Mainly Two: Marie Schreer & John Garner @ The Lit & Phil - August 4

Marie Schreer (violin); John Garner (violin)

The classical canon, original composition, improvised music performance and occasional forays into the jazz world, Mainly Two comprises the two violins of Marie Schreer and John Garner. This Friday lunchtime engagement, the latest concert in the Lit and Phil's classical concert series, featured three pieces, John Garner's Four Seasons alongside two contemporary compositions - Kirsty Devaney's Roots and Laurence Osborn's Ghosts. 

Electing to perform 'in-the-round', Schreer and Garner informed the audience about each composition, the first, Garner's Four Seasons, opened with Summer, followed by Autumn, Winter and, finally, Spring, the concluding movement developing into a ferocious swing piece, in the blink of an eye our violinists switching from bowed to pizzicato to bowed. Most impressive!

Our virtuosi two captivated the lunchtime audience, Devaney's Roots and Osborn's Ghosts illustrative of twenty first century composition, in particular pieces written especially for two violins. John Garner can be heard across Tyneside in improvised music settings, Marie Schreer is more likely to be heard on the classical music stage, here on Tyneside and beyond. The Lit and Phil's next classical music concert on Friday 1 September presents Austin Gunn (tenor) and Yoshie Kawamura (piano). Russell       

Set list: Four Seasons (comp. John Garner); Roots (comp. Kirsty Devaney); Ghosts (comp. Laurence Osborn)