The Happenstancers; this time consisting of Brad Cherwin – clarinets, Peter Eom – cello, and Joonghun Cho – piano, performed at Arrayspace on Saturday night.  The programme, entitled Die Nacht/Der Mond, was built around two of that relatively rare species; the clarinet trio, with various pieces by contemporary composers rounding out the line up.

So the concert began with excerpts from  Jörg Widmann’s Sphinx’s Sayings and Riddle Canons and Lori Freedman’s Nab Mab; some clarinet, some piano, lots of vocalising and whispering and the piano getting beaten up! .  Then there was the Fauré Trio in D, op.120.  This was actually written for clarinet but the published version was a standard piano trio with violin.  Pretty classic Romantic chamber music played with great skill.  Rounding out the first half of the programme was a set of pieces for bass clarinet  and piano.  There were three rather lyrical pieces by György Kurtág, who is celebrating his hundredth birthday, plus Kaija Saariaho’s quite haunting Oi Kuu (To the Moon).

The second half began with the other trio; Brahms’ Trio in A, op. 114.  It’s a classically structured trio with two andante movements bookending a lyrical slow movement and a fairly jaunty, folk influenced, minuet.  Very nicely done.  Then came Peter Eom with Péter Eôtvös’ Two Poems to Polly for speaking cellist.  At this point Brad was lying on the floor by the piano with a blanket over his head.  This was followed by Thomas Aďés’ Darknesse Visibile for piano.  It’s got a lot of high, fast notes and here Peter joined Brad under the blanket.

So, an interesting mixture of Romantic and contemporary music for an unusual instrumental line up in an intimate space.  It’s a pretty good way to spend an evening.