This lunchtime concert at Canongate Kirk was packed and it was no wonder. I was to be enchanted by the musical next generation delighting us with an hour of Bach.
It was touching to see such a talented family performing together and sent me with a smile on my face
Tom Wilson and Adam Wilson are eleven-year old twins who, despite being in desperate need of a good haircut, stole our hearts. They first won us over with the Gigue from Partita II in D minor for solo violin played by Tom Wilson who possesses an energetic and virtuosic display of musicianship. He played with good arched phrasing and rhythm despite the pieces technical challenges. He will need to pay a little attention to his intonation but given the speed of the piece, he showed extraordinary talent.
This was swiftly followed by Courante from Suite I in G major for cello played by Adam Wilson whose stunning phrasing, flow and roundness of sound really touched me. I can only imagine the phenomenal pressure young students are under and the twins seemed unphased by the ordeal of performing to over a hundred people. Sadly they only played one piece each - I would have loved them to play more but it was time for their Dad to fill the church with Bach from the 20 stop organ.
This organ, designed especially for Canongate Kirk by Danish firm Th. Frobenius, has a beautiful sound. George Wilson showed impressive dexterity at the complex layering of passages and heavenly upper registers in the Variations on the Chorale Allein Gott in de Höh sei Ehr, culminating in a final majestic finale.
There were further virtuosic fugues and impressive crescendos in the famous Fantasia et Fuga in G, used in many horror films over the years. This recital delighted the audience. It is a treat to listen to the organ properly rather than just as an entrance or exit music at a wedding or Sunday service. It was touching to see such a talented family performing together and sent me with a smile on my face as I immersed myself back into the throng of the Fringe.
