OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness, 24 September 2011

EDEN Court’s lighting department skilfully added some concert hall ambience to the industrial chic of the OneTouch Theatre, appropriate for a recital by one of Scotland’s foremost exponents of the harp.

Flitting from our oldest national instrument, the clarsach or lever harp, to the imposing sweep of the concert or pedal harp, Stevenson demonstrated the full range of this lovely, often undersung, instrument.

Savourna Stevenson

Self-composed tunes were interspersed with classical – including Debussy’s lovely Arabesque – and traditional as she embarked on a journey through time and around the world.

Disdaining the use of a microphone for herself or for her instruments, her deeply felt passion for the harp and its history was shared directly and infectiously with the audience. The first half ended neatly with her lovely composition Gamelan – the Indonesian hammered wooden instrument which also inspired Debussy.

In the second half she was joined for three songs by the Inverness Area Choir of the National Youth Choir of Scotland, with whom she is co-ordinating this extended tour.

The clarity of their enunciation was a testament to the skills of choir mistress Margaret Rae, and was particularly welcome during Waiting for the Silver-Sailed Moon (written as part of the NYCOS’s 10th anniversary celebrations in 2006), sung with evident enjoyment and appreciation of its setting in a very comfortable register for young voices.

A sudden dramatic faint by one of the youngsters was handled with exemplary efficiency by Eden Court’s staff, and though clearly upset by this, Stevenson continued like a trouper, producing more exotic liveliness and brightness as she darted musically from South America to Spain and back home to Scotland.

© Jennie Macfie, 2011

Links

• Savourna Stevenson
• NYCOS
• Jennie Macfie