Academy of St Martin in the Field

FRANK CLIFF

John Innes Centre, Norwich

A successful season for Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music ended on a high note with a splendid recital by the Academy of St Martin in the Field Chamber Ensemble.

Mozart's Divertimento K136 may be more commonly performed by a string orchestra but it will be hard to match this version for perfection of intonation, beauty of phrasing and sheer sparkle.

The main event in the oepning half was the first performance of Douglas Weiland's clarinet quintet.

At a first hearing, both in form and content, it appeared an immediately accessible work with beautiful lyrical writing for clarinet, immaculately played by Andrew Marriner as composer in residence.

It was imaginatively scored for strings - Weiland was himself a violinist for the Academy for many years - and all performed with obvious enjoyment.

This enjoyment was equally evident in Brahms' clarinet quintet; beautifully polished playing yet with profound insight into this autumnal music.