The Warwick Piano Trio, June Concert at Butlers Marston Concert Society. Church of St Peter and St Paul, 23 June, 2024

This well constructed programme of Haydn, Hurlstone and Brahms offered many rewards on one of this summer’s most glorious evenings in Butlers Marston. With Lynn Arnold delighted to be hosting two stalwarts of the Coull Quartet, Haydn’s Trio No 43 in C was a delicious opener.   Lynn’s   intense concentration is masked by endless smiles as she leads Roger Coull (violin) and Nicholas Roberts (cello) through Haydn’s composition, published in 1797, during his very successful second visit to England. Roberts’ strong cello bowing is a feature of the andante and Coull delights in leading the humorous presto which ends with a fine crisp climax.

Not too much is known about William Hurlstone, a pupil considered by Charles Villiers Stanford to be his most talented student pianists and composers. Sadly, Hurlstone died at the age of 30 from asthma. Lynn played the four movement work with the score on an iPad with the quite hilarious sight of the page-turner tapping the top of the screen to effect the page change until the tap is not strong enough to cause the change!! All was well in the end with this excellent example of the English school with a pleasing hint of Dvořák in the third movement.

The opening movement of Brahms’ Trio in B Op 8 is decidedly industrious, followed soon by a delightful pizzicato opening to the scherzo – a movement frequently heard on Radio 3. Fascinating melodies feature in the most agreeable third movement – adagio - with the lilting themes continuing to the last movement – allegro - which necessitated the most careful cohesive timing. Page-turning was a headache one again; this time  sheet music sticking together!! Deservedly, the young man, aiming to have a career in music, received a well-deserved round of applause!

Butlers Marston Music Society is a jewel in the very attractive music scene  mid-Warwickshire manages to offer throughout the year.