World renowned pianist, Joanna MacGregor, visits College
Posted on Friday 15 February 2008
Farnborough Music Society's renaissance in partnership with the College is greeted with acclaim
Standing Ovation for exuberant performance
The internationally renowned pianist Joanna MacGregor’s performance at Farnborough Music Society’s first concert of 2008 was greeted with a standing ovation last week. Juxtaposing a selection of Preludes and Fugues by J.S. Bach and Dmitri Shostakovich with music from Brazil and New York, Miss MacGregor entertained a capacity audience of around 220, packed into Farnborough Sixth Form College’s Prospect Theatre.
The concert consolidated the society’s exciting renaissance from its apparently inexorable decline to a vibrant centre of classical music in an extraordinary recital attracting both faithful FMS members and a new student generation of enthused classical music lovers. The re-birth of the society under the auspices of the College has proved to be one of the great success stories of local music making.
With a subtle, almost pointillistic approach to Bach’s Prelude and Fugue No. 1, Joanna MacGregor began a powerfully weaved first half narrative that came to a heart stopping close with the bitter-sweet darkness of the Bach’s B minor Prelude and Fugue. Carefully constructed programming, which alternated seamlessly between the two composers, shone new light on these two giant figures of music, illuminating the powerful modernism of Bach alongside the intricate and classically constructed architecture of the works of Shostakovich.
The palpable tension of the concert’s first half was effortlessly relieved in the second as Miss MacGregor showed herself to be the consummate 21st century musician, applying her considerable talents to a range of works from Villa Lobos to Gershwin. With mesmerising technique and infectious enthusiasm, MacGregor seduced the audience through a sumptuous assortment of works and quasi-improvisatory passages that concluded with Gershwin’s fiendishly difficult ‘Songbook’ arrangements, rattled off with polish, wit and an irrepressible swagger.
The well-deserved standing ovation brought to end this tremendously successful inaugural ‘Celebrity Gala’ of the Farnborough Music Society. Committed to the end, Joanna MacGregor remained to sign her latest CDs and to answer further questions from inspired, enthusiastic A Level students of the Sixth Form College, who had taken part in her interactive pre-concert seminar earlier in the evening.
College Principal, Dr John Guy praised the evening, saying, “Joanna was an inspiration, not only for the Farnborough Music Society but especially for the many A level music students at the College who were able to see, hear and engage with a world class pianist in the College’s own theatre. Joanna’s challenging explanations of her arrangements of major musical works gave rare and invaluable insights into the mind and thinking of a renowned musician”.
The next widely anticipated event on the horizon for the FMS will be Geoffrey Morgan’s Demonstration-Recital of popular organ works to be held at St Andrews Garrison Church, Aldershot at 7:30pm on Tuesday 11 March. It promises to be yet another exciting evening of music making!
