from university, and he was in a state of poverty, depression and illness. The chordal motif that opens the prelude is one of such despair it is impossible to feel unmoved by such a piece. It has become one of Rachmaninov's most famous works, although the composer himself came to hate the piece as it dominated all his other works and was always requested as an encore at his concerts. Richard remarked to me before the concert that he was intending to 'deafen the audience', which I felt that he accomplished with great aplomb in the final fff section.
The evening finished with Leah Broad's performance of Chopin's 13th Nocturne in C minor. In this particular case I don't feel that I can remark upon interpretation, but to anyone who enjoys classical music do listen to this piece (preferably Garrick Ohlson's version); it is a work that is so often overlooked which is unbelievable considering its depth and beauty. Really it was Chopin who created the 'Nocturne' genre, and for me this piece is the evidence why.

Leah Broad, Upper Sixth Student