From world music to classical concerts, talks and walks to fringe events – Canterbury Festival has had something for everyone.

Here we publish some reviews:

Symphony Orchestra of Albanian Radio Television, Cathedral

Congratulations to Rosie Turner and all at the festival for this truly magical moment when the Symphony Orchestra of Albanian Radio Television performed Dvorak's Symphony No 8 and, with violin soloist Alda Dizdari playing, Sibelius' Concerto in D minor.

It is in the tradition of the festival that it can take greater risks and achieve greater returns in performance and so it was that night.

Conductor Nicholas Cleobury had travelled to Albania to work with the orchestra and conjured from them a concert equal to many better-known performers.

Several of the very knowledgeable audience acclaimed Alda Dizdari’s performance of the Sibelius as the best they had ever heard. The Concerto, noted for its rhapsodic and technical challenges, was delivered with power and emotion.

In the first movement the haunting lyrical theme contrasted with the brooding yet forceful second theme which blended magnificently in the brilliant solo cadenza.

Alda took us into the heights of melancholia in the dark middle section and eclipsed her performance with a virtuoso delivery of the dark gipsy style dance of the final movement.

But who was the hitherto unknown violinist Alda Dizdari who captivated us with her interpretation of this masterpiece by Sibelius?

Born in Albania, she first heard the piece when five years old with her father, a composer, whose Andante from Symphony in B Minor was also played in the concert.

It inspired her to take up the violin and after studying in Romania and the USA she came to the UK and won the prestigious Leverhulme scholarship at the Guildhall.

After a spell as leader of the Allegri String Quartet she decided to pursue a solo career and this was her first major concert with the piece she had waited 25 years to play.

Judging by the reaction of the audience it will be the first of many.

Peter Harris

The Symphony Orchestra of Albanian Radio Television, Canterbury Cathedral

Nicholas Cleobury presided over a stunning performance to conclude this year's brilliantly successful festival; immersed in its music, his authority encompassed the entire orchestra both emotionally and physically, their response reflecting his exhilarating energy.

The proceedings opened with a warm message from Albania's deputy prime minister from the pulpit,speaking of cultural links and friendship between his country and Britain.

The first piece was the Andante from Limos Dizdari's Symphony in B minor.

A low, continuous chord from the strings, rhythmically accompanied by drums, was the foundation upon which Albanian folk melodies, introduced by the woodwind, were played. There was a dramatic crescendo, but the piece ended with unexpected gentleness.

Alda Dizdari, the soloist in Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D, gave an electrically exciting performance in the composer's typically dark, forbidding work.

The high-pitched, intense melody and dazzling cadenza in the first movement were played to accentuate their force; there were more haunting passages in the second movement and an emotional melody fervently played by Ms Dizdari.

The final movement was urgent, almost frantic, for both soloist and orchestra; its dramatic force was emphasised by their performance and their conclusion was triumphant.

In Dvorak's Eighth Symphony the orchestra conveyed its rich variation of mood: the first movement's diverse melodies and jubilant horns and the final trumpet fanfare, rich cello passages, lyrical interlude and the dramatic force in the concluding bars.

All were performed outstandingly to end the evening's magnificent music.

Elaine Godden

The Rap Canterbury Tales, St Mary's Hall Studio Theatre, Northgate

Canadian hip hop and rap artist Dirk ‘Baba’ Brinkman performed as part of Canterbury Festival.

A very intelligent man, Brinkman has numerous degrees in English and history, especially the late medieval/early Renaissance periods and his intelligence shows in his lyrics.

In the show, Brinkman performed several pieces on his views of Britain as a foreigner, as well as some of his early work, in several different styles; spoken poetry, rapping to music as well as his own creation; lit-hop.

However, the main focus of the performance was his updated version of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in this case, the stories of the Wife of Bath, the Pardoner and the Miller.

The stories were very cleverly adapted and were performed as the character telling the story, with Brinkman convincingly getting into the mind-set of the character.

He was once described as The Geoffrey Chaucer of hip-hop.

I did not know quite what to expect when I went to watch the performance.

