Julian Lloyd Webber at St George's in Bristol
Posted on: 2015-05-12
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Last night at St George's, and accompanied by his cellist wife Jiaxin Lloyd Webber and pianist Pam Chowhan, he took the audience on a remarkable historical and musical journey through his life as one of the world?s greatest musicians.
As one of the most influential cellists in the world Julian Lloyd Webber has had a career spanning over 40 years and encompassing renowned performances of the work of a diverse collection of composing greats including Elgar, Rachmaninov and Michael Nyman. His skill was immense and his talent unrivalled as this doyen of British cellists brought a more mainstream feel to the world of classical music.
Sadly in 2014 he made the difficult decision to retire from performing due to a neck injury. Many would have thought that would be the last they heard from him, but this was not to be the case. Looking for a way to continue sharing his love of music through education he has embarked on his ‘An evening with…’ tour and has been dazzling the crowds as he provides an insight into his extraordinary life and just what it is like to be on the road as a musician.
Last night at St George's, and accompanied by his cellist wife Jiaxin Lloyd Webber and pianist Pam Chowhan, he took the audience on a remarkable historical and musical journey through his life as both one of the world’s greatest musicians and as a member of a modern day musical dynasty.
The evening consisted of a series of charmingly told stories and anecdotes. Tales of the touring, television shows, concerts and recording sessions that for so long made up his life, linked together with video footage of him playing and talking with fellow musicians including Yehudi Menuhin, Cleo Laine and Katherine Jenkins; people who have had an impact on his amazing life.
Complementing the narrative and visuals was a beautiful soundtrack of cello and piano pieces, including a rendition of Faure’s Elegy that was beautifully rich in tone and character, a tender yet intense performance of Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata with Pam Chowhan excelling as she seamlessly delivered the very challenging piano part and a moving version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Music of the Night, as well as works by William Lloyd Webber, Philip Glass, Frank Bridge and JS Bach. All pieces that had personal resonance and aptly captured the important moments in Lloyd Webber’s life.
The premise was simple and the format fluid with Lloyd Webber taking questions from the audience during the second half, proving himself to be humorous and charismatic and seeming to take real pleasure in the obvious interest shown.
By way of these performances and despite such personal adversity, Julian Lloyd Webber is able to continue to share his great passion for music via education; as he said this is his ‘chance to do something that (he) wouldn’t have done otherwise’ and ‘is an opportunity to give something back to music’. To this end a young cellist was invited up on stage for the once in a lifetime opportunity of a mini masterclass with the man himself. She played beautifully and the feedback he gave will surely stay with her for as long as she plays.
Then finally by way of an encore the audience got to hear Lloyd Webber play, and he did so with passion, proficiency and a haunting poignancy, conveying emotion with each note. This was a glorious ending to a unique evening’s entertainment, from a man who is a true talent and clearly still has much to give to the musical world.
Reviewed on 11 May 2015 by Sarah-Jane Howard for The Website About Bristol
4/5
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
