Having never been to a concert by a wind quintet before, I was unsure what to expect of the Haffner Wind Ensemble’s appearance at the Cavendish Hall. Happily, any expectations I might have had were overwhelmingly exceeded and, judging by their rapturous applause, the large audience felt the same way.
The combination of oboe, clarinet, horn, flute and bassoon produced a delightful sound when playing all together, but, with each instrument individually discernable, the special attributes of the quintet were very apparent. As the leader, Nicholas Daniel, pointed out, the format of five very different instruments enables music of very different colours and textures. The interplay between the musicians – obviously enjoyed as much by themselves as by the listeners – was one of the notable features of the evening.
Short solos in amongst a seemingly endless number of combinations, one minute bassoon and horn, then flute and oboe, then clarinet, oboe and horn, then bassoon and flute etc., were all performed with a great joyfulness which was little short of mesmerising.
The programme was varied, including music from four different centuries in varying styles, from the at times stately Quartet by Stamitz (during which the flautist took a well-earned break) to the contemporary Umoja, by American composer Valerie Coleman, which celebrates an African Christmas. For their main piece, the ensemble gave a stunning rendering of Nielsen’s Quintet, which marks its centenary this year.
Nicholas Daniel, the Haffner’s larger-than-life leader, was an engaging presence with his witty and informative introduction to the pieces. He made a point of saying how marvellous it was to be back performing in front of audiences.
The evening ended with an encore from Walton’s Facade, a quirky and joyful finale to a joyful evening. The hall was buzzing for some time afterwards with audience members telling each other how much they had enjoyed the whole performance.