I was apprehensive that it could be a cringy, wannabe rapper, desperate to be the new Kanye West or Eminen, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this artist had decided to ‘think outside the box’ and provide us with a fresh look at the hip-hop genre.

However, I feel that he was let down by the choice in location which resulted in a smaller audience than the performance deserved.

Harriet Roe

Ed Byrne, Gulbenkian Theatre

Such is the popularity of Irish comedian Ed Byrne that the tickets for this show sold out almost instantaneously.

This led to his agreeing to do two shows in one night. If only all performers were so accommodating.

Rising New Zealand comic Ben Hurley provided the support and offered the men in the audience a cunning way to ensure they got their partners to agree to getting Sky+.

The theme of Byrne’s show was loosely based on class but a somewhat obsessive side of his personality was revealed as he talked about that familiar feeling of failing to find the ideal response to an insult or an awkward situation and only thinking of a clever riposte a week later, after obsessing about it endlessly.

He also touched on the subject of his recent marriage and the preparation it involved.

The speed of his delivery meant that it paid to stay alert but the effort was well rewarded.

There were no heckles and any questions he asked of the audience were empathetic rather than to make someone a source of ridicule, which ensured that there was a lot of love in the room.

There must be a humorous way to end this review. I’m sure it’ll come to me in a week or so.

Julia Collins

Artur Pizarro, Shirley Hall

What a thrilling experience it was to hear one of the world’s great pianists of our time give a solo recital to a near-packed Shirley Hall.

From the opening virtuosic flourishes of Bach’s chromatic Fantasia and Fugue it was obvious what a treat we were in for and Pizarro’s recital certainly didn’t disappoint.

The first half of the programme was brought to a close by enchanting performances of Mozart’s Six Variations on Paisiello’s aria Salve tu, Domine and Vou0159išek’s B minor Sonata.

After some retuning of the fine Blüthner grand for the second half, he gave a most evocative performance of Schumann’s Waldscenen (forest scenes), followed by the final work of the programme, Chopin’s B minor sonata, widely regarded as the first great sonata of the Romantic era.

Surprisingly, Chopin never performed this work in public but even he would surely have been impressed by Artur Pizarro’s sensitive but powerful performance.

Naturally, after such a memorable recital, the hugely appreciative audience were most reluctant to allow Artur to leave and we were treated to two Chopin encores, one of the Op 11 Etudes and the famous Minute Waltz.

David Hoople

Michael McIntyre, Marlowe Theatre

There was a loud cheer from the audience as, with the words 'Oh yeah, baby!’ Michael McIntyre bounced on to the Marlowe stage, complete with his trademark floppy hair and crinkly-eyed smile.

His entrance set the tone for the rest of the evening, a genuinely funny insight into his take on life’s mysteries.

Everything from the recession and Howard from the Halifax to Christmas and vegetable sandwiches came under the McIntyre microscope.

He lambasted tractors - why don’t they stay in the fields where they belong? - and delved deep into his beloved man drawer, where macho gear like spare bulbs, old batteries, allen keys and retractable tape measures are kept.

Members of the audience regularly came in for some ribbing, but never in a nasty way, even the man who claimed he was a talent scout who thought he had come to see Jack Dee.

Just before the interval McIntyre spotted a man wearing a chain in the audience, wrongly assuming he was the Mayor.

In fact the man in question was Stephen Parry, who was accompanying his wife Carolyn, Canterbury’s lady Lord Mayor, who was quick to point out the comic’s mistake.

But a bit of quick-thinking improvisation turned McIntyre’s gaff into a running joke throughout the second half of this excellent evening.

Mind you, if a stand up comedian can’t think on his feet who can?

Amanda Wills

On Common Ground, Hugh Upton and Chris Wood, International Study Centre

It was not until just before the interval that John Clare, “poet, musician and madman” was specifically referred to, but the scene was vividly set by the two entertainers.

Chris Wood, well-loved singer/composer with a common touch, introduced himself (“Wotcher”) and sang his setting of a poem expressing the feelings of country dwellers whose houses are being sold off, in the 20th century, as second homes for prosperous Londoners.

Leaping backwards into history, Hugh Lupton, storyteller, gave a spellbinding account, punctuated by mirth, of one of the Robin Hood tales.

