On Sunday we held the club’s annual party, at which members played their usual eclectic mix of music in an informal concert. this was followed by drinks and ‘bring and share’ finger food. Some members had brought a guest along and one lady commented that she was encouraged to hear the wide range of music performed, as she had thought that a ‘chamber music club’ sounded rather ‘high-brow’.
The perception of this form of music-making as being somehow elitist is a modern phenomenon. The term simply means small-scale music that can be performed in a domestic setting. Most of the classical music composed for small ensembles was written for a patron to perform, or have performed, in his or her home. It is, I think, the most satisfying way of making music.
Most of the music performed in our concerts is first explored by members getting together in their own homes to try it out. Some of the repertoire shared in this way doesn’t make it into a concert program. The pieces that do are still performed in an intimate, large drawing room type of setting, in the lovely converted barn at Quinnettes.
In the past, there has been a lot of music-making going on in the club purely for the satisfaction of members, with no intention of offering it for a concert programme. Recent years, though, have seen less of this aspect of club activity, so we are now creating an “At Home” list of members who want to revive it. It is an opportunity for members who do participate regularly in concerts to share other repertoire which, for one reason or another, they do not feel is right for a concert. It also allows those who are new to ensemble playing to familiarise themselves with the demands made by groups of varying instrumentation and to discover new repertoire. When it comes to making music, there’s ‘no place like home!’
