Fine performances from talented pianists

Music / “A European Evening”. 

Bernice Chua, piano and Caitlan Rinaldy, piano. 

At Wesley Music Centre.

August 27, 2022

Reviewed by Tony Magee

Pianists Bernice Chua (left) and Caitlan Rinadly

BERNICE Chua and Caitlan Rinaldy are both studying advanced piano technique and repertoire at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and have returned to Canberra to perform a series of concerts featuring solo piano works, works for four hands (at one piano) and works for two pianos.

The Wesley concert was the finale in their series and featured each pianist in solo performance in each half, with a surprise encore!

Something that stood out immediately and was unique to both pianists compared to local performers was mental preparation before commencing to play. A good ten seconds of thought and concentration was used after sitting down at the bench before their fingers touched the keyboard.

Rinaldy opened the program with Chopin’s “Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52”. A huge and demanding work, she played with great feeling and expression, using lots of rubato, alternating between pianissimo passages and then for most of this single movement work, forte and double forte passages.

Rinaldy creates a beautiful singing tone, arising from a very relaxed weight technique, able to achievement a massive dynamic range without bashing.

Liszt’s “Rhapsodie Espagnole S. 254” followed, and like the preceding Chopin, showcased Rinaldy’s unique phrasing and approach to cadence points within each piece. Her interpretations are her own, not copying any other recordings that I know of. This is a wonderful thing, where young artists are encouraged and able to find their own methods and creative interpretations of oft played works.

Playing in a fluid and lyrical manner, she brought out bass line melody, a feature of this piece, with clarity. Her Liszt displayed elements of a “bravura” style of playing at times, which is appropriate for his music.

AFTER interval, Bernice Chua took to the stage, again allowing a good ten seconds of mental preparation before touching the keyboard. In a unique interpretation of Chopin’s “Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23”, Chua opened with much more pianissimo than would normally be heard by other artists, gradually and incrementally building dynamic shadings into a powerful and furious double forte.  

Even though these two young artists study with the same teacher in Salzburg - Professor Andreas Weber - their playing styles are very different.

Chua extracts a singing tone from the piano in quiet and lyrical passages, whilst greater dynamics reveal an almost percussive effect from the instrument. Being able to achieve both is a technique that suits many pieces, and whilst it is a unique interpretation, there are other ways of playing it as well.

Finishing with Schumann’s “Piano Sonata No 2 in G minor, Op. 22”, a huge and demanding work in four movements, Chua launched the opening with a percussive tone, before settling back into a singing, gentle and most expressive pianissimo in the second movement, each phrase being measured and paced with great musical thought and interpretation.

The final “Scherzo” and “Rondo” movements were played without break, the former being bright and lively, bringing out left hand melody phrases with authority and purpose.

Both artists play with great clarity of line and phrasing, making every note count, with their fluid and relaxed techniques and also restrained use of the sustain pedal.

A “piano four hands” encore capped off the evening, Rachmaninoff’s “Italian Polka” and it was done with style and flair.

In summary I would like to stress that both these artists are extremely talented pianists but with very different playing styles. One of their greatest strengths is being able to shape and phrase their performances in unique ways.

First published in Canberra City News on-line edition, August 28, 2022

Turning listeners into fans: how members of Bangor Folk Four are at cutting edge of new technology

George Moore (left) and David Franklin with their original album, The Folk of Ireland
and the new CD release.

by Noel McAdam

Far from fading into the grey of old age, David Franklin and George Moore are working on a state-of-the-art rebirth.

The north Down duo believe exploitation is still alive and well — and indeed rife — in the music industry.

And for all its connotations with water, they say sadly that streaming, the new way that millions choose to access their favourite singers and groups, has seen careers drying up.

But now, along with IT experts and business interests, they have formed a group which has developed a new online mechanism and site which should mean artists can make a good living again.

David insists: “There are so many hands in the pie that there’s nothing left for the artists.

“There are managers, arrangers and producers, all of whom have to have a share of the money before the artist.”

David, a founder member of the Bangor Folk Four who date back to the early 1960s, said artists have had no choice in recent years but to opt for streaming services.

“Where else can they go? Other than live gigs, and we all know what has happened with them during the last couple of years with the pandemic, where can they go?