Wood sang Who’ll be the Lady, who’ll be the Lord by Sidney Carter and thus, together with references to old fellow opponents of inequality - John Ball and Wat Tyler - the revolutionary tone of the evening was set.

After the interval Lupton and Wood more directly introduced John Clare and his experience of England’s enclosure in the 19th century, their performance intensified by Wood’s haunting violin and plaintive sounds teased from the rims of two metal bowls.

They dealt with Clare’s insanity, the two women he loved and Helpston, where he lived and whose rural scenes inspired him.

He was frustrated by poverty and the stressful struggle to acquire an education and by the degradation of his beloved countryside brought about by “progress,” but ultimately his simple and rich pastoral poetry made him the “toast of London,” despite his recurring bouts of madness.

Clare died in an asylum in 1864 and the sweet sadness of this was expressed in the evening’s final song Mad John.

The performance was an evocative glimpse of Clare’s life and his experiences, compared to historical scenes of deprivation, delivered with profound empathy tempered by humour.

Elaine Godden

Marjorie Lyle, International Study Centre

Marjorie Lyle, one of Canterbury’s favourite historians, gave her talk to a packed auditorium.

Over the past 52 years in Canterbury she has made it her life’s work to educate people about the history of her local area.

Now in her 82nd year Marjorie has lost none of the energy and flair in the delivery of her subject and continues to inspire, amuse and influence young and old alike.

She spoke for an hour about the influences that the different asylum seekers have brought to Canterbury; Jews, Walloon weavers and strangers such as the Flemish people who came to Canterbury via neighbouring Sandwich in 1574.

She talked about the strangers who had not felt at home here and who set off to find their fortunes in America in places such as New England and Virginia.

Questions were posed about contemporary attitudes to asylum seekers and in that sense the evening dipped into a history that is very much alive.

Matt Hoople

David Starkey, International Study Centre

Historian David Starkey gave his usual humorous and fascinating insight into the early years of King Henry Vlll, who came to the throne at the age of 17 years and 10 months.

Having just written a new book on the young king, Dr Starkey is well placed to comment on someone whom he said died as a terrible tyrant yet, as far as we can tell, was loved and respected by his people.

“There really were two Henry Vllls and they could not be more contrasting,” he said. “Thomas Moore hailed him when he came to the throne but this young god died a hideous tyrant. What happened and why?”

Dr Starkey said the famous Holbein portrait of Henry was both the key and obstacle to understanding the king.

It showed Henry in the last 10 years of his reign but Dr Starkey added: “What I am trying to do in this book is force us to recognise that there were two Henrys.”

Henry became heir to the throne at the age of 14 when his older brother Arthur died. Unlike his brother the young Henry was brought up at court and developed a wide range of political connections. On his accession he ended the War of the Roses and integrated the House of York into his family.

“He wants to be a great warrior king and there is nothing in the young Henry which points to divorce, the Reformation and Protestantism,” Dr Starkey said. “This all comes about because he had a bad divorce. He married for love and when the love went the marriage had to be broken.”

Sian Napier

The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, Marlowe Theatre

There were grey pony tails aplenty in the packed theatre for this festival coup which really turned the clock back.

The great Mick Fleetwood is celebrating 40 years of the original Fleetwood Mac by getting back to his blues heritage, and his appearance in Canterbury was the second night of a European tour.

In a tribute to the original four-piece blues band that started it all in 1967, Fleetwood has got together with guitarist and vocalist Rick Vito, bass player Lenny Castellanos and keyboards player Mark Johnstone.

Rick Vito has a great voice, bags of energy and is a brilliant guitarist - and he played with Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1991 - so is the ideal choice to front the group while legendary drummer Fleetwood is the backbone of the outfit.

The set included Albatross, which obviously got a huge reaction from the audience, but we were really there to celebrate the blues, with tracks like Oh Well, Shake Your Moneymaker and Black Magic Woman.

There was a dedication to Peter Green, naturally, and more mysteriously to unnamed people in the audience and particularly a woman known only as “you know who you are”.

