Emma Johnson and John Lenehan, Kendal Town Hall

'WONDERFUL’ could be the adjective used to describe the Midday Concert Club’s most recent recital. However, related words like ‘amazing’, ‘awesome’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘fantastic’, ‘phenomenal’ and ‘remarkable’ would be equally appropriate. It is but rarely that the club is privileged to witness musicianship of the quality proffered by the clarinettist, Emma Johnson and her pianist partner, John Lenehan. They are old friends of the club, we have heard them before, we knew what was coming, and come it did!

Their splendid programme illustrated their wide-ranging versatility: the classical (Brahms’s imperious F minor Clarinet Sonata, Nino Rota’s D major Clarinet Sonata) vying with a scintillating array of works and arrangements by Bernstein, Templeton and Benny Goodman, all having jazz as their fundamental element. Throughout, in whatever the medium, we were treated to superb music-making at the heart of which was immaculate ensemble work, sheer beauty of sound, stunning technical finesse, perfect balance, a buoyant joie de vivre, a total understanding of the demands of their music and an attractive union with their admirers.

Generous with their encores, they sent us away happy and content, yet sorry that the precious hour had ended.

Brian Paynes