WEYMOUTH SUNDAY CONCERT,

WEYMOUTH MUSIC CLUB

Weymouth Bay Methodist Church

ALL music lovers adore the rich sonorous tones of the cello.

There was a full house in Weymouth Bay Methodist Church for the last Weymouth Sunday Concert given by Benjamin Birtle (cello), pictured above. and Duncan Honeybourne on the piano.

Both distinguished musicians, they played three magnificent cello and piano sonatas.

And they played superbly; with great skill, fantastic energy, togetherness and total emotional involvement.

All the more remarkable as Duncan and Benjamin only had three days to rehearse together, the original double bass player cancelled after an injury.

Benjamin and Duncan opened their concert with Beethoven’s Sonata in D Major Op. 102.

A burst of sound introduced the opening Allegro con brio followed by a slow, smooth adagio with much love and feeling and ending with another fast movement – a fugue, harking back to the Baroque.

Then Brahms’ Sonata in F Major Op. 99 – the same period, but much more Romantic.

Four movements this time – we wallowed in the melody of the Adagio and the last movement galloping furiously.

Rachmaninov’s Sonata in G minor Op. 19 was clearly many people’s favourite. Here, I simply had to stop taking notes and just listen.

But, through the tumultuous applause at the end I heard Peter Foster – broadcaster of Sunday Concerts and other local music to patients of Dorset County Hospital – murmur: “Do you know, that was among the best performances I’ve ever heard!”

n The next Sunday Concert is on Sunday, February 15 at 3pm in Weymouth Bay Methodist Church, Melcombe Avenue.

It will feature Calum Huggan-Marumba on percussions and Jo Ashcroft on the flute.

JANET FERRETT