These were four great musicians, all clearly dedicated to their craft, and the audience gave them a prolonged standing ovation.

For me, though, the only downside was the usual Marlowe affliction, the sound quality.

It has become a triumph of hope over experience every time I go to see music at the Marlowe and it’s the same old story - great musicians, shame about the sound.

I’m not expecting CD quality, the rawness of live music is all part of its appeal, but I do want to be able to hear all the instruments clearly, not just a muddy mix. This time the bass was so loud my bones were vibrating and the drums sometimes drowned out the guitar and keyboards.

It might have been fine in a massive arena -presumably the band’s sound man, having been with Fleetwood for years, is more used to that - but it wasn’t great here.

But that’s just me - the grey pony tails loved every minute and I guess that’s what counts.

Debbie Neech

Professor Nohair and the Wig-lifters, Festival Club

Professor Nohair (aka Simon Palmer) and his drum and bass wig-lifters whisked festival club-goers through an impressive range of jazz piano styles, from slashing and pumping Jerry-Lee Lewis style riffs to the more organ-centric soulful sounds of Ramsey Lewis.

But was it just me, or was the audience hoping for a little more of the slash and pump boogie woogie?

Excited by the programme notes hint (no, promise!) of Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, it was slightly worrying to see the talented ex-Jiving Instructors Professor settle down at a Yamaha keyboard, just feet away from the club’s magnificent Broadwood grand.

There was an explanation - beautiful as the Broadwood was, the jazz knobs and bells of the Yamaha were needed to make the most of numbers such as Tommy Tucker’s Hi-Heel Sneakers, which he proceeded to rip through with style.

Bass picker Antoine Olivier and drummer Andre St Clare-Dyer (winner of the 2008 SU Best Unsigned Drummer award) slipped seamlessly into each style and gave impressive virtuoso performances in both sets.

But just the one boogie woogie number in the first set and two-and-a bit in the second left me hungry for more.

Was I the only one to head for home and dig out the Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson 78s? Probably. Perhaps I should stay at home more often.

Crispin Whiting

The Cardinall’s Musick, Canterbury Cathedral

The Cathedral’s acoustics provided a sublime setting for this ensemble’s flawless interpretation of music composed between 1485 and 1603 - when England was ruled by the Tudors.

Andrew Carwood, their director, outlined the shifting political and religious scenes of the period, beginning with Henry Vll, representing the devout Catholicism which then prevailed.

One of the longest ever settings of the Magnificat, by Cornysh the Elder, illustrated people’s devotion to their church, whose music was esoteric and must have caused considerable awe among worshippers.

And, despite coloured shirts and the absence of formal ties, the 10 singers conveyed this veneration in their opening of the proceedings.

Henry Vlll changed this state of affairs when he released the church from the constraints of Rome in order to divorce Catherine of Aragon.

The male sextet who sang Henry’s own composition Pastime with Good Companye blithely demonstrated his more secular preoccupations.

But Protestantism, sustained by his son Edward, brought its own constraints, as Tallis’ Verily, verily, I say unto you displayed.

Neither of the two women sang treble parts; these were forbidden by Archbishop Cranmer and each word could be sung only on one note.

Yet Tallis was a uniquely versatile composer, writing magnificent music whatever the current discipline demanded. His Jesu Salvatore Saeculi typified church music after Mary Tudor had restored pomp and ceremony to services.

Andrew Carwood described the pragmatism of Elizabeth l, after succeeding her sister, as the 16th century’s “third way,” for although she reinstated Protestantism, she enjoyed the splendour and the music of Roman services and Byrd’s beautiful Peccari super numeram illustrated the deeply emotional quality she loved.

Other composers - Fayrfax, Taverner, Tye, for example - were also included in the ensemble’s impeccable performance and a Tallis Compline Hymn, the encore, provided a glorious conclusion to the evening.

Elaine Godden

Zephyr, St Peter’s Methodist Church

The four pieces performed by the quintet were introduced by their clarinettist, founder and director Chris Swann, with buoyancy and enthusiasm as well as a comprehensive knowledge of their repertoire.

These were evident also in his playing, every note of which was performed with visible relish.

