Giles Henderson Wannan: Chamber Music for Flute Viola & Harp

Harpist Alice Giles, flautist Jonathan Henderson and violist James Wannan join forces to present a programme centred around French music and contemporary living composers. Together, these three artists bring extensive international experience as soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral performers.

The sonority of the flute, drawn from the human breath, the sombre timbre of the viola’s bow across its strings, and the resonant vibrations of the harp combine to create a unique sound world that is both fragile and richly expressive.

French influence lies at the heart of the programme, whether directly through Debussy’s visionary Sonata and his evocative Syrinx, Fauré’s luminous Impromptu, or more distantly through the impressionistic language underlying Bax's deeply expressive Elegiac Trio. Alongside these works are two contemporary voices: the French composer Bruno Mantovani and Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

As the concert unfolds, each musician breaks away as a soloist, giving audiences the opportunity to revel in the individual artistry of the performers. Just as the composer moulds silence between phrases to become as expressive as melody itself, the performers draw out the essence of the music, painting sounds upon a canvas with their instruments – each note tracing the air like incense.

Thanks to the close proximity of audience and performers, every expressive nuance feels personal, each phrase so vivid it seems almost within reach. The music becomes an intimate language, with remarkable ability to activate the imagination, recall our faintest memories and enliven our senses.

To attend a Contra Concert permits you an hour to switch off, recharge and disconnect from deadline mode. We invite you to rebel against your smartphone and dare to get nothing done! Sit back, let your mind wander and share in the rare exchange of music between performers and audience, only achievable in the intimacy of the chamber music salon.