In another of their unbelievable musical coups, the Milverton Concert Society presented us with a recital by pianist Ryan Wang, the then 17 year old 2024 winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. In the same year he made history as the youngest ever winner of the Prix Cortot Award in Paris. Following those successes he made debuts with the Philharmonia, the CBSO and overseas orchestras. And here he was in Milverton!

To use a sporting cliché this was definitely a concert of two halves. Mozart and Schubert came first, and Ryan’s mastery of the classical style was obvious from the first bars of the former’s “Variations on ‘Ah Vous Dirai-je, Maman’ – otherwise known as ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. Every note of every variation was crystal clear, beautifully articulated, with scrupulous attention to dynamics and phrasing. There is no point in a piece by piece analysis – this was musicianship of the highest order and what begins in simplicity becomes virtuosity from Mozart’s pen and was fully realised in Ryan’s consummate performance.

The four Impromptus Op. 90 were composed by Schubert in 1827, only a year before his death and they are definitely a product of his mature compositional style. All are familiar to piano music lovers, which means of course that everyone will have their opinions as to how they should sound, your reviewer included. As far as Ryan’s performance is concerned, THIS is how they should sound! No. 1 in C Minor opens with a spare, stark sound but soon resolves into rich sonority. Ryan’s perfect control of dynamics and phrasing throughout was exemplary, and the clarity of his playing was the result of, among other felicities, his perfect use of the pedal, never allowing the texture to become muddy in any way.

Impromptu No. 2 in E Flat is very famous, a perpetuum mobile with marvellous shifts in tonality – it is reminiscent of Schubert’s lied Gretchen am Spinnrad in some of its figurations and Ryan captured the urgent flow of the piece wonderfully. No. 3 in G Flat is my personal favourite, with a glorious lyrical tune over persistent left hand arpeggios. I have heard some performances where the pianist has concentrated so much on keeping the LH under strict control that the piece has sounded a little too metronomic. Not with Ryan – his amazing application of rubato allowed for gorgeous phrasing and I was never aware of any awkward tempo shifts – the whole thing just flowed beautifully.

Number 4 can sound lumpy and uncontrolled in the wrong hands. The fluid descending right hand figures require exquisite control of dynamics and clarity of line, and the ‘rocking’ feel must be clearly expressed – this Ryan did perfectly, again his precise use of the pedal ensured clarity of texture. A tour de force interpretation of these four miniature masterpieces.

After the interval we could not have been in more different territory. Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” is most definitely ‘programme music’, written to present strong imagery through music. Most of us are more familiar with the orchestral version, produced by Ravel, but the original piano version is in many ways even more powerful. Ryan’s performance of the ten ‘pictures’, punctuated by the theme intended to represent the viewer promenading around the exhibition, was utterly masterly and there was no way I was going to tear my eyes and ears away from what he was doing to do anything so trite as writing down comments about the pianism and musicianship. Both were at the highest level and the final ‘picture’ “The Great Gate of Kyiv” produced a storm of sound the like of which I have never heard from the Society’s Yamaha. Jaw-dropping.

Obviously there was no way we were going to let Ryan escape without an encore, and he gave us two absolute stunners. The first was Pletnev’s piano transcription of the Grand Pas de Deux from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ ballet. This is a bravura piece, exploiting the sheer power available from the modern grand piano with colossal arpeggio figures overlaying the rich sonority of the heart-rending tune underneath.

If that were not enough virtuosity, Ryan then gave us the famous (infamous? notorious?) arrangement of Mozart’s ‘Rondo Alla Turca’ by Volodos. This has achieved worldwide exposure via YouTube thanks to the absolutely mind-blowing performance by Yuja Wang (no relation I presume?). Ryan got his third standing ovation of the night with his rendering of the piece and we were all in awe of his virtuosity.

What a night of music!

Review by Harold W. Mead

The Milverton Concert Society’s event at Langford Budville Jubilee Hall marked several firsts, including its debut in the venue and a shift in presentation style, being billed as a “show” rather than a formal concert. The evening featured the electric string quartet Stringfever, who delivered their trademark high-energy, genre-hopping performance to a packed audience after a long-awaited postponement.

