Curtis and Coyne Afternoon Prom

A review of the first concert in the Welsh Proms Season at St David's Hall, Cardiff.

Welsh musicians Curtis and Coyne provided a highly entertaining opening to the 2010 Welsh Proms Season. As a loyal follower of the Welsh Proms Season for more years than I care to remember (most likely the full twenty five years), I was interested to see that a daytime prom which consisted of more popular contemporary material had been programmed. I must admit, I am not one for music composed post-Brahms and I was quite unsure whether this particular prom would be worthy of note. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to find that for an hour, two performers who did songs written post-1900 were able to engage me in a technically accomplished and entertaining concert. I felt the voices of the two singers were very complimentary to each other, this was particularly apparent in the closing piece, We’ll Gather Lilacs by Cardiff born, Ivor Novello. Laura Coyne was an excellent pianist, as well an equally promising soprano. Curtis has a powerful yet deeply sentimental voice. The couple showcased several duets and solo pieces, ones of particular note included Curtis’ Someone to watch over me and a new composition written by Mal Pope called Two Hundred Miles.

I am as ever looking forward to the rest of the Proms series and I am sure there will be yet more surprises and maybe some disappointments but I firmly believe the Welsh Proms concert series to one of the finest in the UK today.



Related Links
http://www.dlcmusic.com/
http://www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk/