Page 687 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK

Paxton House hosted the nine-day festival programme of seventeen chamber
concerts, themed talks, and a masterclass. I attended ‘Music at Paxton’ four days
in, reporting from four evening concerts held in the Picture Gallery. This is a
spectacular room, with a splendid acoustic for chamber concerts, the walls of
the Regency picture gallery are adorned with a range of paintings including
those on loan from the National Galleries of Scotland collection.

Picture Gallery at Paxton House

Especially gratifying is how the festival strives to combine artists of an
international reputation with young performers emerging in the music

profession. Well-designed too the programmes ensure there is a mix of music
from various eras from J.S. Bach to Mark-Anthony Turnage (b.1960) and from
Louis Couperin to Sarah Cattley (b.1996). This year new music is included too,
with a pair of song cycles receiving their Scottish premieres. First the Songs of
Sleep settings by widely performed composer Turnage. The second, a co-
commission by the Music at Paxton and Thaxted Festivals, is Cattley’s settings
of female poets Fredegond Shove, Charlotte Mew and Frances Cornford.

26.7.2022 – Song Recital: Dame Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano) and Joseph
Middleton (piano)

My first concert of the festival was given by renowned mezzo-soprano Dame
Sarah Connolly partnered by pianist Joseph Middleton. This was a recital I was
eagerly anticipating since being bowled over in 2010 by her portrayal in the title
role of the Opera North production of Maria Stuarda. Choosing songs by six
composers Barber, Turnage, Chausson, Schoenberg, Berg and Weill a vein of