Danielle Perret Recital - Long Melford

A few weeks ago I went to see Rebecca, friend and cellist, in a recital with her ensemble Kaleidescope at Long Melford church. Each year the church puts on a series of Wednesday lunchtime concerts from May to September and Rebecca's came right at the end of the summer term so some of us teachers were able to go. The whole series was on a leaflet and I spotted a harp recital to be given by Danielle Perret in August. I knew Danielle when I worked for Trinity exam board running their London Centre. Danielle lived in London at the time and would often come and examine at the centre so I met her several times. Since then she has moved up to Suffolk and continues as a performer, arranger, composer and examiner. I took fellow harpist Robyn and we met up with my groupies Jess, Margaret and Mark. Rebecca also went and as she knows Danielle very well I was hoping she would introduce us at the end. (More proof that in the music world it's not just what you know but who you know as well!)

Long Melford Church (photo taken by Robyn)

Danielle performed a wide range of pieces starting with some Albeniz (not the famous one), then Glinka, a transcription of a Chopin Mazurka, Danielle's own arrangement of Grieg's Morning from Peer Gynt Suite, a piece by Rossini finishing with Spanish Dance No. 1 by de Falla arranged by Marcel Grandjany. Robyn and I have both played pieces by Grandjany so we shot each other knowing looks when Danielle announced the piece. The original of this is for full orchestra so reducing it to a single instrument meant using all of the harps potential. Singing melodies, big chords, exciting glissandos all featured here. The encore was a lovely little piece also by de Falla. Despite having heard harpists in orchestral and concerto performances neither myself nor Robyn had heard a harp recital before. The dynamic and tonal contrasts that Danielle produced were quite amazing. The fortes (loud playing) were full and strong and the pianos (soft) were barely audible at times. There was a lot of flexibility in tempo, something that Rohan told me after I played Mountain Stream to her. Many chords were spaced out with the top note, usually the melody, left until much later, something I probably wouldn't get away with on the clarinet. This was more noticable in the Peer Gynt as I know it well. It was a great arrangement and well played and Danielle explained she had first played it on board a ship druising around Norway. While pracitising in her cabin she positioned the harp so that she could see out of the cabin window. She felt that the landscape and the music she was playing blended beautifully and it was a special time for her.

Danielle's beautiful harp (photo by Robyn)

As the concert ended Robyn and myself ran to the front like excited school children. Robyn took a few pictures of the harp, by a Swiss maker, and we waited patiently to say hello. When Rebecca was able to introduce us Danielle did recognise me and we chatted briefly about the harp and what we were both doing now. Danielle also told us about a day course taking place in September so we both hope to go on that. She thanked us for coming and the six of us headed for a cream tea in Melford Hall. We then entertained ourselves (and the National Trust volunteers) around the house and came home full of new ambition. I managed some practise this evening, starting with my new Marcel Grandjany pieces which arrived in the post while I was on holiday. I also practised some trios as I am meeting with Robyn and Anne again tomorrow.