Chamber music concert at St Barts on 9 February

[Robin Orton]

It was great to see a full house at St Barts last night (although I found the ?new red floodlighting in the chancel a bit off-putting - to warn worshippers about the flames of hell?) A group of locally based professional musicians calling themselves enSEmble26 played a piano trio by Mendelssohn, a piano quartet by Mozart, Arvo Part 'Fratres' (the most exciting item for me) and some ?salon pieces by Shostakovich. Consistently excellent playing. I did however (and I gather I was not alone) find the sound quality in the Mendelssohn a bit muffled and unbalanced. Could this be an acoustical effect peculiar to where we were sitting (about half way back on the south side of the nave), perhaps combined with the fact that (unusually for chamber concerts at St Barts) the church was full of people? On the other hand, the other pieces sounded fine.

Well done, Sydenham Arts. More please!

[paultreacy]

This concert was utterly splendid. Another in June I gather.

I fell in love with Sydenham all over again during this concert. How brilliant to be able to attend such an event just over the road.

More please!

[paultreacy]

My wife and I were in the front row at left and the sound was excellent throughout.