The group blended classical and contemporary styles – ranging from Beethoven and Tchaikovsky to Led Zeppelin, Motown, and film music – while mixing musicianship with theatrical flair and humour. Individual members showcased versatility with presenter, Ralph, on violin; newest member, Sophie, also on violin; Graham on viola and vocals, Neal on cello and beatboxing. All four are members of the Broadbent family which has a strong pedigree in classical music. Highlights included their ‘History of Music in 5 Minutes’, Bolero, audience interaction with some quizzes, and a notably moving arrangement of Schindler’s List, which contrasted strikingly with the evening’s playful energy. I first saw this quartet some 20 years ago and, as ever, they delivered an engaging, high-calibre performance that balanced virtuosity with entertainment.

Review by Michael Connolly

What better way to end a perfect spring day than to head to St Michael’s Church in Milverton and be treated to the richest of musical feasts served by two stellar musicians: the cellist and former winner of the BBC Young Musician Guy Johnston and the internationally renowned pianist Melvyn Tan.

They opened their program with a work far removed from standard cello repertoire: Richard Strauss’s Cello Sonata in F major, Op.6, written when the composer was a mere nineteen years old, but no less skilful for that. The duo perfectly captured the ebullient opening movement’s youthfully carefree energy, dispatching its technically demanding passages with brilliance, not least Strauss’s fiendishly ungrateful piano writing which requires huge stamina (Bravo Melvyn!). The profound melancholy and poignant lyricism of the central slow movement were beautifully evoked with a perfect balance between cello and piano, something immensely difficult to achieve in this work. I particularly enjoyed Guy’s varied speed of vibrato and his beautiful high (thumb position) playing, emotionally contained yet highly expressive. The finale romp was utterly thrilling, teamwork of the highest order with cellist and pianist in equal partnership. On the evidence of Friday night’s performance, this Cinderella amongst Strauss’s works should definitely be allowed out more often!

Next we were transported from a world of passionate late-Romanticism to the modernism of Britten’s 1961 Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 65, composed for Rostropovich and inspired by the great Russian cellist’s virtuosity. This five-movement suite of contrasting character pieces was magnificently brought to life by our duo. During the opening ‘Dialogo,’ a movement by turns calm and vehement, it felt as if the two players were playing games with each other, with the cello attempting to flee the piano’s attention at times. All seemed happily resolved by the end. The ‘Scherzo pizzicato’ was great fun, full of mischievous interplay between the two protagonists and with technical bravura a plenty. Particularly striking was the extraordinary range of pizzicato techniques on display, effortlessly played by Guy, including some mind-bendingly difficult rapid combinations of right and left hands together! The central mournful ‘Elegia,’ the work’s emotional heart, had real intensity, whilst the sardonic ‘Marcia,’ with its eerie sul ponticello bowing and artificial glissandi harmonics, again superbly executed by Guy, reminded me of certain ‘night music’ passages in the music of Bela Bartók. The brilliantly helter-skelter ’ Moto Perpetuo’ finale, with its surprisingly understated final bars, brought the first half to a successful conclusion and was met by enthusiastic applause from a spell-bound audience.

Fully refreshed by wine and nibbles during the interval, we returned to our seats eager to welcome tonight’s duo back to the stage. The second half comprised a single piece and a true heavyweight of the cello repertoire, the Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 65 by Chopin. This work demands a level of intensity that few cellists can achieve but Guy was more than up to the task. From the very first notes of the piano’s beautiful introduction, sensitively played by Melvyn, we knew that we were in for a real treat. This epic opening Allegro moderato was full of dark melancholy with plenty of opportunity for Guy to show off the sonorous tone of his 1714 David Tecchler cello, The Scherzo was a compelling blend of lyricism and drama. In the transcendent Largo that followed there was some wonderfully lyrical playing from both performers. If the Finale had the feel of a rustic dance, it was one in which melancholy and anger were never far away. The cello’s double-stopping passages were brilliantly realised and the interplay between both players was, as throughout the concert, hugely impressive, each attuned and alert to every nuance of their partner. This magnificent sonata was Chopin’s final published composition and one of the few non-piano instrumental works in his catalogue. Whilst the composer’s extraordinary and hugely popular piano works are deservedly regarded as amongst the greatest musical gifts known to mankind, I could not help musing as I left the church, having been so profoundly moved and richly entertained by all I had heard – including the delightful musical bonbon that we were treated to as an encore, Saint-Saëns’s charming Romance, Op. 36 for cello and piano – what else this great man might have achieved had he lived longer and been able to continue in this direction.

