Calum Huggan, Kendal Town Hall

As is always the case during concerts presented by the Kendal Midday Concert Club the quality of musicianship and technical mastery on display at its most recent recital was impressive, to say the least. Business as usual, then? Well, no, not quite…because, replacing your run-of-the-mill pianist, string quartet et al, we were confronted by the solitary, youthfully-slim, dark-suited figure of Calum Huggan with his marimba. Very few in his audience would, I suspect, have previously encountered a solo marimba recital; for most, then, the hour was full of interest and new experiences.

It took a little time to adjust to this ‘newfangledness’ and ‘novelty’ but shining brightly throughout his entire programme of original compositions and arrangements was Calum’s innate musicality; whatever technical wizardry was necessary (a bewildering and fascinating variety of stick control was ever on show) his phrase shaping, dynamic diversity and overall artistry were unquestionably predominant.

Although aging ears at the rear of the hall sometimes found difficulty in deciphering his attractive north-of-the-border brogue Calum’s informative, humorous and always appropriate commentaries added immeasurably to our enjoyment.

Brian Paynes