The recital opened with Beethoven’s Quartet for Piano and Wind Instruments, whose first movement was classically formal but lightened by the more expressive piano. The second was more lyrical and the final Rondo vigorous and light-hearted.

John Ireland, who escaped from Guernsey just before the Germans invaded, wrote the following Fantasy Sonata.

Although, as explained in the programme notes, “this corresponded roughly to classical sonata form,” the contemplative work sounded far from formal and featured virtuoso playing from both Swann and pianist Ian Buckle.

The Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano was composed by Poulenc. Based on work by Haydn and Saint Saens and dedicated to de Falla, Poulenc’s individuality was manifest.

Its stately opening was suddenly transformed into vivacious presto and its sober passages closed mischievously.

The second movement was romantically conventional in form but original in treatment and his wit gave the piece a playful conclusion.

Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments, though classical, had romantic passages and in the second movement its lovely melodies were often shared between solo instruments before blending in harmony; in the third there was a gently impish quality exploiting its conventional form at the end.

Richard Simpson, playing oboe, was performing in place of Ruth Davies; nevertheless he was included with Buckle, Swann, Lindsey Stoker (French horn) and Helen Peller (bassoon) in the wealth of warm camaraderie throughout the recital.

Elaine Godden

Dolce Singers St Stephen’s Church, Canterbury

What more appropriate than to have a concert on the 50th anniversary of Vaughan Williams’ death but also on the exact day of his birth.

It seemed highly appropriate to start with a number of motets by Thomas Tallis whom Vaughan Williams admired.

I particularly enjoyed hearing the small orchestra playing the theme on which Vaughan Williams based his famous fantasia.

Handel’s Chandos anthem was very moving. It had a powerful impact, leading to an exciting climax of spiritual joy. Congratulations to the alto voices and to Richard Podger for his beautifully controlled singing as well as holding the whole piece together.

The choir has a liking for singing Byrd, the so called father of British music, and we were not disappointed when we heard a devotional rendering of Christe qui es et dies.

Then a novelty for most of us. Who was J. Pepusch people asked during the interval? Unfortunately William Ward, who was due to tell us, did not rise to the occasion. However, I chatted to him after the concert and discovered a hidden link to the Handel work.

He was a contemporary of Handel but more importantly was music director to James Brydges, later to become Duke of Chandos.

A simple solo sung ably by Heike Podger, with accompaniment by Robert Scott, opened the Vaughan Williams section, followed by three tenderly sung part songs, the saddest by far being the willow song.

The highlight for me had to be the five mystical songs. A performance of this piece requires a good soloist which is just what we got with the strong, assured and finely nuanced singing from baritone Peter Cox.

The antiphon, the hymn Let all the world in every corner sing, was the dramatic climax. Richard Podger drew every ounce of energy from the choir, soloist and orchestra in this rousing paeon of praise to God.

John Bruckin

Sacconi Quartet Plus One, St Peter’s Methodist Church

For this concert the award-winning Sacconi Quartet was joined by extra viola player Tim Boulton for a programme which featured Vaughan Williams’ Phantasy Quintet and two works by Brahms - String Quintet No 1 in F and String Quintet No 2 in G major.

The beautiful and well balanced playing we have come to expect from this delightful quartet was again much in evidence with these three works, which were rapturously received by the capacity audience.

The first piece, the Vaughan Williams, was charming, typical of the composer and reminiscent of his famous The Lark Ascending.

It contains the beautiful Sarabanda and ends with the lively and changing Burlesca. The Sacconi played the piece beautifully.

The two works by Brahms, particularly the one which closed the evening, were excellent choices as they gave the players the chance to show their real empathy not only with each other but with Tim Boulton. This was chamber music-making of the highest quality, reflected in the prolonged applause from the audience.

Sian Napier

Ennio Marchetto, Marlowe Theatre

The “living cartoon” returned to Canterbury Festival by popular demand, bringing with him his incredible array of characters created with no more than brightly coloured folding paper costumes, music, mime and a huge amount of invention and imagination.

It’s easy to see why his unique show has become a worldwide success - from his early days as a cult hit at the Edinburgh Fringe he has taken his paper characters to the US, across Europe, New Zealand, Dubai, South Africa - and, for one night only last week, Canterbury.

