They say in life the best things come wrapped in small packages. The lunchtime concert series at Brighton Festival is a case in point, often producing that one unexpected gem that eclipses the grander offerings on the main menu. Purbayan Chatterjee, Chris Wood and Marta Topferova spring to mind. Ted Barnes’ gloriously loose-limbed pocket orchestra of cello, fiddle, trombone, trumpet, piano, bass, drums and assorted ephemera (including a star turn by a prize coffee grinder), may well be this year’s stealth music hit.
Led by the effortlessly adroit Mr Ted Barnes, these seven highly versatile musicians conjured up a series of dreamy instrumentals – like mini film scores – ranging from the hauntingly beautiful to what Tom Waits might describe as acoustic Cubist funk. Whatever you call it, this was a sublime encounter with an unsung musical talent who deserves to be seen and heard widely. Short, sweet and perfectly proportioned lunchtime fare.
Sound checking this morning, Pav. Perfect
They say in life the best things come wrapped in small packages. The lunchtime concert series at Brighton Festival is a case in point, often producing that one unexpected gem that eclipses the grander offerings on the main menu. Purbayan Chatterjee, Chris Wood and Marta Topferova spring to mind. Ted Barnes’ gloriously loose-limbed pocket orchestra of cello, fiddle, trombone, trumpet, piano, bass, drums and assorted ephemera (including a star turn by a prize coffee grinder), may well be this year’s stealth music hit.
Led by the effortlessly adroit Mr Ted Barnes, these seven highly versatile musicians conjured up a series of dreamy instrumentals – like mini film scores – ranging from the hauntingly beautiful to what Tom Waits might describe as acoustic Cubist funk. Whatever you call it, this was a sublime encounter with an unsung musical talent who deserves to be seen and heard widely. Short, sweet and perfectly proportioned lunchtime fare.