Toad Lane Concerts: Edane Ng piano

Edane Ng

The Toad Lane Concert audience braved thunderstorms on Wednesday 2 August to welcome the Malaysian pianist, Edane (E-da-nee) Ng, first class honours RNCM graduate, gold prize winner of the Asia Music Competition 2015 and the 6th Asian Youth Music Competition in Malaysia. About to tour the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Poland she has been UK-based since 2017.

She is the founder of an organisation called The Daring Artists, that combines classical music and animation to raise awareness for social causes such as child neglect, deforestation and corporate power abuse; supported by Help Musicians UK, the RNCM, and Manchester International Festival.

Edane’s delightful programme took us through 300 years of piano music beginning with JS Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C sharp (yes, 7 sharps, folks!) of 1722.

Then the nineteenth century Romanticism of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke Op.12 and Brahms Rhapsodies Op.79 No.2, and Op.117, all played beautifully and well suited to the resident vintage 1933 Challen grand piano.

Come the twentieth century and Bartok’s Suite Op.14 Nos 1-3, an exciting and vibrant exploration of the piano’s percussive qualities.

In conclusion Edane brought us bang up to date with the atmospheric piece, A distant voice of rainforest by Ng Chong Lim. Enchanting and impressionistic, this called on improvisation skills and making use of the piano strings.

The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

To see details of forthcoming Toad Lane Concerts, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson