Literary and Philosophical Society: Young Musicians
Literary and Philosophical Society, Newcastle 8/11/25
Young Musicians Concert No. 1
That extraordinary institution of the Enlightenment, the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society, the second oldest private library in the UK and the largest outside London (membership is very affordable), has a long history of engagement with the local music scene. It runs a series of concerts across genres, especially classical and jazz, and is the base for examinations for musical grades in instrumental performance. There was a long-standing tradition of putting on concerts by young musicians, teenagers and younger, which broke down during Covid but is now being revived with this being the first. It is organized by the library’s music librarian and is based on a network of music teachers across Tyneside with performers coming from all sorts of schools. I read about it in my Lit and Phil notices (I am a longstanding member), went and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The presenter, whose name I did not catch, told us that the performers were going to be of high calibre. She was absolutely right.
The programme began with twelve-year-old Thomas O’Hare on cello playing ‘Paradis Sicilienne’ and Vivaldi’s Sonata in A minor. I was sitting next to his grandparents and had no difficulty in expressing my enthusiasm for his skill and musicianship. Yoonchan Cho on flute followed with Lili Boulanger’s Nocturne and Arriagada’s Etude No. 1. Again musicianship and performance of a high order. Next was for me the star of the show (but they were all very good), Imogen Payne, formerly the Head Girl Chorister at Durham Cathedral, and a soprano. This young woman sang with complete confidence and an assured and well-projected delivery. Tom’s grandmother and I agreed this lass is someone to watch and we expect to see her in Opera, Tom’s grandmother said with her hair up, some-time in the next ten years. She sang Fauré’s Après un Rêve, Schumann’s ‘Du bist wie eine Blume’ and Purcell’s ‘Evening Hymn’. She is part of the Samling project and at the end of the performance I told her I hope to see her in a Samling Masterclass at Marchmont House in the Borders when she goes pro.
After the interval we had Maria Waite on piano playing Schoenberg’s ‘Five Little Piano Pieces’ and Janáček’s ‘In the Mists’. Both were performed well, but her bravura execution of the Schoenberg particularly impressed. Hannah Atkinson on flute played Bach’s Sonata in E major, Debussy’s ‘Syrinx’ (I particularly like Debussy and loved this), and Enescu’s ‘Cantabile et Presto’. The show concluded with another cellist, Louis Delstanche, playing the final movement of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Wow! He was good as they all were. The accompanist was Alison Gill who did this delightfully.
What a good idea and what a good show! Does Edinburgh have anything like this? If so, I want to know about it and if not, why not?
