This Isn't For You, Shoreditch Town Hall, London
A tune full of succour helps the Mendelssohn go down
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fretton's cleverly curated one-hour programme alternated single movements from Bach's works for solo violin (Ibragimova) and cello (Bartholomew LaFolette) with Gyorgy Kurtag's arresting epithets Hommage a JSB, The Carenza Jig and Perpetuum Mobile B. A brace of crowd-pleasing Reich percussion pieces framed the cool chromatics of the 25th Goldberg variation. Britten's Ciaccona preceded Webern's elliptical Movement for String Trio, and Bach's Violin Concerto in E - a pun for the more experienced clubbers, perhaps - was followed by Gweneth-Ann Jeffers's luxuriant account of Purcell's "When I am laid in Earth".
Sussie Ahlburg's Stieglitz-lite projections of wintry trees and bicycles were unobtrusively evocative of something, though what that something was was unclear. Lost love? Alienation? Athena posters? Either way, they personalised the architecture, echoed the interplay of modern and baroque style, and drew the eye back to the musicians. As the mavens of classical music use jazz and world music as a spoonful of sugar to help the Mendelssohn go down, it seems that Fretton has found a way to introduce people to serious music without diluting it or patronising them. He needs to fine-tune the details: to ensure that the bar is adequately supplied, to tighten DJ Eleanor Wilson's odd-ball ambient bran-tub, adjust the lighting, and perhaps put in a few tables and chairs for those of us whose pins are not what they were. But Fretton has established a venue where musicians will want to play. And when they do, people will come. AP
For further events, see www.ti4u.co.uk
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments