I was glad to see the advertisement in the October issue of Wiltshire Life for the Salisbury Medieval Hall’s amazing Music & More - celebration of music making and the spoken word held in the last fortnight of September. On the strength of what the audiences experienced, we eagerly hope that this enterprising venture will become a regular festival in future years.
My calling the rich and varied programme of 8 concerts ‘amazing’ is not hype. Salisbury has been privileged to have the opportunity to celebrate internationally famous artists bringing us exciting repertoire in the hall’s beautiful intimate candle-lit setting with an acoustic that they raved about. So we are sure they’ll come back! The performers included the outstanding and local lute player Elizabeth Kenny with her singer and actor friends Robin Blaze and Dickon Tyrrell in an exquisite entertainment mingling Shakespeare with songs and instrumental pieces of his period; romantic and challenging music for the violin played passionately and awe-inspiringly by a 15 year-old child prodigy, Leia Zhu, who is already a celebrity in 18 countries; a mesmeric guitar recital by another rising star with award-winning discs, Sean Shibe; the highly regarded Farrant Singers; old friend of The Hall, Allan Schiller and his piano duo partner John Humphreys whose programme was recently performed at the Wigmore Hall; the renowned pianist Clare Hammond with a recital she will soon take there after other European venues; and a packed and delightful evening with the classical guitarist Craig Ogden, hailed as the successor to Julian Bream who also , some years ago, gave a recital at The Hall.
As well as two enchanting hours of superlative music, we learned some fascinating facts and tales to share with friends, Craig demonstrating why guitarists carry bits of sandpaper, a ping-pong ball and super glue to performances, or how two had their instruments stolen within an hour from the Brompton Oratory. The most amazing tale was from Clare Hammond whose enthralling programme of Chopin, Mendelssohn, Beethoven etc provided a backdrop for another international star she is currently championing a largely forgotten performer and composer of over 200 works*. Listening to the attractive études, you would imagine Hélène de Montgeroult to be a contemporary of Fanny Mendelssohn or Clara Schumann - but no, we found out that she was an aristocrat and royal spy in the time of the French Revolution, escaping the guillotine by playing her variations on the Marseillaise!
Someone I was chatting with during one interval commented on what a pity it was that since lockdown many people have lost the habit of going out in the evening, and so miss treats like we have enjoyed, a perfect way to escape from this turbulent autumn into the constant sustaining strength of music’s power to raise our spirits. On the last windswept night as the audience, warmed and beaming at one another with shared pleasure, retrieved their umbrellas and raincoats to face the weather, we were relieved to find the rain was easing off. Looking up from the Close at the radiant illuminated spire we were, in the words of C.S. Lewis, surprised by joy. Thank goodness we had decided to come out on that amazing evening.
By Eric Williams
*Hélène de Montgeroult. A CD of her music played by Clare Hammond is newly released on the BIS label.
For details of events at the Medieval Hall: https://salisburymedievalhall.com