Manor House Music at Cadogan Hall – Yesterday, Manor House Music performed as a 10 piece ensemble in a programme of music by the English composer Philip Henderson at London’s Cadogan Hall.

The 70 or so minutes of music that comprised the concert had largely been written in the last 12 months and all were receiving their first performances. It was a big day including 6 hours of rehearsing with Philip conducted the whole proceedings.

The string quartet played one piece in the concert entitled ‘The Hop Picker’s Daughter’ which was based on the childhood of Philip’s mother and described the capricious state of childhood. The rest of the concert was devoted to music written for the combination of 5 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and a single double bass. Philip Henderson’s music is characterised by a highly descriptive style (such as the wind through the trees in his ‘Magic Wood’ suite and the sound of a train building up speed in ‘Having Said Goodbye To Alice’) as well as the ability to create an atmosphere. We were also joined by the rock and classical guitarist Steve Hackett who demonstrated his versatility by playing a small composition he had written specifically for the evening.