Talented young violinists shine in festive show

Studio Forcada
pre-Christmas concert
Sacred Heart Church, Henley
Sunday, November 23

THE Henley violin school, Studio Forcada’s pre-Christmas concert was another tour de force, with violinists from the age of three to 23 performing a wide range of pieces, to a very high standard.

The full group of performers opened the concert with five pieces, including a world premiere by Johow, a German composer, who wrote Yule Bole Canon only a month ago. Two pieces by composer Alfarás, a friend of teacher and organiser, Claudio Forcada, brought a Spanish flavour to the concert.

Two solos followed, the first being Blues (the second movement from Sonata no. 2 in G) by Ravel, an early jazz-inspired piece written between 1923 and 1927, after Ravel had heard American jazz in Paris. This was played with maturity and assurance (as well as swing) by Andrei Yakovlev.

Maia Wunderlich then gave the second excellent solo, Rachmaninov’s sinuous Dance Orientale, the first cello piece of the event. We then enjoyed pieces composed by Bridge, Loeillet, Hess and Alfarás, performed by the senior group, before two further solos followed. Cellist Emma Dong played the fast-paced and energetic Tarantelle by Goltermann. Misha Yakovlev then performed Concerto no. 2 in D minor (first movement) by Wieniawski, mastering its formidable technical demands with astonishing ease.

The older group of violinists gave us Corelli’s Allegro and Prokofiev’s The Love of Three Oranges, before the orchestra gathered for JS Bach’s Concerto in D minor for two violins (first movement), the soloists Shang Chen Lyu and Manxi Wang playing well together.

Ella Sharp put down her violin for a while, to play solo oboe in Ennio Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe, backed by the older violinists, piano accompanist Mark Kinkaid and cellists, Maia Wunderlich and Emma Dong. Violin back in hand, Ella joined siblings, Caellum and Sophie for Vivaldi’s Concerto in F major for three violins (first movement).

Jingle Bells completed the concert, played by every member of Studio Forcada assembled for the afternoon.

Claudio Forcada and his assistant, Kerry Sharp, are to be congratulated on having planned and rehearsed another excellent programme with so many talented young performers.

Jane Redley