It’s difficult to come up with appropriate adjectives for someone like Kit Armstrong. He studied composition and started playing the piano at the age of five, enrolled on undergraduate courses in biology, physics, mathematics and music at the age of nine, graduated in music at age 16 and completed an MSc in mathematics age 20. Words like “prodigy” and “genius” seem insufficient.
Anyway – I first came across Kit Armstrong when I was researching my performance piece for Gresham Society at Hampton Court Palace in September 2023…
…as I was keen to include some Byrd and Bull in the performance, which led me to Kim Armstrong’s magnificent album William Byrd & John Bull from 2021.
I was keen to see him live, so couldn’t resist the opportunity at The Wigmore Hall, despite Janie’s (and my) resistance to braving that area in the run up to Christmas.
By Sunday 22 December things should have simmered down around there…
…I said. I was right. Our journey and the parking was just fine.
To add to the charm of the evening, my tennis friend John Thirlwell was there with his companion. They made pleasant company before the concert and during the interval.
Kit Armstrong had chosen a quirky selection of pieces. He explains his choice in the following promo vid:
Here is the Wigmore Hall stub for this concert, with all the details.
The first half of the concert was early music – Renaissance through Baroque periods:
- Thomas Tallis – Felix namque I
- Giles Farnaby – A Maske
- John Bull – Lord Lumley’s Pavan and Galliard
- John Bull – Telluris ingens conditor
- François Couperin – Le réveil-matin
- François Couperin – Les petits moulins à vent
- François Couperin – Le dodo, ou L’amour au berçeau
- George Frideric Handel – Suite in G minor HWV432
I wasn’t familiar with Giles Farnaby but enjoyed making his musical acquaintance through the piece, A Maske:
It was also wonderful for me to hear him play some of that John Bull material live. Telluris Ingens Conditor especially pleased me.
The second half of the concert was more modern, covering the 18th Century through to one of his own pieces from the 21st Century.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Rondo in A minor K511
- Camille Saint-Saëns – Africa Op. 89 (1891)
- Leopold Godowsky – In the Kraton from Java Suite
- Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji – Transcendental Etude No. 36
- Arvo Pärt – Für Alina
- Kit Armstrong – Etudes de dessin
We were especially taken by the Saint-Saëns (I have long loved that piece), the Leopold Godowsky (new to both of us as composer and piece alike) and the Arvo Pärt (we didn’t know the piece but tend to like Part’s charming minimalism.)
I have had trouble tracking down the encore, but I am pretty sure it was Baude Cordier – Belle, Bonne, Sage, as I cannot imagine that there are too many pieces from around 1400 which the composer set out in the shape of a heart. Cute.
In truth I don’t think the piece worked well as a piano transcript – it is more lovely to my ears as a vocal rondeau.
Still, it was a superb concert. Janie and I were enthralled by it and so glad we made the effort to go to The Wig just before Christmas!