On paper - no pun intended - his show doesn’t seem to amount to much. One man, a soundtrack, a few bits of paper, no dialogue.

You really do have to see him to appreciate just how entertaining and clever this concept is.

It’s all in the way he can morph from one character to another simply by a bit of origami, unfolding a bit here, adding a bit there. One minute he’s the Queen, the next Freddie Mercury.

Add to this a flair for visual comedy and some clever touches - when he became Madonna, it was complete with adopted baby, and his Indiana Jones aged from action man to pensioner with a walking frame - and it’s a recipe for success.

While he may have been doing the show for years, it is in no danger of becoming stale as he constantly adds new characters - this one included Leona Lewis, Adele and a hilarious Kylie in the famously flesh-revealing white diaphanous number.

Then there was the sumo wrestler, the Titanic, Dolly Parton on a donkey and at one point he even became a whole choir.

And all this is so rapid you have no chance to tire of the joke - if one character doesn’t really work for you, it doesn’t matter as a few seconds later another one comes along.

Forget little paper aeroplanes and ships or funny hats - if you really want to see paper-folding taken to a whole other level, Ennio’s your man.

Debbie Neech

Michael Rosen, International Study Centre

Michael Rosen, author of bestselling books such as Wouldn’t You Like to Know and Centrally Heated Knickers, appeared in Canterbury to give a short talk about some of his work.

The audience was mixed, with some very small children to older adults.

However, despite a varied age range Michael Rosen managed to keep everyone entertained, reading some of his poetry and getting the audience involved with sound effects and repeating some of his stories all together.

Everyone seemed to warm to him, especially the younger people in the audience.

Michael Rosen was very energetic and animated in the way he performed which was very appealing and I think what made him so enjoyable to watch.

He took questions at the end and while most of them were from the younger people in the audience he answered them as well as he could.

The talk gave everyone a look into some of his work while managing to be humorous and entertaining which is a talent not many people can boast of and I am sure he made a good impression on many of the people who came to his entertaining and witty talk.

Katharine Abbott

Ennio Marchetto, Marlowe Theatre

Fun, quirky and playful springs to mind with Ennio Marchetto’s original show made up of musical hits spanning decades with clever paper costumes that folded, rotated and flipped to transform him into different characters.

The arts and crafts performer staged his show at the Marlowe Theatre.

Marchetto mimed and danced along to familiar musical tracks with an outfit to suit.

As the songs abruptly changed, so did his well designed cut-out costume contraptions and with comic effect.

From Kylie to a snail, Edith Piaf to Freddy Mercury, the audience was enthralled by what would emerge next with the swift manipulation of colourful outfits and a unique use of double-sided tape to hold together his attire; for the first quarter at least.

Capturing the imagination of adults and children alike, Marchetto attempted to recreate the wide-eyed awe shown by the audience in the first 15 minutes again and again, but the excitement ran dry after chewing the same flavour.

This original show would be good as an opening for richer entertainment; however the repetitions were met by cheering and eventually by applause lacking in enthusiasm.

It had its moments, but overall the show managed to sustain the evening to feel like more than the scheduled hour.

Kevin Kendaru

A Midsummer Night's Dream by Footsbarn Theatre, Kingsmead

Footsbarn Theatre made its first appearance in the Canterbury Festival this year with its performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The stage was set in a beautiful, illuminated tent in a field near Kingsmead recreation centre.

Performed five times, Footsbarn’s interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream combined old Shakespearian language with modern day humour.

While the set was fairly simple, the lighting, intricate costumes and music were in keeping with the time and theme and pulled the show together to create a stunning effect.

The play told the story of two couples and a group of actors who happen to stumble across a fairy glade and with the help of a spell by Oberon, king of the fairies, confusion occurs and results in hilarious outcomes.

Although the play was in Shakespearian language, the humour and decorative sets meant there was something in this for everyone.

The cast was relatively small, however the actors played their roles with much enthusiasm which kept the action moving.

