On Thursday 19th January at the Southbank Centre many people gathered to hear three Philharmonic Chamber Players perform a selection of Classical pieces ranging from Debussy, Bax and David Heath. This evening performance, curated by flautist Samuel Coles, was the perfect way to wind down after a busy Thursday. The audience was lucky enough to hear three instruments, the harp, flute, and viola.

The first piece that the musicians performed was composed by Debussy: Sonata for flute, viola and harp. Debussy was a late-romantic French composer who died in 1918 and is most well associated with impressionism. The piece that we were so privileged to hear was his sonata written for flute, viola, and harp. It was part of the collection of ‘Six Sonatas for Various Instruments’. He only managed to complete three of the sonatas before his death: the Cello Sonata, the Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp, and the Violin Sonata. This sonata that was played is very ambiguous, where the senses of melancholy and joy meet to create a spectacular sound.

The second piece that we were played was the Elegiac Trio by Arnold Bax, a composer born in London and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. This piece was composed in the Spring of 1916 and was a memorial for the friends he had unfortunately lost in the Uprising in Dublin. Surprisingly, this piece does not have a solemn tone, but dreamier.  The whole piece feels smooth and flows extraordinarily well.

To end on a more modern note, we heard a piece composed by David Heath: Falcon Spirit for flute, viola and harp. This was actually the world premiere of the piece, so we were very lucky to hear it! David Heath is a composer from Manchester. His music covers a diverse range of genres, from Celtic folk to funk. His piece complemented the others well and ended the evening on an exciting note.

Overall, the evening was perfect for all ages. The music lasted around 50 minutes altogether and was at the ideal time of 6pm. It was completely free and all one needed to do was reserve a ticket in advance.