Marlborough College School Summer School, 18th July 2008

With its arena seating and large stage, Marlborough College's Memorial Hall provided an wonderfully impressive performance space for the Summer School's Friday concert – a joint appearance by the Northern Saxophone Quartet and NSC, with NSQ baritone player Sarah Markham doubling as the NSC's conductor for the evening.

The concert opened with the Northern Sax Quartet playing the mystical Tuning In (Jonathan Dove). The players mesmerised the audience with the eerie dialogue between the saxes from the corners of the room and took them by surprise with the sudden energy of the rondo-style section. The piece concluded with the saxes disappearing into the corners of the hall once again, in the same mysterious way in which they entered. The NSQ followed up with the incredibly complex, fast and funky hoe-down Yuppieville Rodeo (Mike Mower), which featured solos from Tony Davis, Julia Mills, and Alistair Parnell.

The NSC in its new horseshoe formation at the the magnificant Marlborough School Memorial Hall

Sarah Markham on solo soprano in Under the Veil

The Choir opened in its new horse-shoe format with Bartok's Rumanian Dances. Stunning solos and a manic close were immediately followed by the more tender, lush and dulcet tones of the saxophone in Piazzolla's Oblivion. Nigel Wood then stepped up to the plate and dazzled both eyes and ears with his show piece Waltzing Soprillda (P. Buttall). Next was a first for the Choir as Alistair Parnell came and performed Nigel Wood's Partial Eclipse which Alistair commissioned for EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) and saxophone ensemble. The combination of sax and EWI evoked a science-fiction sound track yet still explored the expressive potential of the instrument, and the amazing skill of the soloist. Franz Knapp's Smutty Saxes followed, revealing the jazzy side of both the NSQ and the Choir, and featuring solos from all members of the quartet.

Alistair Parnell on EWI in Partial Eclipse, Sarah Markham conducting

The NSC and Northern Saxophone Quartet in performance

The second half of the show saw the stage cleared of music stands as the Choir began its memorised set. It started with the energetic Mrs Malcolm which featured Tony Davis in the solo section. Puccini's famous Nessun Dorma followed, featuring Daniel Gooch, Jenny Palfreyman, and Matthew London as the three tenors. Sarah Markham put aside her baton and took centre stage on soprano in Nigel's sultry Under the Veil, and Julia Mills stepped into the solo spotlight for Karen Street's mellow Carnival. Ravel's Bolero was next, followed by the Choir's signature closing item, Shetland Sequence. The evening wound down peacefully with Nigel's sweet arrangement of Somewhere Over The Rainbow...

DL

Photographs: Gareth Layzell

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