After series of events to mark their 600th anniversary, it was left to the musicians of St Andrews University to end the festivities, which they did with a certain amount of style in the Younger Hall.
However, one must appreciate that with no faculty of music at the university’s disposal, all those concerned were enthusiastic amateurs and any musical inaccuracies can easily be overlooked.
Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture was the ideal choice to open proceedings, its final Gaudeamus the perfect anthem, supplied by the brass, to mark this celebration of academic longevity.
The St Salvator’s Chapel Choir then brought proceedings back to the era when the university was in its infancy, with three items from the Renaissance.
Tom Wilkinson has an excellent ensemble at his fingertips, with perfect phrasing and diction throughout, although the balance was slightly lopsided, with the tenor section dominant.
There was also imbalance in the following Grieg piano concerto although the irregularity was in tempo, not sound.
Maebh Martin’s performance, on the other hand, was excellent, with wonderful feeling in the first movement cadenza and in the delightful middle adagio.
With the Hebrides Overture and Maxwell Davies’ Orkney Wedding with Sunrise topping and tailing the second half, there was room in between for perhaps the most important item of the evening, a university commission from the pen of Sally Beamish.
I thought North Sea Edge was one of the most atmospheric and gripping works I’ve heard from this composer. As World Premieres go, this was one of the best I’ve heard.