A final word of thanks to both performers – please come back! – and to all those involved behind the scenes in making these concerts such a success.

Review by Julian White

At the VOCES8 Scholars concert in Milverton church today (16/11/25) we were treated to a concert of an eclectic mix of styles and time periods. A performing challenge which, as expected, the choir met admirably.

Gabrieli’s Jubilate Deo first published in 1613 established the musical credentials from the first note – incisive, crystal-clear singing, every vocal line individually audible yet combining in a gorgeous ensemble sound. The balance between the voices was spot on throughout and we knew were in for a treat. Tallis’s If Ye Love Me is so well-known that any flaw in performance will be spotted – naturally there was none. Impeccable ensemble coupled with perfectly controlled dynamics were evident throughout.

Stanford’s ‘Three Latin Motets’ are a staple of the choral repertoire and ‘Beati Quorum Via’ is probably the most popular. Again the sound was sonorous, but for me there was a slight hardness and edginess in the upper voices which occasionally spoiled the otherwise exemplary balance of the sound.

Leaping forwards in time and into totally different musical genres we the heard the Newley/Bricusse song ‘Feeling Good’ followed by the Joni Mitchell classic ‘A Case Of You’. The former is not the most homogenous writing – the changes of harmony and phrasing must make it fiendishly difficult to maintain momentum and the there were a couple of moments of (very minor) ensemble uncertainty. The Mitchell however was beautifully done, and its closing phrases were sheer magic. Eric Whitacre is a dominant figure in the choral scene today and many of his works are already timeless classics. His ‘All Things Seem Beautiful to Me’ brought out the best in the group and his unmistakeable harmonies and tonality were well represented with splendid diction too.

Coming right up to date, the first half of the concert closed with the gorgeous “Effortlessly’ by American composer Taylor Scott Davis. And it was sung effortlessly, again with flawless coordination and beautifully balanced sound.

Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo was at one time composer-in–residence for VOCES8 and theVoces8 scholars gave a lovely performance of one his best known works ‘Ubi Caritas’. This starts in a very mediaeval plainchant idiom but later morphs into music with a more contemporary inflection to the sound. VOCES8 Scholars followed the style shift seamlessly and this was a lovely listening experience.

Ken Burton’s ‘A Prayer’ has a distinct African-American sound, gospel music like in places, and is characterised by very chromatic phrases and powerful dynamic contrasts. This was sung beautifully as we had now come to expect.

Another gigantic time leap, backwards this time whipped us back to the English Renaissance, to the end of the 16th century for John Bennett’s Dowland-influenced ‘Weep O Mine Eyes’. Cascades of lovely sound with terrific clarity of line really did this work justice. The even earlier (1534) chanson by Passereau ‘Il Est Bel et Bon’ brought a lovely touch of whimsy. This is VERY difficult to sing (I know, I’ve done it) the short, rapid phrases being tossed expertly back and forward across the vocal parts and calling for superb rhythmic control. Brilliant.

Back into the time machine for a very clever fusion of two James Bond songs ‘For Your Eyes Only’ and ‘You Only Live Twice’ . The scrunchy harmonies were handled to perfection. The British duo Yazoo sang ‘Only You’ in the early 1980s and VOCES8 Scholars did a wonderful arrangement where voices supplied the backing instrumentals over the vocal line – a wonderful acoustic effect!

The published programme ended with a joyous performance (from memory) of an arrangement of Duke Ellington’s ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’ (if you ain’t got that swing). (My old Latin master at school was a jazz lover and he even wrote a version of this song in Latin! ‘Nihil significat si non pulsat’. Mad.) This was a superb ending to what had been a superb concert and there was no way they were going to be allowed to leave without an encore. We got a fine rendition of ‘Underneath the Stars’ by Kate Rusby. The closing repeated ‘Go Gently’ was truly lovely and brought the day to a perfect close.

