Wind players please

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 6

Wind players please

By

C. FOSTER BROWNE

The Ham Wind Ensemble,' under Thomas Rogers, gave a lot of enjoyment to a large audience in the St Albans Methodist Church on Sunday afternoon. The various ensembles played with nice nuance and rhythm. The programme began with work by Quantz for three flutes. These balanced splendidly — fresh and gentle tones, straightforward counterpoint, dignified and humorous. It was a pleasing work, played with sensitivity and skill. Beethoven’s Sextet in E flat, Op. 71, was played by

[Guy de Lacey and Gloria Wrighton (clarinets), David I Smale and Paul Mayhew I (French horns), and Neville Forsythe and Murray Petrie (bassoons). The first and third movements tripped along merrily, and the players showed keen ear for bal[ance.

• Gordon Jacobs’ Sextet for [Wind Quintet and Piano was 'a challengingly interesting work, played with skill by Judy Cooper (flute), Susan Mckeich (oboe), Gloria Wrighton (clarinet), Neville Forsythe (bassoon), Paul Mayhew (French horn), and lola Shelley (piano). This created much interest in its

| harmonic devices, and with jthe sensitivity with which it [was played. After a first movement which had challenge for its hearers, it moved on to a joyful abandon and adventurous toughness, balanced against quieter music in more sad vein by way of contrast. The above instrumentalists were joined by Liam Gill (bassoon) and Murray Petrie (double bassoon). Judith Williams (cello), John Ure (horn), and Evelyn Forsythe (double bass) in a performance of Dvorak’s Serenade in D minor, Op. 44. This was a grand work, most elegantly played.