Last night we were treated to one of the gems of the festival – a night of music blended with poetry and the art of Titian.  There were three pieces which all had an association with women – Diana (Actaeon), Cleopatra (Deadly Pleasures) and Edith Sitwell (Façade).  We were honoured to have the composers David Matthews and John Casken to give a brief introduction to their respective pieces.

Throughout the evening we were entertained and impressed with the skills of Counterpoise.  As the neck of the violin rhythmically jerked up and down accompanied with the bells ends of the trumpet and sax, the music was blended with an excellently delivered narrative in verse.

The first piece was Actaeon.  The trumpet shrieked, depicting Diana’s expressed alarm at being found bathing nude by Actaeon  (the  Sax), with the violin and piano stating the mood throughout.  The piece was brilliantly delivered.  The second piece was Deadly Pleasures with Cleopatra’s suitors depicted by the trumpet (Flavius), Violin (Kriton) and the Sax (a Youth).  Again the instruments represent these characters brilliantly with the rasp of the trumpet depicting the bold warrior Flavius; a gentle melodious violin the impotent Kriton and the Sax suggesting the rapture of amorous youth.  All of this perfectly counterpoised with the delivery of the narrated verse.  The final piece was William Waltons Façade with the poetry of Edith Sitwell.   This is an amusing collage of music entwined with witty verse that resulted in the music and narration being punctuated with chuckles of laughter.

The loud applause was a fanfare stating the success; with peoples leaving comments including  ‘Superb’, ‘wonderful’, ‘great humour’, etc.  This was one of the highlights of the festival.