Kendal Midday Concert

Kendal Town Hall

THOSE members of the Kendal Midday Concert Club who braved the inclement weather (and there were many such doughty Cumbrian souls) were fortunate in finding themselves, for the second successive concert, experiencing – or rather, I suggest – enjoying another ‘interesting’/‘unusual’/’different’ hour of music-making.

Those adjectives were among the variety of words I heard being used to describe the music presented by Tango 5, a highly-talented group of musicians who specialize in playing the tangos of Piazzolla and his fellow Argentine composers.

The seductive effect of the music with its strong rhythmic figures was heightened by the theatrical use of subdued lighting. During the course of the programme the bandoneon, piano, double bass, guitar and violin were heard in a variety of combinations and many were the unusual tonal and percussive effects/sounds issuing from them.

It was intriguing, for instance, to witness the technique involved in producing the assortment of sounds from the bandoneon.

Enjoyment of the tangos – all executed with consummate artistry, sensitivity and stylistic aplomb, was enhanced by the wit and humour of David Routledge’s commentaries.

Brian Paynes.