It Takes Five To Really Tango

With the young Smale lad packing enough accolades, awards and orchestra leader badges to make Rattle rumble, we knew that this afternoon’s Degani Ensemble concert at The Whale was going to be good.

We just didn’t realise that it was going to be quite this good.

We should have guessed, of course. It’s not like these kids were just going to wing their way through a few popular hits in a Mantovani stylee. We’re talking 30 years or more of refining the fine art of the chamber ensemble – and the Degani dynamos proved here that practice does indeed make perfect.

The first of three Sunday afternoon concerts at The Whale over the coming month, on today’s menu was Tango, Jazz & Swing. And that meant lashings of Cole Porter and Gershwin as well as a healthy slice of the Argentine composter Astor Piazzolla in the second half.

It would be difficult to single out any one particular player for praise here – mainly because we’re not actually sure of everyone’s name – but, suffice to say, this level of musicianship feels almost transcendental. 

We’re pretty sure we saw at least two kids levitate.

You can catch the Degani Ensemble on Sunday, October 22nd, when they perform with internationally-acclaimed soprano Cara O’Sullivan, and again on Sunday, November 12th, when their piano trio line-up take on Chopin and Brahms. In a fight to the death.

In the meantime, we caught a little of today’s tango magic. Sit back and relapse, baby…

You can check out our recent interview with Alan Smale right about here.