St Mary’s in the Baum, Todd Lane Concerts, Rochdale, 2023
Derbyshire-born classical guitarist Richard Haslam was the performer at this week's Toad Lane Concert. He graduated from Hull University before higher study with Craig Ogden at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). He teaches and gives recitals as soloist and in a variety of ensembles.
The charming classical lines of Introduction and Variations on a Theme of Mozart by Fernando Sor rang through the acoustic in St Mary in the Baum where even the intricate and delicate sounds ring true without being forced.
Contemporary composer Gary Ryan’s Birds flew over the Spire similarly floated through the space. His Benga Beat however, with its use of extraneous percussive tapping and strumming and even vocals, produced a fascinating and joyous African mix.
These were ideal warm ups for the main treat of the programme, Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Richard was joined for this by pianist Anna Hoi Ching Chiu to play the orchestral reduction. A graduate of Hong Kong University, Anna took her masters at the RNCM and now is an international accompanist and harpsichordist.
Any worries about the piano overpowering the guitar were soon dispelled as the skilful and judicious accompanist sensitively supported the soloist whilst giving power to the full orchestral sections. A memorable experience for the enraptured audience.
11/10/23
Dr Joe Dawson
Rochdale News | News Headlines | Toad Lane Concerts: Richard Haslam guitar and Anna Chiu piano - Rochdale Online
St Mary’s in the Baum, Todd Lane Concerts, Rochdale, 2021
The audience braved the downpours on Wednesday 20 October to enjoy the rare treat of a live classical guitar concert. In the generous acoustics of St Mary in the Baum any damp discomfort was soon forgotten as the Derbyshire-born guitarist Richard Haslam played a mesmerising programme.
Having graduated from the University of Hull he completed a post-graduate degree in performance at the Royal Northern College of Music with Australian guitarist Craig Ogden in 2017. Basing himself in Manchester he has given recitals as both a soloist and within a variety of ensembles whilst also working for Trafford Music Service as an instrumental tutor.
Richard began with the sophisticated and elegant classical lines of Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart by Fernando Sor. More atmospheric was La Catedral, a descriptive work that conjures up the inner peace of the building compared to the hustle and bustle of the city outside, by Augustin Barrios Mangore.
Following the technical brilliance and bravura passages in Etudes 1, 3 and 8 by Villa-Lobos, we had a sparkling modern piece, Benga Beat by contemporary composer Gary Ryan. Extraneous percussive sounds from striking different parts of the instrument and even using the voice produced a kaleidoscopic work, full of colour. There were even rumbles of thunder outside to add to the palette.
Finally, we entered the graceful world of Renaissance lutenist John Dowland with Mrs White's Nothing, Queen Elizabeth's Galliard and Forlorn Hope Fancy. The sun was streaming through the huge side windows of St Mary’s by this time, echoing the brightened mood of the audience in all too brief a musical interlude.
24/10/21
Dr Joe Dawson
Rochdale News | News Headlines | Toad Lane Concerts: Richard Haslam - Guitar - Rochdale Online
Spring Bank Arts Centre
New Mills, High Peak
Buxton Festival Fringe 2021
The description of Richard Haslam’s event described the concert as a ‘vibrant and colourful programme demonstrating the versatility and extensive range of the guitar'. Which was true, but also typically modest and self-effacing of Richard - no mention of his versatility, extensive range or talent! Coupled with the warm welcome and fine acoustics of Spring Bank Arts Centre, this was an ideal venue to experience a solo classical guitar recital.
The first piece - Fernando Sor’s ‘Introduction and Variations on a theme of Mozart’ - is an interpretation of a piece from The Magic Flute and I would guess uses the guitar’s harmonics to simulate Papageno’s magic bells. Richard’s tonal quality here was strikingly lucid and transparent.
Having started with a piece described on Wikipedia as ‘fiendishly difficult’, Richard’s programme moved on to works by two of the giants of Latin-America guitar composition, Paraguayan Agustin Barrios and Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos. The three movements of Barrios’ La Catedral suggest the experience of religious longing and solemnity inspired by the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral, whereas Villa-Lobos’ Etudes (described elsewhere as ‘quite difficult’, so a step down from ‘fiendishly difficult’) are exercises in technical ability coupled with rather sombre, dark and reflective moods ending with Etude 3 which has a more strident, assertive feel. Once again, these pieces highlighted the breadth of repertoire and technical skill which Richard brings to his performances.
