Toad Lane Concerts: The Kell Wind Trio

The Kell Wind Trio

The Kell Wind Trio belongs to an uncommon genre which is tricky to arrange music for. The players have to be expert with their instruments to cover all the musical ground that larger groups do. Also, in orchestras they might have a few bars rest each, whereas everything has to be covered by just three.

Arranger Alastair Roberts (flute) along with his interesting introductions, Ian Harvey (bassoon) and Geoffrey Smith (clarinet) are all distinguished soloists and orchestral players in the North West, and have all the skills and stamina to bring a wide variety of music to life.

Their programme consisted of diversions aplenty. From eighteenth century suites to sequences of descriptive pieces, most composers have written amusing musical ways of passing the time, variously referred to as diversions. Not that this music is throwaway or background; indeed, many musical gems emerged and have became well known.

From the elegant Divertimento in G by Haydn, humouorus Funeral March of a Marionette by Gounod (Hitchcock’s theme tune), cheeky Divertissement by Schulhoff, sophisticated Partita in Eb by Hummel, characteristic Vallfickand Dans by Alfvén, to an attractive set of folks songs arranged by Grainger, entitled A Lincolnshire Posy - all proved enjoyable diversions.

The perennial Elizabethan Serenade by Binge brought us to a finale with the striking Thunder and Lightning Polka by Strauss.

The icing on the cake was a well-deserved encore: the theme from The Archers.

The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

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

Dr Joe Dawson