In another context, I've already touched on one or two aspects of this glorious set of performances and the superlative Delphian recording of a fascinating collection of James MacMillan's pieces, older and more recent, including his blazing Wagnerian (!) mini-epic, Etwaszuruckhaltend, the joyously liberated Visions Of A November Spring and his gripping Third String Quartet.
But there is also a spellbinding and poignant performance of For Sonny, a beautiful and moving little memorial for a friend's grandson who died shortly after birth. Concert-goers who attended MacMillan's extraordinary BBC SSO concert in January might remember For Sonny, which was played by a full string section. This is the original version for string quartet. There is a simplicity at the core of this piece, exquisitely played by violinist Tristan Gurney and his Edinburgh Quartet colleagues, that somehow, magically, transmits the essence and spirit behind and within the music directly to the heart. It is a tiny masterpiece in which every note rings lucidly and achingly true.
Michael Tumelty
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