Britten Sinfonia at Lunch

CHRISTOPHER SMITH

The Assembly House, Norwich

For its lunch recital the Britten Sinfonia brought a larger ensemble than usual that produced a particularly rich spectrum of instrumental sound in a decidedly modern programme.

As often is the case in the arts, it turned out that the most satisfying piece in the programme was apparently the least elaborate: Jacqueline Shave's performance of Stravinski's Elegy for solo violin.

Melancholy but without anything too dramatic and with chords to add depth of feeling without over-obvious technical demands, the melodic line had calm beauty as it spun on towards its clear, gentle conclusion.

A sense of progression also enhanced Peter Maxwell-Davies's pair of arrangements of Preludes and Fugues by Bach. The contemporary orches-tration gave fresh vigour to baroque part writing. Owen Gunnell's marimba added a surprising but rather attractive element, setting a pulse in motion as well as adding its own special timbre.

Tansy Davies displayed the fertility of her imagination in the four short movements of her Contraband, culminating in an episode with the violin and viola strummed ukulele-style. Time and again she generated surges of energy.

Soloist in de Falla's Harpsichord Concerto was Maggie Cole. The composer did not really give her much of a chance to seize the limelight. Instead we were treated to a series of vivid sound pictures from Spain. Joy Farrall's clarinet came across with verve, and the impression of bells pealing at a fiesta was well captured.