“Streaming seems to be the only way forward, but the companies have the singers and groups caught by the short and curlies.”

The Bangor Folk Four 1970. From left at top, David, Kenny and Fred.
Crouching with snare drum is George

David believes the extent of exploitation is as bad as the 1960s when groups and individual stars were signed to contracts which saw them sidelined while managers and publishers made fortunes.

“This represents the way out,” he explains.

It has been a number of years since the idea was first mooted by George, who was drummer with the Folk Four.

They were also, at one stage, the resident band in six Belfast nightclubs.

David recalls: “George, who has done many things, including working as a film extra, said he would love to take some of the old Irish ballads and make a film telling the story of the ballad.

“The music would still be to the fore and the film would just be to accompany it. That’s where it all started.”

Just a few weeks ago, country star Crawford Bell became the first major artist to sign up for the project, having previously worked with the likes of Van Morrison, Nathan Carter and Daniel O’Donnell.

His latest single, Truth Never Changes with the Times, is to be on there along with a complete film.

“They call them micro-movies,” David says.

“You get 25 seconds of music before you have the option of buying.

“If the album is put on there for £9.99 then we can guarantee the artist £4 for every unit sold. It’s like manna from Heaven for them.”

David admits, however, that he and George are beyond the age where they can deal with the complexities of new technology.

“That’s why we have our IT partners — UB Media, of Bangor. They do all that stuff for us,” he adds.

In essence, the project provides three services — merchandising, video services and production.

While the era of the MTV video may be dead, it looks like the new king of musical mini movies is about to be crowned.

With the dawn of Canvas, which allows artists to create and include their own looping visuals, major stars including Beyoncé, Thom Yorke and Kanye West have been breaking down barriers.

“Its an excellent way to share more of who you are with your listeners, hopefully turning them into fans,” the Canvas promo explains.

“Adding a Canvas can help keep your listeners hooked.”

The Bangor boys don’t quite put themselves in that league — their own offering is more than 50 years old.

Their 1970 album, The Folk of Ireland, only had a limited release after a distribution deal fell through.

However, they recently came across it online with a price of £28.

“We had more or less forgotten about it,” says David.

“But we felt it then and we feel it even more now that the songs of yesteryear are going to be forgotten.”

Although it was recorded in London, the original LP cover was shot in one of Belfast’s old clubs, Tito’s.

It now has a new cover featuring the group, completed by Fred Lucas, who sang and played banjo, and Kenny Beattie on accordion, piano and bass.

Three of them first came together in 1959 for a competition at Pickie Pool but only later became four, adding Kenny, and becoming regulars at the Half-Door Supper Club in Bangor’s former Royal Hotel.

Even before the days of Clubsound — David knows George Jones well — they caught the 1960s nightclub wave in Belfast, playing support for the likes of Ruby Murray, Candi Devine and Ronnie Carroll.

At their height, the group was poised to sign a deal which would have seen them shift to the United States for a six-month tour of Irish clubs on Broadway.

They met with a well-known agent, Charles William Barker, in the Big Apple. But the dream of America, following in the footsteps of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, fell apart. Yet they have no regrets.

“We were bad enough with the fame and fortune we had here,” says George.

And though they have enough memories to fill a book — including being asked as a support act to go back onstage when the then chart-topping Donovan flopped at the Ulster Hall — they are much more firmly focused on the future.

“I realised the most important thing we had to get was capital,” David says.

Now it is to be launched in the near future. Keep checking online for Visual Album Store.

First published in the Belfast Telegraph, Fri 26 August, 2022

Note from site administrator Tony Magee: Original member of the Bangor Folk Four and quoted in the above article, David Franklin, is my second cousin. David was first cousin of my late father Stuart. Our family had the pleasure of meeting David and his wife Hilda for the first time, during their trip to Australia in January 2024. Morning tea at the National Library of Australia, Canberra. David in the red shirt. I took the photo.

