Saxophone Song and Dance - Concert Review (CASS magazine) (September 29, 2008)
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Clarinet and Saxophone
Society Magazine,
Autumn 2008
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Concert Review
Saxophone Song and Dance
Nicola Pennill (saxophones)
Alistair Parnell (piano, EWI)
July 5th 2008
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Photo: Andrew Pennill |
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This was the first performance as a duo by Nicola Pennill and Alistair Parnell, long-time musical collaborators and founders of the Equinox Ensemble. The concert was programmed around the theme of Song and Dance, with the musical items interspersed with related reading by Richard Linden, providing an insight or different perspective. As well as exploring the stated theme, the programme was designed to demonstrate the saxophone's versatile personality, with its wide range of different tone colours and moods.
The thoughtfully constructed and imaginative programme comprised 20th century works in a variety of different styles and genres, taking in everything from Wiedoft to Mark Anthony Turnage. There were dance forms from sarabande to waltzes, Hungarian czardas and tango to Celtic reel, and songs from an American musical, English folksongs and contemporary opera arias.
As a duo, Nicola and Alistair proved to be well matched, with an intuitive communication, unity of expression and perfect balance between the instruments. Seemingly effortlessly, Nicola coaxed a huge repertoire of sound colours from her alto and soprano saxophones, from the stylised vibrato of the Wiedoft Valse Vanite to a lush jazzy tone in the Gershwin Porgy and Bess Selection; strident in the Turnage Sarabande and dreamy in the Two Arias by John Adams, and Bill Connors' Skaladur.
The performance left the audience impressed, uplifted and hoping for a future CD releas by this talented partnership.
Alison Owen-Morley Click here to return to the News page |
