Wick church transforms itself into music venue for celebratory concert
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A church on Moray Street in Wick transformed itself from a place of worship into a concert venue with seating for over 60 at a special celebratory event last week.
St John's Church previously hosted LGBTI symbols on its railings and, in another recent attempt to move with the times, the Victorian building has been converted from "a rather uncomfortable space into a warm and welcoming place with comfy chairs", according to parishioner Peter Darmady who attended last week's inaugural concert after renovations carried out at the site which included a fully accessible toilet.
Mr Darmady said: "The first half started with the combined ringers of the Poltney Ringers and the Caithness Handbell Ringers playing Brahms’s lyrical St Anthony Chorale.
"This was followed by two pieces by Coe and then, a piece which never fails to move me, the Canon by Pachelbel. The set concluded with Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli. After a break, with complementary ice cream, we settled back to listen to an array of pieces for flute – Alex Jakeman (principal BBC Philharmonic Orchestra) and viola – Carol Ella (London Symphony Orchestra).
"There are not many pieces written for the viola as duet or indeed solo, a pity, but the pair had made some ingenious discoveries, transcriptions and adaptations to give us a full second half programme which opened with a surprising piece (a duet for the actual instruments) by Friedrich Dülon, a gifted blind flautist with many unusual ornamentations from the flute. This gave way to the Largo from Handel's Xerxes, another piece which always moves me.
"Then Honegger’s playful Danse de la Chèvre followed by two airs, the very familiar Annie Laurie, so beautiful without the lyrics and with a surprise additional flute played by Oliver Denley Spencer, and a Swedish piece dedicated to the composer’s father, Låt til Far. The concert drew to a close with four duos: Mozart’s Duo No. 1, two Hungarian pieces and one Ukrainian."