Rumsey and Macourt pull off fine performance

Music / "Andrew Rumsey and Lucy Macourt in Concert"
Andrew Rumsey, piano. Lucy Macourt, cello
At Wesley Music Centre
August 20, 2022

Reviewed by Tony Magee

Lucy Macourt (violin) and Andrew Rumsey (piano), Photo: Peter Hislop

IN a last minute change to the program, violinist Lucy Macourt stepped in with three days notice, replacing cellist David Pereira.

Pianist Andrew Rumsey, already having cancelled the concert one month prior due to Covid, didn’t want to disappoint his audience again and after almost forty phone calls chanced upon talented violinist Macourt to play with him - the first time the two have performed together.

The program, largely unchanged, was delightful, some of the pieces extremely challenging for both players.

David Pereira did however make an appearance at the concert fulfilling the role of welcoming guests and explaining the tragic situation that led to him having to pull out.

His mother, having suffered a bad fall and being seriously injured just six days prior passed away that morning and it was the first time most of the audience new of this and indeed the change of players.

Ever stoic and peaceful in his presentation, Pereira gently explained the events of the last six days, being by his mother’s bedside in hospital, knowing that an end-of-life situation was imminent.

The audience felt for him and his family in the most sensitive and compassionate way as he finally welcomed the two musicians onto the stage, even staying for the opening piece before departing to deal with the unfolding events of saying farewell to a loved one.

In a strange twist of fate, it turned out that the first half of the program was originally written for violin and piano anyway, so it was somewhat easier for Macourt to master Amy Beach’s “Romance in A major, Op. 23” and the more difficult, complex and demanding “Sonata in A major” by Cesar Franck. A massive work in four movements which Macourt learnt in just three days and with only one rehearsal possible within their busy schedules.

American composer Amy Beach (1867 - 1944) has only recently been recognised as a major composer of substance and quality. Her output was vast and the chosen opening piece was delightful in both melodic line and structure.

Macourt’s playing was romantic, with bold rich tones also revealing a darker lower register. Her middle and upper registers are vibrant and she plays with extraordinary clarity and texture.

Her instrument is by Australian luthier Justin White, made in 2010, the factory being located in a small village named, astonishingly, “Fiddletown”, just north of Sydney in Hornsby shire.

Rumsey’s piano accompaniment was sensitive and supportive and the two players both mentioned that they immediately felt a sense of “connection” at the first and only rehearsal. This came through wonderfully in the actual concert as well.

The major work on the program by Franck followed, starting with a gentle and reflective “Allegretto” before moving into the “Allegro” movement, revealing complex and dramatic piano solo passages from Rumsey, all played with skill and flair. Macourt displayed a fluid, lyrical technique and tone, also playing many dramatic double forte passages. Her instrument has viola-like qualities at times, and appears to be of supreme quality and one that she feels very much in control of and is able to extract a huge dynamic range, from sensitise pianissimo to bold and rich forte sounds of great clarity.

The final two movements of the Franck contained many beautiful and familiar melodies, the two players savouring the masterful compositional style of the composer, the final “Allegro” revealing a glittering piano part from Rumsey over which Macourt played with vibrancy and authority.

This is music where the two players are soloists in their own right, the violin and piano being equals, in much the same way as Schubert composed his vast repertoire of lieder for voice and piano.

The second half of the concert contained a range of short pieces, four by Australian composers. Canberra based Sally Greenaway, present in the audience, introduced her two pieces, “Perhaps Tomorrow” and “Dawn of Evening” in a most eloquent manner, leaving Rumsey to play the former as a solo on his unusual V-harp instrument, a musical reflection and depiction of the struggles, sadness and love of a person and their family and friends dealing with dementia.

Rumsey’s performance, was gentle and reflective, playing respectful single note phrases that evoked an air of contemplation and heartfelt thought amongst listeners.

Macourt joined Rumsey, still playing his V-harp for the second piece, “Dawn of Evening” which evoked images of dusk, the birds bedding down for the night and nocturnal animals awakening, in its gentle, reflective and very moving imagery.

“Blue Silence” by Elena Kats-Chernin was a fascination in that she composed it to allow her child, who suffers from schizophrenia, to hear beautiful live music in the morning, before the disturbing inner voices in his head take over for the day.

In a way, one felt it was a kind of therapy she had devised so the boy could experience the beauty and wonder of real sounds - live music - to help him start his day in the most pleasant way possible. Perhaps this could lead to an improvement in his condition.

