(Chloe Murphy
& James Grace)
(Review from the artSMart team covering the 2014 Witness Hilton Arts
Festival which ran at Hilton College from September 19 to 21)
Choice of music brings the best from the two guitarists. (Review by
Keith Millar)
The Music Revival Concert Series at the Witness Hilton Arts Festival
offered a varied programme of music that would have suited the tastes of most
classical music enthusiasts.
Catering for the lovers of classical guitar was the concert entitled Two
Guitars. This concert featured festival regular James Grace who is the head
of guitar studies at the University of Cape Town’s College of Music and one of
his pupils Chloe Murphy.
Grace is one of South Africa’s leading concert artists. In recent times,
he has appeared with Cape Town Philharmonic, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic,
the Johannesburg Festival and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestras. He has
also recently released his fifth solo album entitled World Café.
He did not disappoint at this concert giving a virtuoso performance of
great skill and warmth. There was considerable synergy between Grace’s
performance and that of his young student Chloe Murphy. She is in the fourth
year of her studies at the University of Cape Town She proved to be a rare
talent in her own right.
The programme kicked off with music from the 17th century
British composer John Dowland. This music was originally composed for two lutes
but has been transcribed for guitar. The artists gave a sensitive performance
of this ethereal and rather melancholy medieval music.
Next on the programme was Café Para Dos by contemporary Argentinean
composer Maximo Diego Pujol and this was followed by L’Encouragement by
Spaniard Fernando Sor. Both passionate pieces of music were skilfully played.
Maurice Ravel’s contribution to the programme was his beautiful Pavan
pour une infant defunté (Pavane to a dead Princess). This work was
originally composed for the piano but it is equally impressive played on the
guitar.
Completing the programme was the virtuosic Suite Retratos by
Brazilian composer Radames Gnatelli. This music once again brought out the best
from the two guitarists.
The venue for this concert was the Chapel at Hilton College. While the
pews are inclined to become a little uncomfortable during an hour-long concert
it remains acoustically an excellent venue for serious acoustic music. This
combined with guitar playing of the standard that was on display ensured that
the concert was one to be remembered. – Keith Millar
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