Day seven of 2MF 2011

Since the last post, the Festival team spent a day in Widecombe-in the-Moor, but has been mostly based on Exmoor, running concerts in Dulverton and Dunster. On Monday, HRH The Countess of Wessex attended a sell-out concert with accordionist, Ksenija Sidorova and the Solstice Quartet – quite incredible. Then yesterday afternoon, the Two Moors Festival Wind and Piano Quintet performed their concert repertoire from their August 2MF Residency (read previous posts for further information on Residencies). The audience were spoilt even further with superb wind playing from Principal Oboe of the Berlin Philharmonic, Jonathan Kelly, joined by viola player, Matthew Hunter (also of the Berlin Phil) and Alison Procter. How often do we in the South West have the opportunity to hear such stunning and inspiring musicians in such intimate surroundings?

There are still three days left so head to the Festival’s website to find events happening in your area.

Day four of the Two Moors Festival

The 2011 festival is in full swing. We are on day four (Sunday) and have just said goodbye to Ashley Wass, Stephan Loges, Natalia Lomeiko, Marko Ylönen and Christoph Berner. Such a whirlwind of exciting and memorable concerts. We started on Thursday with Ashley Wass and Christoph Berner performing Brahms’s arrangement for piano duet of his D minor piano concerto. The following night took the Festival team to Okehampton, where Stephan Loges, Natalia Lomeiko, Marko Ylönen and Christoph Berner performed various works, ending in Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio no. 1. Then in Dulverton last night we heard a moving concert of Schubert and Schumann songs with Liszt transcriptions performed by Stephan Loges and Christoph Berner. The audience was spellbound and quite bowled over by this exceptionally intimate concert. (If you were unfortunate to have missed the recital, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast it at a later date.)

We head back to Dulverton today for a variety of events. At 12.30pm the Rose Consort of Viols performs a selection of Elizabethan works which will fit around a scrummy lunch in the Town Hall. There is Songs of Praise in the church at 4.30pm and then we have the sell-out concert with Yevgeny Sudbin this evening at 7.30pm, also in the church.

Ring the Festival Box Office on 01643 831006 for further information about events in your area.