Kenneth Lampl’s “Mirrored from Far Away” was composed especially for cellist David Pereira and although he was unavailable to play it, the transposition to violin still sounded very beautiful, the two artists dedicating their performance to the late Mrs Pereira.

Composer Kim Cunio, also current head on the ANU School of Music, premiered “Hymn for the Fires”, a piece for solo piano, in which Rumsey gently played in a reflective, moving and calming style, paying tribute to those who lost there homes, businesses and in some cases, their lives, in several of Australia’s recent bushfire disasters, attempting to capture the emptiness and vastness of nothingness and the massive eerie spaces where towns and forests once stood.

With the presence of violinist Macourt, the two artists decided to add a couple of violin and piano concert favourites to finish the program.

“Meditation” by Jules Massenet is a perennial violin masterpiece, often heard in recordings by such greats as Yehudi Menuhin, Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, Anne Sophie Mutter, David Oistrakh and countless others, often as an encore.

In this, I felt the two artists failed to capture the intense romanticism and passion that the piece requires. More rubato, emotion, feeling and dynamics would have helped.

Finishing with “Czardas” by Vittorio Monti, the piece whist not blemish-free, captured the passionate and lively style required, also revealing the Gypsy care-free-abandon manner of playing which suits it so well.

After a frantic week of re-preparation, Andrew Rumsey and Lucy Macourt pulled of a stylish and excellently played large program of material of great variety, paying homage to many great composers, while also respectively remembering the sadness, loss and grief which brought about this sudden change of program.

First published in Canberra City News in an edited format, August 21, 2022

Rapturous accolades for Sheku and his family

Music / “The Kanneh-Mason Family”
At The Canberra Theatre
August 14, 2022

Reviewed by Tony Magee

The Kanneh-Mason family. Photo: Stuart McIntyre, Decca Classical

CELLIST Sheku Kanneh-Mason has come into the international spotlight through a variety of coinciding avenues. Releasing three CDs all on the Decca label, all of them have been championed by controversial British music commentator Norman Lebrecht since 2016, the centrepiece being Elgar’s “Cello Concerto” with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, released in 2020.

In May 2018, the world watched and heard Sheku playing solo cello at the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Sydney based impresario Andrew McKinnon, being made aware that all of Sheku’s siblings are also talented musicians, had the idea of bringing them to Australia for a national tour and after two years of negotiations and delays due to Covid, his dream has finally come true and the Kanneh-Mason family are here!

The concert at the Canberra Theatre was not without problems. The box office and cloak room staff all told us that there were no printed programs, and it was only available on their website. “Look it up on your phone”. Not particularly convenient.

Then at interval, I noticed some people did indeed have a program so I went in search and found them at a small merchandising desk in the foyer.

This made writing this review a much more pleasurable experience.

Program cover

The first half consisted of 23 year old Sheku on cello accompanied by his 26 year old sister Isata, herself an already established pianist of note, playing works by five different composers.

Beginning with “Sonata for Cello and Piano” by Frank Bridge, the balance between the two was mostly good, the piano occasionally dominating slightly. Isata has a very relaxed and fluid technique and a career as a major solo concert pianist could be possible if she so desires. Sheku’s cello came through with a bold, crisp almost “edgy” tone in the middle and upper registers, all played with flawless, impeccable intonation.

His instrument, a Matteo Gofriller made in Venice in 1700, has a defined bass register full of clarity but not a huge bass weight as can be heard on some other instruments.

Sheku left the stage briefly, leaving Isata to play Gershwin’s “Prelude No. 1”. A fiery and commanding performance, she left the audience in no doubt that she virtually “owned” the piece and every note and phrase from the piano came through with brilliance and confidence.

“Song Without Words in D major” by Mendelssohn, arranged for cello and piano, was delightful with dream-like cantabile legato passages from the cello, the two instruments alternating between pianissimo phrases of delicacy and bold dramatic climax points.

“Sicilienne” by von Paradis was a short piece in triple time. Also song-like, the two musicians demonstrated their art of crafting the most delicate of passages with poise and grace.

