The accordion: an instrument which has long been associated with folk tunes and jolly campfire serenades, was unveiled in a whole new musical dimension at LSO St Luke’s Film and Fantasy accordion concert last night.
 

Led by renowned conductor and composer Ian Watson, the performances given over two hours by both the London Accordion Orchestra and the German National Accordion Orchestra (in that order) were full of colourful dynamics, rhythm and tempo that were a stark juxtaposition to the musicians’ traditionally formal concert black. The musical narrative began with ‘Intercity’ (Adolf Götz), which was the ideal piece to introduce the excitement and energy which would be maintained throughout the evening. As the piece concluded, the audience witnessed the first of many humorous comments to be made by Watson that night, as he noted that the prior piece would be the “only mode of transport we would be getting” that night due to strike action; when he then proceeded to introduce ‘Flight’, a self-composed piece which has been nationally acclaimed on BBC radio programmes, it was clear that this comedic charisma was a quality which has infused into his composition and flamboyant conduction style. 

 

“Tranquil, migration, arrival” - these were how Watson described the three themes of each movement of ‘Flight’ which converged to convey the turbulent yet magnificent migration patterns of birds, which fly over thousands of miles of ocean each year. Such an arbitrary, natural occurrence was resurrected as an emotive journey which the audience was allowed to experience with empathy, as the music animated the ever-changing surroundings of the birds…even the turbulent weather challenges they face felt present in the dynamics, as if Watson were utilising a musical form of pathetic fallacy. Once the piece ended, applause lasted for several minutes, a pattern which would continue as the evening progressed as a testament to the quality of Watson’s composition and the London Accordion Orchestra’s skill. 

 

There were several unique aspects to this concert, such as the castanets used in ‘The Legend of King Arthur’ (of which this was the world premiere) to represent the sounds of the knights as they galloped through Camelot. This, alongside the ethereal humming of the German musicians at the beginning of Watson’s third movement from ‘Black Mountain’, took full advantage of the acoustics at one’s disposal in St Luke’s, a previously Anglican deconsecrated church building which has been remodelled into a performance space that merges industrial, brutalist design typical of this portion of East London (ie. the Barbican) with the Georgian foundations and columns of the building, dating back to 1727. The venue itself was as unfailingly revered and appreciated as the music, with many audience members periodically craning their necks to admire the vaulted ceiling or vast windows behind the stage. 

 

As the concert drew to a close, the second of two John Williams’ masterworks to have been performed that evening, the theme of E.T, was played by the German National Accordion Orchestra, of whom Watson is the guest conductor for 2022. In this new position, he is exploring his love of dramatic, cinematic music (represented through his love of Benjamin Britten who is known for his theatrical, unusual works) with his fellow musicians, and utilises the full skills of each accordionist to bring Williams’ famous piece to life: the most notable of which were the beautiful trills of Silke D’Inka, the orchestra’s principal conductor who alternates between conducting and performing biannually. Just as the final notes of E.T were expelled and the mournful realisation that the concert had ended set in, the German orchestra announced a short encore of ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ from Mary Poppins - a joyful conclusion to their time in London.