Page 52 - Final_CBSO's 100th Birthday Celebration

Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello), Sir Simon Rattle (conductor), & the CBSO

The young cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was an ideal choice as concerto soloist on more than
one count. He is an exciting talent who has earned a deservedly high profile in just a few
years. More than that, though, he has become a favourite soloist for the CBSO and his debut
concerto recording – the Shostakovich First Cello Concerto – was made with them (review).
Apparently, the Saint-Saëns concerto, which he played, was the first concerto he learned. He
gave a fine performance. The first movement was buoyant and engaging, the soloist grasping
eagerly the opportunities to display virtuosity. But while I admired that aspect of his playing,
for me the most memorable moment came in his exquisite delivery of the subdued bridge
passage that leads without a break into the slow movement. Once past that bridge, it was
evident from his demeanour that Kanneh-Mason really appreciated the delicacy with which
the CBSO introduced the movement. As the movement unfolded his lovely singing tone was
a delight. He and Rattle made the music into a courtly dance, which I very much liked. The
finale, which also follows attacca, was full of vitality from soloist and orchestra. As heard in
this relay, Kanneh-Mason was balanced rather more forwardly than would be the case in a
concert hall. That had the effect of masking at times the vivacious accompaniment but it did
mean that we could appreciate to the full the solo cello. Sheku Kanneh-Mason was a terrific
soloist.

The CBSO has championed new music throughout its history – and especially during and
since the Rattle era. It was entirely appropriate, therefore, that the programme included a
short recent work by Hannah Kendall. Introducing The Spark Catchers, Ms Kendall
explained that it was inspired by the similarly-titled poem by Lemm Sissay. I was not familiar
with this poem before hearing the music. The piece divides into three short, continuous
sections. It opens with busy, staccato music which was incisively played by the CBSO. In the
middle of the piece, the pace slows and quiet mysterious writing for the strings and harp
introduces a more pensive episode in which the woodwind eventually join. Fast staccato
music then resumes – I’m unsure at first hearing how much this reprises the opening section.
In these closing moments, powerful brass writing is pitted against the nimble figurations
happening elsewhere in the orchestra. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t really ‘get’ the piece
on first acquaintance. However, it is inventively written for the orchestra and Ms Kendall