The “Sonata for Cello and Piano” by Shostakovich is a lengthy work in four movements. Sheku and Isata involved themselves in a complex musical interplay. Pizzicato passages from the cello came through with clarity and refinement. The piano accompaniment was bold and dramatic.

The “Largo” movement was soft, sorrowful and mournful.

The finale “Allegro” revealed busy and vibrant cello work from Sheku and furious dramatic passages from the two players combined. The entire piece was masterfully played and a showstopper finale to the first half of the concert.

2022 Australian tour dates, inside program cover

The second half opened with the entire seven siblings on stage playing “Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre and very beautifully done it was too.

22 year old pianist Konya then played the “2nd Impromptu from Opus 90” by Schubert. It was a note perfect performance but lacked the drama and intensity necessary in the furious middle section of the piece. A slower pace would have suited it better as well, allowing for more musical detail.

24 year old violinist Braimah joined his 19 year old sister Jeneba at the piano for Pablo de Sarasata’s “Zigeurnerweisen”. Braimah’s violin playing was bold and confident with a crisp tone and excellent intonation. The piano delivered a huge range of dynamics in its accompanying role and the balance between the two was excellent.

The Andante movement from Mendelssohn’s “Piano Trio No.1 in D minor” followed played by Jeneba (19), Aminata (16) and Mariatu (13). With a nice balance between the three, the piece was very beautifully played with great feeling and emotion.

Jeneba then took to the stage alone, sitting down at the Steinway D piano, to play the “Hungarian Rhapsody No.2” by Liszt.

A tried and true concert favourite world-wide, her rendition was on the conservative side, opting for clarity of line and tone, rather than a flamboyant “bravura” reading which is usually the norm. Her technique is liquid and refined.

The seven siblings reformed for a double finale, firstly a medley of themes from “Fiddler on the Roof” by Bock and Harnick and specially arranged by the Kannah-Mason family.

Whilst the familiar melodies were all there and played well, the overall effect lacked the spontaneity, musical ornamentation and embellishments that would normally be heard in authentic Russian or Eastern European folk music, particularly if played by a Gypsy ensemble.

It was a straight and conservative reading which, although enjoyable, left one feeling a little short-changed.

Finishing with Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”, whispers and murmurs of delight could be heard throughout the audience at this announcement and the musicians transformed into an ensemble where each player poured their heart and soul into the piece resulting in rapturous applause from the audience. 

It was a fitting conclusion to this unique event and I think the Canberra audience felt privileged to have been given the opportunity to hear Sheku and his family playing live before us.

First published in Canberra City News on-line edition, August 15, 2022

Pianist Roy Howat immerses his audience in an eclectic display of interpretation

Music / “Roy Howat in Concert”
Roy Howat, piano.
At The Larry Sitsky Recital Room, August 11.

Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

ROY Howat is keyboard research fellow at The Royal Academy of Music in London and also research fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

He is one of the founding editors, along with Pierre Boulez, of the “Complete Debussy Edition”. Books he has written include those studying the music and interpretation of Chopin, Faure and Chabrier, as well as contributing chapters in numerous other publications on Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Bartok and others.

Scottish pianist Roy Howatt at the ANU School of Music. Photo: Peter Hislop

Howat’s research has uncovered what he considers valid, although sometimes unorthodox, ways of playing the music of these composers and his concert program reflected many of his unusual takes on the music.

Beginning with Faure’s “Barcarolle No.6, Op.70”, his playing revealed a rich sound with beautiful tone production and a slight breaking of hands, something more aligned with 19th century performance practice. It was a delightful piece.

Howat preceded each performance with a detailed explanation as to why he had chosen to play in the manner he was about to, explaining nuances of his research on performance that most listeners, including this reviewer would have been unaware of.

This was most evident in his take on Chopin, which without his spoken justification would have left some listeners in shock.

Playing 4 “Etudes” and later in the program 3 “Nouvelles Études”, all by Chopin, Howat's vision of tempi were at odds with what we know by artists such as Martha Argerich and Artur Rubinstein, as well as countless others but, as he put it, “I like to bring a breath of fresh air to these works”.

