Review: Gemini at Leasowes Bank Farm, Ratlinghope

Jul 30 2010 By Christopher Morley

Nestling atop one of Shropshire’s remoter “blue remember’d hills”, Leasowes Bank Farm has been home to a refreshingly eclectic festival (jazz, folk, classical) for the past 30 summers, and attracts enthusiastic audiences of genuine music-lovers joyfully making the pilgrimage.

There is always a festival commission, and this year it is Huw Watkins’ Double, premiered last Wednesday with the composer at the piano, and joined by two of his colleagues in Gemini: Ian Mitchell (bass clarinet), and cellist Robin Michael. Wistful with an appropriate Celtic melancholy, the piece blends instrumental colours in telling combinations, and my only complaint about it is that it could have indulged the ear by being longer. It ended far too soon.

Endings were very much in the air here, Alexander Goehr’s closely-argued, ultimately physically impelled Fantasie for cello and piano coming to a witty, unexpected conclusion, and Anthony Powers’ Trio (Mitchell playing on a B-flat clarinet borrowed from festival host John Williams – he had forgotten to bring his own) questing its way to a lovely satisfying end.

And most fascinating of all was Epona by sadly-missed local composer Charles Dakin, testing the clarinettist and cellist with microtones, punctuated by occasional “straight” notes springing the piano into action, and generally creating a captivating atmosphere. Dakin – who was actually born in Halesowen – deserves a concert to himself.

Rating: 5/5