A review of our concert in Cardiff last month takes it’s title from our eclectic programme of Berio, Woolrich, Mozart (arranged by Sally Beamish) and Philip Cashian: “Glass Harmonicas and Devil Automatons in Cardiff“.
It was the premiere of our newly commissioned Dectet “Settala’s Machine” by Philip Cashian, performed alongside five students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The work is inspired by Manfredo Settala’s seventeenth-century devilish automaton.
We also performed one of our favourite Mozart-arrangements – a commission by Sally Beamish for our “Mozart, Mechanical Marvels and More…” programme at the Wigmore Hall last year. Our audience clearly enjoyed it too!
“For me the undoubted musical highlight of the programme was Sally Beamish’s version of Mozart’s Adagio for Glass Harmonica (K.356)…The subtlety and clarity of Beamish’s writing here is a joy, and the interpretation we heard was utterly compelling.”
We’re looking forward to performing our Mozart-inspired programme again in the new year – and plans are afoot for a series of performances of Cashian’s “Settala’s Machine”.
