FRANK CLIFF Shelton Festival event at St Mary's Church, Long Stratton
FRANK CLIFF
This is the third year of the Shelton Festival, and it has a lot to offer.
St Mary's Church has a flawless acoustic, enhancing the fine sound made by the Shelton Consort at the Choral Evensong, which opened the Festival on Sunday, and perfect for the sound of the two guitars of Mark Eden and Chris-topher Stell at last night's recital.
They offered a rich and varied programme, beginning with a transcription of two sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, which sounded more subtle on the guitar than the harpsichord.
They demonstrated how expressive the instrument can sound in a performance of Timothy Bower's exquisite Fantasy On An Old English Melody.
The remainder of the programme consisted of 20th century Spanish guitar music though only one work, Federico Torrola's five short Estampas, was by a Spanish composer. Villa Lobos, Gnattali, and Sergio Assud are all Brazilian, but were perfect vehicles for the virtuosity and artistry of the superb duo who provided a truly exhilarating music making.
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