Chamber music strikes a chord

The 12 years that Tring Living Magazine publisher Lyn Drummond spent in Hungary sparked her admiration for the country’s music, particularly that of Hungarian composers, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály. Hence her attendance at the most recent concert, Seriously Hungarian, performed by Tring Chamber Music, where she learned about an unexpected musical connection with Bartók when two boys lost their way in Germany’s Black Forest.

Violinist Paul Barritt and his wife cellist Josephine Horder, who created Tring Chamber Music 23 years ago, have seen their creation grow to offer some of the most popular classical musical events in the region.

Their first concert in Aldbury Church in 2003 was a performance of Schubert’s C major String Quintet, which was so successful they programmed a summer season for the following year.

‘We were soon attracting an enthusiastic following whose numbers increased every season,’ Paul recalls; they now give concerts either in Hastoe Village Hall or Tring High Street Baptist Church.

Hungarian music has often been performed. Although Paul has never been to the country, he studied with the great Hungarian violinist and pupil of Hubay, Sándor Végh in Austria and Germany.

With Végh he studied Bartók’s First Violin Concerto, the Romanian Folk Dances as well as the First Quartet. ‘This was many years ago but it was what prompted me to play the work at this year’s Tring Chamber Music concerts. For Végh, Bartók’s music did not only ‘sing’, it also ‘spoke’ in Hungarian rhythms, which most often are derived from their original folk sources,’ Paul explains.

‘I also remember walking in the Black Forest as a boy of 13 with my German exchange friend and losing our way. We ended up at his aunt’s house with no money to get home. There I met her husband who was no other than the prominent German musicologist Erich Doflein, who was responsible for persuading Bartók to write his wonderful Duos for two violins. We will be performing some of these in 2027 in Tring.’

Paul continues: ‘In our recent concert Hungarian music took centre stage with Kodály and Bartók who were good friends. Here we could observe the move from the early tradition of ‘Hungarian’ classical music moving from ‘pseudo’ Hungarian style, like the ‘Hungarian’ dances of Brahms – beautiful and gripping though they are – to ‘real’ Hungarian music discovered and exposed by both Bartók and Kodály on their travels around the countryside, recording real folk songs, sung and performed by country folk. Over the seasons in Tring we have played Bartók’s ‘Contrasts’ for trio with clarinet several times.’

Paul attributes the popularity of the concerts to careful programme planning. ‘Since we started we have received many positive responses to our programming. To the well-known and much-loved repertoire (such as Schubert’s ‘Trout’ quintet for example) but also to the rarer pieces, which audiences have found they liked unexpectedly. We also try to balance the four summer concert programmes, maybe by including a wind instrument or a piano or a singer. For example, in this last concert I included the peaceful, mesmeric piece of calm bell-like music, named Summa by Arvo Pärt. This was because I was aware that the other three pieces in the programme were hyper intense. Contrast is needed.’

Plans are going ahead for next season’s programmes, which Paul likens to choosing what food one would cook for a balanced meal. ‘One might begin the concert with a tantalising starter, to get the evening going but, unlike the menu, usually we would end with the main course and maybe have the pudding before the interval.’

The musicians at the Tring Chamber Music concert on 12 July were:

Paul Barritt (violin)

He was until July 2022 permanent guest leader of the Hallé Orchestra, having previously held the position of leader of the Northern Sinfonia and the English Chamber Orchestra.

Robin Ireland (viola)

Robin was violist with the celebrated Lindsay String Quartet and then with the Primrose Piano Quartet. He was Head of Chamber Music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire from 2014 till 2021. He now performs as a soloist and freelance chamber musician.

Nick Roberts (cello)

Nick was with the quartet-in-residence at the University of Warwick for over 40 years. Since joining the quartet in 2000 he has performed and broadcast throughout Europe touring the world, from India, the Middle and Far East to South America and Australia.

Catherine Yates (violin)

Catherine is a violinist and viola player who is a keen chamber musician, orchestral player and educationalist. She spent her formative years studying in Manchester, at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.

Tring Chamber Music’s next concert is at 3pm on Sunday 13 September at Hastoe Village Hall. Season’s End – Mendelssohn and Dvorak (Piano Quintet), with pianist Howard Shelley.

For details of Tring Chamber Music concerts in and around Tring, join the mailing list by contacting 01442 822732 or email jehorder@aol.com.