Overall I think this was a graphic and beautiful interpretation of Shakespeare’s original play with attention to small details which added to the play as a whole and I would hope Footsbarn Theatre will return to Canterbury in the future.

Katharine Abbott

The Symphony Orchestra of Albanian Radio Television, Canterbury Cathedral

In the late evening, under the roof of the towering Cathedral, Canterbury Festival’s final concert took place.

Such a setting could not have seemed more perfect for the Symphony Orchestra of Albanian Radio Television; with its medieval architecture and haunting atmosphere that made the cameras and recording equipment seem of another era.

The concert began with speeches from both the Lord Major of Canterbury and Deputy Prime Minister of Albania, beautifully portraying the cultural significance of an event that brought Albania and Britain together for more than just one evening. Following these, the orchestra took to the stage and, after a brief tuning check, opened with the epic Andante from the Symphony in B minor, by Limos Dizdari, dazzling all.

Solo violinist and Best Classical Musician nominee in Albania, Alda Dizdari, performed with vivacity and precision, making it clear that she was more than worthy of her Leverhulme String Fellowship.

At times, one could easily have believed that two violins were playing until a brief look at the orchestra proved that it was in fact, just the stunning violinist herself.

Another delight in itself was the energy and passion with which conductor Nicholas Cleobury led the ensemble, injecting further life into the performance.

All together, without a misplaced note, some of Albania’s finest musicians gave an emotive and awe-inspiring concert, helped endlessly by the astounding compositions that switched between crashing peaks to soft interludes seamlessly.

Rachel Johnson

Zephyr, St Peter’s Methodist Church, Canterbury

Zephyr’s concert for Music at St Peter’s was an evening of joyous music-making – the perfect antidote for the atmosphere of economic gloom which surrounds us at present.

Chris Swann (clarinet), Ian Buckle (piano), Helen Peller (bassoon), Richard Simpson (oboe) and Lindsey Stoker (French horn), are all highly gifted musicians who played throughout with sensitivity, enjoyment, perfect ensemble and beautiful, warm, well-rounded tone.

The two major works were quintets by Beethoven and Mozart. Mozart said after the first performance of his quintet in1784 that it was “the best thing I have ever written.” It was an unusual piece for its time with the inclusion of a piano part and no doubling of the wind parts, moving it away from the realm of divertimento and nearer to that of chamber music for strings.

The piece is full of beautiful melodies and harmonies and the characters of the instruments are skilfully exploited and combined in ever-changing patterns.

It was written when Mozart was at the height of his powers and had only seven more years to live, whereas Beethoven’s quintet is a comparatively early work when he was enjoying success in Vienna as a pianist.

It is in many ways similar to Mozart’s but with a more dominant piano part and is perhaps not so deeply felt.

Also in the programme were two shorter works. John Ireland’s Fantasy Sonata for clarinet and piano, in which the two instruments are equal partners, enabled Ian Buckle and Chris Swann to use the full potential of their instruments to evoke the moods of calm and happiness and finally of something more disturbing.

Poulenc’s Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano is, apart from the rather melancholy andante section, full of lively wit and fun which was brilliantly portrayed in this performance.

Chris Swann introduced each item with a few informal and informative words which contributed to the audience’s enjoyment.

Joy Webster

The Cardinall’s Musick, Canterbury Cathedral

THE nave of Canterbury Cathedral was the setting for a time-travelling performance from the group Cardinall’s Musick, directed by Andrew Carwood.

The performance got off to a flying start with a unique 15-minute version of The Magnificat and the group then sang through the years of King Henry Vll and his son, the infamous King Henry Vlll.

After the interval, it was the turn of King Edward, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

All of the monarchs were introduced by flawlessly researched historical talks by the director Andrew Carwood, which really bought the music alive and put it into context, which was fantastic as it allowed the audience to understand why and how the music would have been written.

While I was slightly apprehensive about going to watch a production on a topic I had no prior knowledge of, I was pleasantly surprised that this did not affect my enjoyment of the music at all.

Because of the excellent introductory talks by the director, combined with the performers’ pure enthusiasm for their work, a great atmosphere was created and appreciated by the mostly adult audience, for whom it seemed to be intended.

Harriet Roe