Review Details
Ogston Prize 2009
Alan Cooper
24 April 2009
Cowdray Hall
The atmosphere fairly sizzled with anticipation as a capacity crowd packed into the Cowdray Hall for the final of the 2009 Ogston Music Prize. Compere Dr Paul Mealor’s description of the competition as one of the crowning events of the musical calendar for the University was amply confirmed by the size and sheer enthusiasm of Friday’s audience. This competition continues to grow in pulling power every year and no fewer than six top musicians from throughout the University had striven hard to gain a place in the final. Some, but not all of these, were music students; the others represented faculties or departments such as Engineering, Medicine or Psychology proving that now more than ever, young people from every discipline are being welcomed wholeheartedly into the life of University Music.
This year’s judging panel comprised experts from a wide range of musical disciplines. Chairman of the panel was Richard Chester, former principal flute of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Director of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, a wise and experienced judge of the musicianship of young players. LT COL. (RET’D) R. J. Owen is conductor of the University Wind Band and as the former Director of Music, Scots Guards and Senior Director of Music of the Household Division, he is a true connoisseur of every aspect of wind instrument playing. Dr. David Smith, Acting Head of Music, University of Aberdeen is a gifted organist and keyboardist.
The first contestant is well known to Aberdeen audiences. Euphonium virtuoso Richard Kidd has done much to popularise his instrument both in Aberdeen and beyond. He had chosen two pieces by Philip Sparke for his performance, The Summer Isles and Pantomime. Strong, smooth, free-flowing playing marked both pieces. There were clear unwavering melodic passages set against quite stunning sequences of amazing rapidity delivered with machine gun precision. Here was a really exciting performance that definitely put Richard in the running for the prize.
Pianist Chris Williamson though a less flamboyant performer gave a fine performance of Chopin’s Mazurka Op.24 No. 1 with just the right feeling of rhythmic sway and rubato then Szymanowski’s Etude Op.4 No.3 was even better. A nicely shaped performance it alternated dreamlike quieter passages with moments of fulsome richness.
Mezzo-soprano Heather Ireson’s voice gets better every time I hear her. Richard Chester was right when he said that with full maturity she will be a talent to be reckoned with. Her aria When I am Laid in Earth from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas was sung with a perfect sense of both passion and classical detachment while Debussy’s Recitative and Aria from “L’Enfant Prodigue” had just the right silky smoothness of line. To quote Richard Chester again however, she will have to learn the right facial expression and body language for the delivery of songs like Cole Porter’s “So in Love”. Please study the performances of Lisa Milne.
Violinist Christina Kluge is a confident, energetic and extrovert player. Along with the more relaxed Andante Cantabile of Tchaikovsky with its rich melodic content powerfully played, she had chosen two very challenging showpieces, Wieniawski’s Obertas and Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro. This was an exciting performance that drove her abilities right to the edge as it would even with the most experienced professional performer. Perhaps replacing one of these pieces with something more relaxed would have gained her the prize?
I have often been impressed by the trumpet playing of Dean Bromage and certainly his golden tone on the whole family of trumpets is to be admired. This was what sold his three pieces to the audience on Friday. First was a high tensile performance of Geodicke’s Concert Etude with its torrents of notes followed by Share My Yoke by Joy Webb arr. Ivor Bosanko. How many I wonder in the audience are old enough to remember the Joy Strings. By the way, I checked up on the title and it is Yoke and not Yolk. I don’t think Ms Webb was inviting us to join her for breakfast! Virtuosity by the jazz trumpeter Kenny Baker was Dean’s final piece proving his wide ranging versatility as a player.
Last but certainly not least, flautist Kay Ritchie gave us a three movement Sonata in F major by Benda and an Allegretto from the Sonatina for Flute and Piano by Eldin Burton. Clean, beautifully rich yet transparent playing that took in every note of both pieces with seeming effortless ease. Try as I might, I could find no fault whatsoever in Kay Ritchie’s performance, she came as near as is humanly possible to perfection. It would seem as if the judges thought so too since the winner of the 2009 Ogston Prize was Kay Ritchie.
Before the announcement was made however, we enjoyed a flashback to last year’s concert when after the interval, the winner of the 2008 contest Petra Paskova wowed the audience with a stunning performance of two piano pieces from Dreams by Smetana, Le bonheur éteint and La Fête des paysans bohemians. All that glamour and a fabulous pianistic talent too – it’s just not fair, is it?
Professor Derek Ogston, the originator and most generous benefactor of the Ogston Prize presented each of the contestants with a token of their participation and as I have said in previous years every one was a worthy winner. It is only a pity that there was not a prize for accompanists too. On this occasion my vote would go to Harry Williamson who played for Kay Ritchie. Piano accompaniments just do not get better or more refined than his was on Friday.