Guest Review - On a Lighter Note by Eleanor Firman

Somebody took me up on the offer of their own review and so here, hot from my inbox is a review of On a Lighter Note.

I am SO HAPPY that I have a review to post from somebody else!! This week has been pretty hectic and there are already several things that I have either completely missed or just run out of time to include especially when I have underestimated the time some of the write ups take. So .... Eleanor Firman THANK YOU VERY,VERY MUCH!!!! If anyone who attended this event has photos that I can use to accompany this post please email them to E17ArtTrail@gmail.com


My own review of 'On a Lighter Note' Art Trail event number 52
by Eleanor Firman

Around 25 people attended my event, 'On a Lighter Note' at St.Mary's Welcome Centre, the first ever music project to feature on the Arts Trail. There was an experimental aspect to this project - I wanted to see if there was an audience for a specific area I’ve been developing recently - a lighter contemporary /leftfield classical style of music. I hesitate to use these qualifiers, because each one has so many detractors, surely combining them would send everybody running? But it was a wonderful afternoon.

I presented three compositions, of which two 'Cactus' and 'Dreaming of Home' were performed with myself on piano, Kasia Orszulak, flute, Noelle Sasportas, clarinet, Gill Morley, violin, Jenny Ames, viola, Omri Chetrit, double bass. Omri and I played the third piece here, Misère, (a type of bid in cardgames) as a duet. The musicians played superbly, and the hall, although not used for music, has a very decent acoustic . Many in the audience stayed behind to chat and offered much positive feedback, understanding,and encouragement of this developing project . I was enormously glad I went ahead with it.

My thanks to all who came and also to Liz Kadir, Helen Wallis and Matt Kelly for their help when I had two musicians cancel; and to Joanna - Kates lovely daugher and Martin Duncan -Jones for help setting up /down and Mark Wallis (no relation) for copying extra scores, also Ruth and St. Mary’s Welcome Centre, for making it possible.