It was the German poet Goethe who claimed that the best form of architecture is frozen music.  An ensemble of exceptional graduates from various British conservatoires came together  six years ago to prove that the inverse is also true; that the best form of music is liquid architecture.

In 2009, playing as an octet, Liquid Architecture earned an award from the Tunnell Trust to make a short tour of Scottish music clubs.  So well received was this ensemble that Inverness Chamber Music has invited them to play the first concert in 2012 in St Stephen’s Church in Southside Road, Inverness at 8.00pm on Tuesday 10^th January.

Liquid Architecture’s co-ordinator, clarinettist Richard Russell has an eclectic group of musicians to call on, depending on the programme being presented.  For the ensemble’s Inverness debut Russell is bringing violinists Tristan Gurney and Emma Parker, violist James Slater, cellist Rosalind Acton and bass player Josie Ellis.  As well Richard Russell himself on clarinet, the wind players will be Stuart Russell on bassoon and John Davy playing French horn.

This line-up is of course that for the magnificent Schubert Octet in F, D.803 that will form the second half of the concert and brings to fruition a long-held desire by the members of Inverness Chamber Music to bring this work to the Inverness audience.

In the first half, Liquid Architecture will meet another of their aims, that of presenting lesser known works that deserve an airing.  Howard Ferguson’s Octet Op 4 was composed in 1933 and uses the same instrumentation as the Schubert Octet.  At long last it is starting to achieve some popularity, recognition that is very much overdue as it is an absolute gem of a composition.  This will be followed by the Concertini Variations, commissioned by Liquid Architecture from the Glasgow composer Alasdair Spratt.  It is a series of five very short concertos for various instruments in the octet, and each is in its own way a variation on the other four.

Tickets for this concert can be obtained from Eden Court Box Office or on the night at the door of St Stephen’s Church.

Later in the month, on Tuesday January 24^th, At One With Music will be presenting another of the popular lunchtime concerts in Inverness Town House.  Two of Scotland’s leading players, guitarist Allan Neave and cellist Robert Irvine will present a fifty minute recital of works by Geminiani, Mendelssohn, Domeniconi, Zenamon, Fauré, Gnattali and de Falla.  Tickets will be available on the day at the door from 12.30pm.

Source: James Munro