Critical acclaim for Southbank Centre concert

On Wednesday 7th January 2015, Paul Patterson was the Frontline Composer at the 7.45pm concert, taking place as part of the Park Lane Group New Year Series 2015. The concert was preceeded by a masterclass in which Paul workshopped his Spiders (for harp) and also Diversions (clarinet and piano).

The programme for the concert included the UK premiere of the piece written for Krzysztof Penderecki’s 80th birthday in 2013: ppp , performed by the talented young duo Michael Foyle (violin) & Maxim Stsura (piano). Penderecki was also a featured composer at the concert and was in attendance

PLG Young Artists the Kaleidoscope Saxophone Quartet also performed the popular Diversions which culminates in a playful take on Rule Britannia.

Reviews:

The Times
Hilary Finch
“I felt smiles crinkling at the corners of my mouth at several points throughout the evening. This was thanks in large part to the presence of Paul Patterson as the day’s “Frontline Composer”. Two pieces offered a platform each for the evening’s two ensembles. First came the Scottish violinist Michael Foyle and the Estonian pianist Maksim Stsura — a duo since 2012 and who, on this showing, revealed themselves to be more interested in risk-taking than in studied perfection, happier with swing than with security. This added greatly to the enjoyment of Patterson’s ppp (Penderecki Party Piece) receiving its UK premiere. It’s an eight-minute romp during which the Happy Birthday song makes tentative and teasing appearances amid winks in the direction of jazz, elegy and even Bartókian dances. And its dedicatee was present too: Krzysztof Penderecki, whose 80th birthday the piece had celebrated just over a year ago…
Patterson’s other featured work was his 1976 Diversions for Saxophone Quartet — the ensemble in question being the feisty Kaleidoscope Saxophone Quartet. Each of the work’s three movements is named after a different “wind”, which in turn reflects different aspects of the saxophone’s character. Gusty was played as though its aggressive virtuosity were deep within these players’ fingers and lungs; the opening alto solo of Blowing Blue sidled into languid jazz idiom, and Sea Breeze was an entirely irresistible and crafty send-up of Rule, Britannia!”

Read the full review here

The Daily Telegraph
John Allison

“The evening’s other featured composer, Paul Patterson, was better represented in his early Diversions for saxophone quartet. Its three breezy movements allowed the Kaleidoscope players to show off all their colours, not least in the pensively jazzy Blowing Blue. Patterson’s playful use of Rule, Britannia! in its finale was a reminder of his penchant for clever quotations, already heard in ppp (Penderecki Party Piece) for violin and piano: here he weaved strains of Happy Birthday to You into a work written in celebration of the Polish composer’s 80th birthday, while seemingly also paying tribute to the virtuosity of an earlier Polish master of violin writing, Henryk Wieniawski.”

Read the full review here

Classical Source
Colin Anderson

“One appreciates Patterson’s rigorous approach to composition, which also embraces much stylistic variety and expressive freedom…

[PPP was] music rough-hewn and teasing, generously lyrical, witty, and leaning at times to an Elgarian salon miniature. It was played with affection and panache….

…his Diversions (1976), ebullient and soulful, with an express-train of a first movement – a pleasurable journey, dazzling in these players’ execution – followed by a heart-touching bluesy second full of nostalgia, very embraceable (you). As for the hornpipe finale, fleet and allusive sums it up, save for the sexy waltz at the mid-point. Rule Britannia … aye, aye!”

Read the full review here

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