Concerts in Oct and Nov

October and November are relatively busy months for me, as I have 3 chamber music concerts in short succession:

7.30pm Friday 25th October, Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh – St Patrick’s Ensemble play Johann Strauss and new commission “St Ambrose and the Bees” by Helene Grosvenor as part of a charity event : “Concert for Bees”

This concert will feature Paul Livingston, Daniel Miller, myself and James Tradgett playing a quartet of instruments called the “Sherlock Quartet”. These four instruments, 2 violins, a viola and a cello, were made by Steve Burnett from a 200-year old sycamore that stood in Arthur Conan Doyle’s childhood home in Liberton, Edinburgh, which he is said to have climbed as a child. The “Sherlock” violin was made by Burnett to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Conan Doyle’s birth and you can hear Paul playing it on Radio Scotland if you’re up early and tune in between  6.30am and 7am!

1.10pm, Tues 12th Nov, Reid Hall, Edinburgh – Lunchtime concert with Audrey Innes and Jean Murray as part of Edinburgh University Lunchtime Concert Series

I am playing the dramatic and beautiful Hindemith Viola Sonata Op 11 No 4 with Audrey, and Jean Murray with play the Hindemith flute sonata, again with Audrey on piano – a celebration of Paul Hindemith’s works!

1.10pm, Weds 20th Nov, Younger Hall, St Andrews – Lunchtime Concert with St Andrews String Trio

We’re playing Beethoven’s entertaining and boisterous Serenade No 8 and Schubert’s Trio in B flat, D471, so come along in your lunch hour if you work in St Andrews for some string chamber music (free to music centre members and £2 to non members)

1.10pm, Weds 27th Nov, Younger Hall, St Andrews – Lunchtime concert with Paul Livingston, violin

Mozart’s elegant Duo in B flat for violin and viola plus the showy Halvorsen arrangement of Handel’s G minor Chaconne and other pieces tbc.

Hope to see you at one or more of these concerts. Thanks for your support.

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Concert tomorrow!

Well, the day before the concert has arrived. Here is the final (or not so final…) line up:

Jess – selection of unaccompanied Bach from Cello Suites (gigues and menuets)

Trio – Schubert movement (Violin/viola/cello)

Clarinet and piano duo – lighter music… TBC

Trad Scottish tunes (viola) TBC

Watch this space for repertoire developments!! Or simply turn up at 1pm tomorrow and come to the concert! Your choice 🙂

All pieces performed by current or past members of the Heisenberg Ensemble, in aid of the 25th Anniversary Fund. Admission free but retiring collection with be taken, Refreshments available from 12.15pm.

ALL WELCOME!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Hope to see you there!! 🙂

 

Jess xxx

With a little help from my friends… An open invitation!

An Open Invitation: ‘With a little help from my friends’

Thursday 29th August

St Andrews Church, Queen’s Terrace, St Andrews

1.30pm

PROGRAMME:

Cello suites/Scottish Music/Surprise!!

Who, me?

You will need:

FRIENDS…….
FAMILY……..
CAKE……
MONEY…..

Tea/wine/champagne…….

Your ears!

The plan:

The charities:

Heisenberg (Jill Craig)

Families First (St Andrews)

Sistema Scotland/In Harmony

Arts in Fife/Dundee

Drake Music Scotland

Music in Hospitals

Military Wives Choir (Gareth Malone)

Scottish Ensemble {insert group here}

Rokpa/Tibetan Children’s Villages/ICT

Brooklands College

Signpost International (Dundee)

Just Made/Gillian Gamble

 

Pragya (India)

RSPCA/RSPB/Big cat rescue

SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!! Answers on a post card to: Jess Long!

Review of Dundee lunchtime concert with Audrey Innes on 8th March

I forgot to post the rather nice review that was published in the Dundee Courier after Audrey and I played at Dundee University Chaplaincy on Friday 8th March. Here it is:

Friday’s lunchtime concert in the University chaplaincy promised much, and delivered even more. It was given by the duo of Jessica Wyatt on viola with Audrey Innes at the piano.

Composed in 1849, when technical improvements had made the French horn an instrument with new possibilities, Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro is a delightful work, the second part of which is full of joyous whoops referring back to the horn’s hunting origins. It has often been adapted for other instruments, and, perhaps surprisingly, it seems to suit the viola perfectly. The sound is completely different, perhaps without the effervescence of the horn version, but with a rich sound more akin to later compositions of Brahms.

The performance by the two artists brought out all the extra lyricism encouraged by the use of a stringed instrument and the slower pace.

Paul Hindemith, like many composers, fell out of fashion after his death. Even after half a century performances of his music are rare. The fact that much of it is attractively lyrical told against him when modernism was the fashion. He played a number of instruments to a high standard, and led the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra until war service. But he seems to have had a particular affection for the viola, switching to that instrument when he returned to civilian life after the First World War.

His Viola Sonata, composed in 1919, is a superbly demanding piece, full of seriously testing music for both players, and it received a thoroughly enjoyable performance here.

Stephen Fraser

 

 

 

 

Lunchtime concerts in St Andrews on 27th Feb and Dundee on 8th March

Lately I’ve been working really hard preparing for a couple of lunchtime recitals that are coming up soon. As before, I’m playing with Audrey Innes, a pianist who teaches at St Andrews Music Centre and with whom I have played for a number of years – I hesitate to call her my duo partner, as she regularly plays with many others and is in high demand.

Anyway, this time we’re playing a programme of Schumann’s beautifully lyrical Adagio and Allegro (originally written for horn), paired with the fiery and powerful viola sonata Op 11 No 4 by Hindemith (himself a viola player). These are both highly romantic works, with the Schumann written in 1849 and the Hindemith in 1919 but displaying many backward looking features as well as forward looking ones such as whole tone scales.

This is the first time that I am doing more than one recital of the same programme – I don’t want to call it a series, as it is only 2 concerts, but still! It is also the first time that I will have one of my concerts recorded professionally – the father of one of my pupils is a recording engineer, and he has kindly offered to bring some of his students over to record the St Andrews concert, which is very exciting but a little nerve wracking!

Here are the details of the 2 concerts:

St Andrews

Weds 27th Feb at 1.10pm (not 1.15pm as it used to be) in the Younger Hall, North St, St Andrews- details here although the start time is wrong

Dundee

Friday 8th March at 1.20pm in Dundee University Chaplaincy – details here

Hope to see you at one of them!