“CLAR’NETS, HOWEVER BE BAD AT ALL TIMES … DEPEND UPON’T, IF SO BE YOU HAVE THEM TOOTING CLAR’NETS YOU’LL SPOIL THE WHOLE SET-OUT”.

So said Michael Mail and Mr Penny in Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree.
Ambrose Bierce in his Devil’s Dictionary also had a similar opinion:
“CLARINET: AN INSTRUMENT OF TORTURE OPERATED BY A PERSON WITH COTTON IN HIS EARS.
THERE ARE TWO INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE WORSE THAN A CLARINET – TWO CLARINETS”.

Chris Swann and pianist set out to disprove (hopefully) these rustic premises with a musical exploration of the clarinet family and some of its repertoire.

The performance takes in a saxophone or two and also explains the tricky subjects of transposition, reeds and other matters related to mastering The Instrument of the Devil.

Programme includes music by Molter, Bach,Mendelssohn, Ravel, Lefèvre, von Weber, Kalliwoda, Brahms, Paganini, Saint-Saëns and Messager.

Chris Swann (clarinets/saxophones)
John Gough (piano)

Tickets £15
Higham Hall College, Setmurthy, Cockermouth, CA13 9SH
01768 776276
Higham actively supporting the Performing Arts.