PAINSWICK MUSIC SOCIETY CONCERT REVIEW

THE final concert of the Painswick Music Society's 2015 season was given by the young violinist Jennifer Pike, accompanied by her father Jeremy. Jennifer won the BBC Young Musician of the year at the age of 12 and we soon found out why.

We began with JS Bach's sonata in F accompanied by Jeremy on the organ, a nice beginning for what was to come and beautifully done with a warming range of expression and lots of double-stopping culminating in a spirited final movement which made us want more.

To heavier things, Beehoven's sonata in E flat Op12. This was one to set the toes tapping: we could almost dance to it and the piano joined in to help us along with a great range from ppp to fff in the outer monements Then on to the twentieth century with the Hungarian Miklos Rozsa, better known for his film music, and his 'Variations on a Hungarian Peasant Song'. Hearing him for the first time I realised what I had been missing. More toe-tapping music delivered with great gusto, lots of nice pizzicato and a notable range of expression and switches of style as we went on our energetic way.

Still in the twentieth century and back home, Vaughan Wiliams's 'Lark Ascending' with its piano accompaniment. Just what they ordered: evocative, all very cheerfully done and the bird was never far away.

Finally Fritz Kriesler's much-loved 'Praeludium and Allegro' Kriesler had attempted to attribute this to the early Italian composer Pugnani but Jennifer warned us about the deception and then delivered a brilliant edge-on-seat performance. We loved it, we didn't want her to go so she gave us anothe Kreisler as a lollipo. A very enjoyable end to the Society's season.

John Parfitt