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This concert is promoted by Inverurie Music in association with Gordon Forum for the Arts as part of The Value of Age, Inverurie's festival of creative ageing.

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Christopher Baxter

Gordon Forum for the Arts

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Review by Alistair Massey

In a dazzling and diverse display of virtuoso musicianship, Tom Poulson (trumpet) and Christopher Baxter (piano) of Brass Diversions performed at Kemnay Church Centre on Saturday evening. The recital was part of the Value of Age series of events, Inverurie's Festival of Creative Ageing. On the previous day, Brass Diversions also delivered workshops to classes in Inverurie Academy. This was obviously just as enjoyable for them as to the pupils. The duo prepared their programme well, introducing the background to each piece; many were by composers that showed talent but were almost unknown.

The audience knew something special was in store — the array of instruments belonging to the trumpet family stood to attention on the stage; as it happened, each of the four was earmarked for a particular duty. With the tiny piccolo trumpet, the glittering scales and decorations of the baroque period shone through with Bach's transcription of Vivaldi's Concerto in D major. At the other end of the spectrum was the flugelhorn, where the warm, mellow tone and "blues" notes suited the plaintive negro spiritual Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child. Throughout the concert, Tom Poulson's playing was arresting and impeccably controlled.

Christopher Baxter (piano) contributed to the programme with two interesting solo pieces. His first piece reflected the curiosity that many French composers, such as Bizet and Chabrier, have for Spain. Debussy's La soirée dans Grenade captured the climate perfectly with its distinctive rhythm, though Christopher informed us that Debussy had never set foot in the place! Whether John Adams visited China or not for the other solo piece, China Gates, was not said, although he did compose an opera, Nixon in China. Born in 1947, Adams' minimalist music emphasises pulse and repetition and subtle changes in pattern. In an impressive bout of concentration, Christopher Baxter interpreted this difficult study of perpetual motion calmly and precisely.

In the second half, the pair had a few more tricks up their sleeve. They teleported Kemnay into the Wild West, donned black and white slouch hats and found a hobby horse in the cleaning cupboard. In a dramatic comic strip that had the audience in stitches, they whinnied and guffawed their way through John Maxwell Geddes's The Reform of Rank Bajin. This was followed up by Steve Reich's Clapping Music, where the only instruments were fingers and palms. The complex rhythms were relished and performed with aplomb, raising a cheer from the audience.

Finally the performers rounded off the evening with a theme and variations of Stanley Boddington's Silver Threads amongst the Gold, a sentimental air perhaps, but one that has stood the test of time. The virtuosic treatment of the variations on the cornet gave it new life.

Inverurie Music are grateful to Brass Diversions for talking to the audience and spending time with the older citizens in such an informative and entertaining evening. Their next concert will be the Echo Chamber Ensemble, a flute, harp and viola group, on Saturday 23 November 2013 in St Mary's Episcopal Church, Inverurie at 8pm. You can find out more details on www.inveruriemusic.co.uk.

Photo by Alistair Massey

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