Review by Harold W. Mead

2025 at Milverton continues to delight. After the wonderful Young Professionals concert in February, we were treated last night (8th March) to the relatively unusual combination of trumpet and piano. Aaron Azunda Akugbo from Edinburgh was joined by pianist Zeynep Özsuca for a varied and entertaining programme. It was Zeynep’s second visit to Milverton – we remember her wonderful contribution to the evening we enjoyed from Jess Gilliam in February 2023. Aaron is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and has already forged an exciting career with many awards along the way. Many of the pieces in the programme were not originally composed for the trumpet, but the arrangements we heard were so skilfully done and so well played that it all sounded perfectly natural.

Appropriately the evening was introduced by a piece entitled “Intrada”. This 1947 work by Honegger is well known in the trumpet repertoire and Aaron’s bold introduction and expert articulation of the wide intervals was a treat, his playing backed by wonderfully percussive piano. Aaron’s virtuosic triple-tonguing towards the end was exemplary. A contrast followed with Lili Boulanger’s “Nocturne” – the tranquil piano intro was followed by restrained trumpet playing with a pastoral quality. I particularly enjoyed the beautifully articulated rising chromatic arpeggios which led us to the peaceful conclusion of the work.

Talking of contrasts, we then heard a trumpet arrangement of a baroque opera aria by Vivaldi. “Agitata da due venti” is from “Griselda” and the turbulent, stormy vocal lines were amazingly presented in a virtuoso performance from both musicians. Aaron’s incredible agility was matched by Zeynep’s superlative piano support – this was a collaboration of the highest order. A piano solo then followed and we heard an intense and introspective work by Turnage, “Elegy for Andy”. This piece presents an elegiac soundscape, exploring wide-ranging tonalities. Although it seemed to be built from fragmentary phrases, Zeynep’s performance made it into a coherent narrative.

Another arrangement is the trumpet version of French composer Bozza’s “Aria” originally composed for alto saxophone. It is a wistful tune, inspired by a melody of Bach although the middle section did move into more contemporary phrasing and tonality. Aaron played this with great sensitivity and fine control of dynamics.

The first half the concert ended with the three movements of “Sonatine” by another French composer, Françaix. The dancing Prelude with fugitive phrases and playful chromatics, with unexpected changes in phrase lengths, was polished off with great aplomb by both players. The middle Sarabande explored the full tonal range of the trumpet and led to a triumphant cadenza-like introduction to the final Gigue. This was a jolly dance with wild rhythmic shifts which both musicians obviously enjoyed. (So did we!)

After the interval, another French composer Jean Hubeau was heard, his Trumpet Sonata. The stately first Sarabande movement exchanged phrases between the two instruments and the impression conveyed was one of bold landscapes, much loved countryside, all underpinned by rich piano textures. The Intermède was forthright and capricious with hints of fanfares and military colour. The final Spiritual had a bluesy feel to it, with muted trumpet figures almost jazz-like in places, and the work ended in a similar vein as the first movement, reminiscent of huge landscapes.

We then heard two song arrangements, the work of black American composer Florence Price. The “Song to the Dark Virgin” produced a gorgeous ensemble sound, both players perfectly balanced and integrated. A change to the published programme was Price’s song “Sunset”. This is a wistful piece, almost like an old Edwardian parlour song and Aaron played it most beautifully.

Zeynep’s second solo was another Turnage piece, “Tune for Toru” a tribute to the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, which might account for the unusual musical intervals. Her playing showed wonderful control of dynamics.

Another arrangement of a song was next, but could not have been more different from the Vivaldi we heard earlier. Mahler’s “Rückert Lieder” is a set of five songs based on the poems of Friederich Rückert, composed in 1901/2 and we heard “Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft” transcribed for trumpet. Another lovely equal collaboration between piano and muted trumpet, sounding perfectly natural in its new guise.

The evening ended with Ropartz’s “Andante et Allegro”. The C minor opening did sound somewhat doom-laden but it transitioned into a more urgent, passionate idiom. The final Allegro was energetic, optimistic and containing cheery fanfares in abundance leading to a more reflective middle section. Despite having already played a marathon evening, Aaron thrilled us with the forthright ‘call to arms’ fanfare which led the work and the concert to a brilliant conclusion.

The applause for both musicians was long and well-deserved. Another great evening from the Milverton Concert Society.

Review by Harold W. Mead