Three concerts today.
The lunchtime concerts at the Cathedral are often hidden gems of the Festival and much easier to get tickets for than in the evenings. This one featured Psappha and Kathryn Tickell with a varied programme from Mozart's Oboe Quartet, via a selection of pieces by György Kurtág to Max's 'Kettletoft Inn. The Quartet was only spoiled by a slight hiccup at the end, although no-one was hurt and it ended in smiles. The Kurtag pieces (which included works for Hungarian national instrument, the 125 string cimbalon) were very quiet and I wonder how they were heard further back in the Cathedral. Northumbrian piper, Kathryn Tickell played from her own repertoire before joining Psappha for Max's piece, composed for her. Very much in the vein of 'Orkney Wedding with Sunrise' thsi had a particularly lovely final section.
On the bus then to Birsay for Trio Medieval's folk concert, again with Terje Isungset. Sometimes the CD can sound very clinical because of the purity of their voices, but great warmth in live performance. I hadn't been to a Birsay concert before, but the excursion is completed with a picnic tea where we bumped into old friends from Norway.
Finally, having hung around Ivy Paige's establishment in the Spiegeltent all week I finally became a paying customer last night: the show has got tighter and tighter and Steve the Juggler no less funny as the week has gone on. Was given permission to take pictures so look out for (edited) highlights on Facebook.
I was sitting towards the back of the cathedral for the Psappha lunchtime concert. The Kurtag pieces were so quiet and so spare, they demanded attention but the pauses between the sections seemed interminable - perhaps this is in the score but it didn't help engage a restless audience that maybe hadn't had their lunch yet.
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