It’s just ten days now until the Winterplay mini-festival of chamber music in the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh. My tally of organisational emails has probably doubled since I last reported that I had written 568 emails relating to the festival – and of course I was only able to search for the ones that contained the word ‘Winterplay’! So in reality there are probably thousands.
Who knew that one had to consider such things as the ingredients of biscuits for workshop participants, permission to take rehearsal photos which might include young people, how to transport large instruments and unload them at the hall without getting a parking ticket, or how to find a local restaurant which will serve food to concert participants after 9.30pm? I’m now longing for the musical part of the project to get going, so that I can remember what all this is actually about.
Last Saturday there was a very nice article about Winterplay in The Scotsman magazine by senior music critic Ken Walton. It didn’t go online until today, but if you click on the link you can read the interview.
Dear Ms Tomes
Excellent concert this evening at the Queens Hall. I’m getting a Beethoven Buff. Last week it was Stephen Osborne playing Beethoven and Brahms late sonatas in Linlithgow.
But this evening’s Archduke was tremendous. You must have played it many times but you looked wonderfully relaxed and you made it look so fresh.
I marvel how Beethoven could have written so joyous music as the Archduke, being deaf (as I am) and knowing his time was limited.
I trust the Archduke appreciated the piece
Kind regards
Mike Vickers
PS I had not come across Winterplay but I have now!