Britten Sinfonia brings a World Premiere to our doorstep

Posted on 26th February 2022

It’s been a long time coming, but chamber music has come to the Corn Hall, with a day of activities that culminated in an evening recital from Britten Sinfonia. What immediately became apparent was how big an audience there is in Diss for the form, and how well served it was by the crisp acoustics of the Corn Hall.

Having kicked off with Grieg’s Holberg Suite, we moved on what would prove to be a highlight of the evening, with the world premiere of Dani Howard‘s Heads or Tails. The composer was in attendance for the performance, and gave a brief but illuminating explanation for the composition’s inspiration. The piece itself was challenging but accessible, somewhere on the line that connects Steve Reich and Michael Nyman. It was, of course, expertly performed, leaving me wondered quite how they would top that. The answer was an inventive and varied program which mixed the familiar with the intriguing, offering up bite sized excerpts that were an education as well as an entertainment. From the utter perfection of Bach’s Goldberg variations to the driving insistence of Shostakovich’s Scherzo, there was something for everyone. If Pachelbel’s Canon in D – impishly described as a one hit wonder – wasn’t to your tastes, then fear not, as Mendelsohn’s sublime Octet swiftly followed on.

All in all, a great night’s entertainment, played out to the biggest crowd I’ve seen at the Corn Hall since reopening. Chatting companionly in the bar afterwards, violinist Miranda Dale expressed the hope that this might become a regular event. I shall be crossing my fingers in hope and expectation.