Brilliant trio at the High School Theatre

On Saturday February 21st, a good-sized audience was thrilled by the skill and musicality of three extraordinarily talented players. Jennifer Brown, clarinet, Harriet Davidson, cello and Claire Haslin, piano, played an exciting and highly demanding programme, starting with the well-loved Trio in B flat major Op 11 by Beethoven. Fauré’s haunting Elégie for cello and piano followed, then all three players rejoined to perform the enchanting Fantasy Trio by Robert Muczynski. The four movements of this piece held everyone spellbound, and after the interval we reconvened for the final, quite massive four movements of Carl Frühling’s Trio in A minor, Opus 40. This highly varied piece went from a quick opening to a wonderfully schmaltzy waltz then on into a yearning andante, finishing with a lively allegro, and throughout, the audience sat entranced, secure in the hands of consummate musicians. The combination of a notably clear, sweet clarinet tone with full-flavoured cello and magnificent skill on the Kawai grand piano added up to a magical concert that sent people home in that state of warm excitement that is the sign of a truly outstanding musical experience.