Large audience for lunch-hour concert

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 6

Large audience for lunch-hour concert

The ‘’Wednesday at One”j concert at the Arts Centre • yesterday afternoon at-1 traded a large audience which could consider it re-; warding to trudge through the cold to hear such lovely; music so ably played. Mr' Dobbs Franks has gathered; round him an impressive bunch of very good young; payers, and their recitals have a joyous freshness; most pleasing to encounter. j The programme started; with Jocelvn Perrv and' Dobbs Franks playing Hindemith's Trauermusik for; Viola — “Mourning Music" ■ which he wrote on the death; of King George V. Both per-: formers played beautifully, i with movingly beautiful j tone, excellent cohesion, and well-ordered accord in There was no sentimentality' Strong stuff it was, with sincere and burning grief for the fine man it commemorated. The viola is ai r

splendid instrument for this i type of message, and Miss i Perry plaved it with authority. ; It was pleasant to welcome home Tony Ferner ; from studies abroad and to i 'hear again his artisitic flute; playing, this time in Prokofiv’s Sonata for Flutej and Piano which he played! with Dobbs Franks. It is a lovely work, fresh, jovous,| , and adventurous, with I ;strong lines, attractive and, 1 fre«h harmonies, and genial ‘ humanity. j With complete success in interpretation. Ruth Pearl; and Dobbs Franks played, Prokofiev’s Sonata for Violin! and Piano, rounding off the' programme in artisitc whole- I ness and inspiration. i They realised all the glowing humanity in Prokofiev’s writing and with sensitivity, dash, and warm' appreciation made their; playing fully rewarding to their hearers. j — C. Foster Browne. <