The two contemporary pieces by Gary Ryan could not be more of a contrast - did I mention Richard’s versatility before? I felt that ‘Birds Flew Over the Spire’ cried out for a wistful, romantic lyric to match its warm city soundscape whereas ‘Benga Beat’ was a furious, vibrant, percussive work based on Kenyan popular music which was greeted with great enthusiasm by the audience. Richard described a video of this performance as his ‘lockdown project’. You can find it on YouTube just by searching ‘Richard Haslam Benga Beat’. If you want to get a flavour of this concert and Richard’s talent, I strongly recommend it you.
One of his final pieces is also on YouTube and once again could not be more of a contrast. I suppose the connection between Benga Beat and the works of John Dowland is probably popular dance music - in this case, Elizabethan jigs and galliards. After closing with Dowland's 'Forlorn Hope Fancy' it came as no surprise that Richard was invited back for an encore
This really was a rewarding evening and I imagine all those in the audience will be on the lookout for Richard’s future concerts in High Peak and beyond - as I will.
17/07/21
Graham Jowett
Reviews 2021 (buxtonfringe.org.uk)
Green Man Gallery
Buxton
Buxton Festival Fringe 2017
Winner: Best Solo Instrumental Performance Award
I have to start this review by admitting that I am not a musicologist, not even particularly familiar with contemporary, serious guitar music. But I do count myself an aficionado of guitar music, especially of Spanish and Latin American music - familiar with flamenco and the ‘Segovia era’, as Richard Haslam described it to me, and with Villa Lobos, Sor, Carlos Jobim and Cuban ‘son’. I say all this by way of introduction because Richard’s performance was a revelation to me. It opened my ears - and my mind - to ways of thinking about guitar music which I had never considered until now.
The concert started with ‘Catalan Peasant with Guitar’, by Julian Anderson, a piece inspired by a vibrant blue artwork by Joan Miro. This served as a fine showcase both for Richard’s playing and for Anderson’s eclectic composition, with flamboyant lyrical runs, harmonics high up the fretboard, staccato figures and a strange piece of detuning and retuning which Richard executed faultlessly. As his notes explained, there were elements of eastern European folk music and Indian ragas, and I swear I almost heard a blues bass run in there somewhere.
He introduced the next piece - ‘Lullaby for Illian Rainbow’ by Peter Maxwell Davies - with advice from guitarist Tim Walker, for whom it was composed: “Never play this for children… ever”. The piece was dedicated to the birth of Tim Walker’s son and featured many melodic runs and a final section which actually could have been a lullaby, but the frenetic quality of parts of the music and the percussive effects on the guitar body were definitely not conducive to sleep.
The final section was made up of pieces by the prolific Cuban composer, Leo Brouwer, and opened with La Espiral Eterna. Richard’s notes explain that this was intended to be an electronic work, but the technology was not available in US-embargoed Cuba so Brouwer transcribed it for guitar. The work started with some ferociously quick fingering and included percussive effects high on the fretboard, so it was perfectly reasonable to interpret these as ethereal radio signals from distant stars at the creation of the universe.
The last piece was more recent. ‘Sonata’ was composed in 1990 at the request of Julian Bream and was made up of more accessible movements (at least to me) reflecting Spanish and Cuban elements, a Satie-like Sarabande and a Toccata de Pasquini with repeated arpeggios which seemed to build dramatic tension and then allow it to dissipate again.
This was one of those concerts which you long to have a recording of, because you know it will repay repeated listening many times, revealing layers of subtlety in both performance and composition.
A particular pleasure was Richard’s approachability and willingness to talk about his music. Not only had he written very helpful notes on the pieces for his audience, but as you might expect of someone who has just completed a Master’s degree, he was immensely knowledgeable and full of anecdotes and technical details of the pieces, their composers and performance. If you have the opportunity, do collar him after a performance - it will greatly add to your appreciation of the music. But don’t tell him I said so.
Graham Jowett
https://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/reviews2017mus.html
https://buxtonfringe.org.uk/awards2017.html