He took great artistic licence with his Chopin. A few examples include about double tempo as would normally be heard with the “Etude Op.10, No.3”, an almost Fats Waller style stride bass in the “Etude Op. 25, No.4” and heavy use of the sustain pedal throughout.

Even so, his playing revealed great clarity of line, where every note counts. Nothing was blurred or dispensed with.

Another of Howat’s specialities, which came through in everything he played, was great attention to bass line melody, bringing out beauty and tone, which is sometimes not otherwise apparent in performances by others.

“4 Preludes from Book 1”, composed in 1910 by Debussy were beautifully done, showcasing great dynamics, a large palette of tonal shadings and colours, all played with a liquid technique.

Two pieces by Ravel, paying homage to Chabrier and Borodin, had almost Satie-like qualities and once again showcased Howat’s penchant for left hand melody predominance.

The program closed with three pieces by Debussy, confirming his particular enchantment with French composers. “L’isle joyeuse” was grandiose in style and also demanding technically. Howat played this well, once again demonstrating the possibilities with Debussy’s music in expression, tonal colours, dynamic range and lyrical phrasing.

As an encore, Howat, mentioning how impressed he was with the Steinway D piano, played Debussy’s “The Submerged Cathedral”. An audience favourite, he captured the opening gentle, almost mystical prelude to the piece well, before launching into a powerful musical evocation of the majesty and wonder of the image suggested in the title.

This was a concert filled with unorthodox interpretations of well known works and whilst I didn’t care for his vision of Chopin, it was certainly most interesting to hear the results of Howat’s years of detailed research into the interpretation of all these pieces.

First published in Canberra City News on-line edition, August 12.

Folk band’s album out on CD... 50 years later

George Moore (left) and David Franklin with an original copy of their album and the new CD release

by Noel McAdam

A forgotten folk group is finally releasing a CD — 50 years after the album was made.

It is six decades since the Bangor Folk Four, which at one stage was the resident act in six Belfast clubs, formed.

The members recently spotted copies of The Folk of Ireland, a limited-edition album they put out in the 1970s, for sale on the internet.

At the time, the group was poised to sign a deal for a six-month tour of Irish clubs on Broadway.

But their dream of visiting America and following the footsteps of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem fell apart, like the group itself.

Despite that, the members of the band have no regrets about calling it quits.

“We were bad enough with the fame and fortune we had here. If we had gone to America, we would never have returned — we would have wiped ourselves out,” explained lead man George Moore.

The album, which includes a version of the Percy French classic Slattery’s Mounted Fut, was only available on demand because of a failure to reach a deal with a distributor.

The members said they had not thought about the record for years until it turned up on the internet, selling for £28.

“We had more or less forgotten about it,” added David Franklin, who doubled as singer and guitarist.

“But we felt it then and we feel it even more now that the songs of yesteryear are going to be forgotten.”

While the album was recorded in London, the cover photo was shot at the Belfast club Tito’s, with a number of women plucked at random from the audience during a show.

The CD has a new cover featuring George, David, Fred Lucas, who sang and played banjo, and Kenny Beattie, who played accordion, piano and bass guitar.

Three of the members first came together for a competition at Pickie Pool in Bangor in 1959. After they added Kenny, they became the regular act at the Half-Door Supper Club in the town’s former Royal Hotel.

Thanks to the 1960s nightclub wave in Belfast, they got to play in support of the likes of Ruby Murray, Candy Devine and Ronnie Carroll.

“It was our job to be the top act in all six of the Belfast nightclubs and then introduce the follow-up acts,” said George.

They accepted a summer residency at the former Butlin’s holiday camp in Mosney and backed the Scottish musician Donovan at the Ulster Hall

“He was awful. The Belfast audience knows its music, and there was a slow hand clap,” David said.

“So, in our dressing room there was a knock on the door, and we had to go onstage. Away we went.”

First published in the Belfast Telegraph, Sun 7 Aug 2022

Note from site administrator Tony Magee: Original member of the Bangor Folk Four and quoted in the above article, David Franklin, is my second cousin. David was first cousin of my late father Stuart. Our family had the pleasure of meeting David and his wife Hilda for the first time, during their trip to Australia in January 2024. Morning tea at the National Library of Australia, Canberra. David in the red shirt. I took the photo.