The
International Youth Music Festival 2007
Concert to mark the end of a Musical
Exchange Programme
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On
Saturday 18 August I attended the final performance of the International Youth
Music Festival Orchestra at
Conducted by James Ross, the concert was perhaps
appropriately book-ended by movements from string orchestra pieces by English
composers Benjamin Britten and Edward Elgar. Here the students were
collectively at their best. Though patchy in spots the group was notably strong
in the Frolicsome Finale from Britten’s Simple Symphony.
The majority of the programme featured performances of
sections from small chamber works by composers including Brahms, Beethoven,
Dvorák, Mozart and Shostakovich. In most cases groups comprised players of
similar ages, which ranged from a wee 11 to a full-grown 23.
Festival organizers assure us that they are dedicated to
creating a musical experience of ‘extraordinary depth and heightened musical
inspiration’. In their choice of repertoire they certainly accomplished that.
Three notable performances include the Rondo Presto from
Haydn’s String Quartet op. 33 no. 3 (“The Birds”) by a group of 11- and 12-year olds with a
good understanding of the communication required in chamber music, a stirring
Largo-Allegro Molto (I and II) from Shostakovich’s String Quartet op. 110 no. 8
by players aged 15-18 ably anchored by American cellist Francesca Fong, and the
Allegro non troppo and Scherzo sections of Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F
minor op. 34 by players aged 17 - 21 which was remarkably mature and proved to
be the highlight of the evening.
Well done to everyone involved, and I hope festival
sponsor Youth Music International will build on its mission and involve young
players from countries where cultural understanding and collaboration are
needed even more urgently, such as Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
too.
Rachael Scalf, 20/08/07