Woolrich at 50 - (2) Schubert Ensemble, Purcell Room, 12 February 2004

Following a less than satisfactory birthday concert by the OSJ, a second one attracted a good sized audience to the Purcell Room. This programme of John Woolrich's own, quirky choice was once again mostly one of fragments. Most collectable were an unknown little minuet by Mozart and three tiny pieces from Janacek's last year, the last I am waiting for you! penned on the same page as his Will. Youth was represented by a Schubert string trio movement by Schubert and by the 16 yr old Mahler's overlong Piano Quartet movement which stretches its material inordinately.

The first half had the feeling of a friends' gathering, trying out things together - "have you heard this?" - and would have been better if everyone had stayed on the platform throughout for continuity and companionship, instead of the procession of bowing and retiring backstage.

The second half was better organised, with a request for applause to be withheld until designated breaks. Woolrich himself was represented by Sestina (1997) with shadowy allusions to Debussy, Schubert, Beethoven and Monteverdi and A Presence of Departed Acts (2002) for clarinet (Duncan Prescott) violin, cello and piano. To finish, perhaps signifying anxieties about ageing which come to some of us at 50, Woolrich's dark Bach arrangements of Five Chorales and his A Shadowed Lesson (2000), bringing onto the stage the Schubert Ensemble's double bass, Peter Buckoke. A seeming depressive bent is carried over into The Schubert Ensemble's CD of music by Woolrich Towards the Black Sky, which includes all these works (Black Box BBM1092).

Let's hope John Woolrich will cheer up with the 50 hurdle behind him!