Musicmakers Stage Page-Clare Recital

"Salient" staff, on behalf of the students of this College, would like to thank the Musicmakers' Club Committee, Pauline Michael, Nell Casey and Joycelyn McMullian, for arranging the Lili Kraus recital reported above, and for giving us the opportunity of listening to so great an artist.

On Thursday, June 27, the Music-makers' Club arranged a concert by Mr. Maurice Clare and Mr. Frederick Page, our new lecturer in music.

The programme was devoted to music of the baroque period, the works being:

Andante from Violin Concerto (dall Abaco).

Sonata in A for Violin and Piano (Niccolo Porpora).

Sonata in A for Violin and Piano (Arcangelo Corelli).

Sonata in B minor for Violin and Piano (J. S. Bach).

In C6, the music room, which can accommodate no more than 150 comfortably, upwards of 250 crowded in, and, miracle of miracles, were some-how seated! The audience overflowed on to the stage, leaving just enough room for the players; and quite a substantial number had to crouch on the steps below the "stage." The evening was a huge success. It is very rarely that one gets music of such excellence with such an informal atmosphere.

The music played was of the golden age of Italian violin music. Mr. Clare brought to it all the warmth and sunshine of Italy—there was something in this music that seems especially to appeal to him as a violinist. These composers were violinists themselves, and they seem somehow to have put into their music all their craft and feeling so skilfully that one becomes part of the other. Mr. Clare obviously enjoys bringing to this music all his craft and feeling. As we believe it is of a superlative order, the result was harmonious and completely satisfactory. It is hard to think of Mr. Page's playing as mere accompaniment, so linked was it with Mr. Clare's. In the Bach especially his playing was beautifully delivered.

In response to enthusiastic applause, they played a most moving Air and Variations from a Sonata by Haydn; and as a result of further clamour, the first movement of this sonata. The audience was delighted with the pianist's calling out at the double-bar, "Repeat!" We hope that Mr. Clare thanked him for this reminder when the concert was over.

We are heartily sorry now that we did not ask these artists to play for us earlier in the year as well, and from what club members have heard since, so is the rest of the College.

Supper was served afterwards in the Women's Common Room, where the control that the players exercised over the audience suffered a relapse. However, after a quarter-hour's wait, the visitors were given tea and some food which had been guarded from the onslaughts of the students. After supper, when players and audience had gone, we reflected sadly that If man does not live by bread alone, he occasionally likes to demonstrate the opposite.

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