United Kingdom Young Artist Recital/International Women’s Day: Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble (Aisling Agnew [flute], William Curran [clarinet], Ciaran McCabe [violin], David McCann [cello], Daniel Browell [piano]), Charlie Shortt (percussion) /Paul McCusker (conductor). Harty Room, Queen’s University, Belfast 8.3.2026. (RB)
Paul Smadbeck – Rhythm Song
Keiko Abe – Frogs
Lynn Glassock – Motion
Joe Locke – Now I lay me down
Elaine Agnew – Calligraphy
Jane O’Leary – Silence, and the sound of the waves
Bianca Gannon – And then there was one
Amelia Clarkson – Three Girls in an August Garden
Deirdre Gibbon – Ghost Memories
Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble are a cutting-edge contemporary music group resident at Queen’s University in Belfast. They have a long-standing association with the Ulster Youth Orchestra, and this concert was presented in collaboration with one of the orchestra’s members, percussionist Charlie Shortt. The second half of the concert was the Ensemble’s annual celebration of International Women’s Day, and it featured three world premieres.
The first half of the concert featured four works for solo percussion performed by Charlie Shortt. He opened with Paul Smadbeck’s Rhythm Song for marimba. It was written in 1982 and played a key role in expanding the modern marimba repertoire. It is a minimalist work which relies on repetitive rhythmic patterns which subtly change over time. Shortt was excellent in maintaining the rhythmic energy which courses through the piece. The melodies emerged seamlessly from the texture and his control of dynamics and layering of the material was exceptional. He followed this up with Keiko Abe’s Frogs for solo marimba. This piece was written in 1958 and evokes the lively and unpredictable movement of frogs. Shortt succeeded in evoking Abe’s vivid and colourful soundworld and the witty and playful aspects of the piece shone through.
Lynn Glassock’s Motion was written in 1986 for a combination of drums and cymbals. Shortt gave a committed, combustible, high-energy performance of this work. The final piece that he played was Joe Locke’s Now I lay me down for vibraphone. Written in 2003, this is a reflective and lyrical work inspired by the atmosphere of a traditional evening prayer. Shortt conjured warm, intimate sonorities from the vibraphone, bringing the first half of the concert to a tranquil end.
The second half of the concert was a celebration of International Women’s Day. It opened with Calligraphy by Elaine Agnew. Written in 2002 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and marimba, this piece was inspired by the Canadian writer J E Weaver. The Hard Rain Ensemble gave a typically committed performance, blending together beautifully. The elegant lines in the first section of the piece were beautifully drawn, and I really liked the rapid energised section towards the end of the piece. The first of the world premieres was Jane O’Leary’s Silence, and the sound of the waves for flute and marimba. This was a slight avant garde piece which was performed well by Aisling Agnee and Charlie Shortt. I did not find it a particularly memorable or interesting piece.
Bianca Gannon’s And Then There Was One was written for piano and Tibetan singing bowls and was also a world premiere. It uses modern techniques such as string manipulation with e-bows, and it conjures up the sound of Indonesian gamelan instruments. Daniel Browell summoned gorgeous tone colours and striking gamelan effects from his Steinway. The piece reminded me of Debussy’s gamelan-inspired piano music. It is a welcome addition to the piano repertoire, and it would work well as part of a recital. The final world premiere was Amelia Clarkson’s Three Girls in an August Garden for solo cello. The piece captures the distinctive character and energy of the three young girls. David McCann gave an accomplished, expressive performance and handled the demanding double stopping well. I enjoyed listening to the piece although again it did not leave a lasting impression.
The final work on the programme was Deirdre’s Gribbin’s Ghost Memories which was written in 2024 for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion. This piece explores the ways in which memories intrude into and shape the present and how real or true these recollections are. There were some interesting sonorities and colours in the piece, and I enjoyed the way in which the players conjured up atmosphere. I found the piece a little diffuse but intriguing nonetheless.
The Hard Rain Ensemble once again did a sterling job introducing these new works to the world. Bravo to Charlie Shortt for giving such accomplished performances in the first half of the concert and for blending so well with the ensemble in the second half.
Robert Beattie
Featured Image: Percussionist Charlie Shortt