Dr Les Clyne, who many of us know, can be very proud of his daughter, Anna Clyne, who is becoming a well know composer on the world stage. Currently she lives in the USA, but spent some of her formative years in Abingdon.

This evening there was the UK premier of her Violin Concerto ‘The Seamstress’ at the Barbican in London. It was on Radio 3 in a concert with the BBC Symphony Orchestra containing pieces by Butterworth, Clyne, and Elgar. You can listen again here. The introduction to ‘The Seamstress’ starts at about 14:38 minutes.

On Saturday evening there was a unique opportunity to see the Russian Balalaika Quartet, Karavai, in Abingdon. Thy came thanks to George Haslam, who has so many musical contacts. They performed at the Royal British Legion, just after the 10pm Meat draw, having sped over from a concert in Dorchester.

Their leader asked through their interpreter “What is this instrument?”

The audience hazarded a guess … “Balalaika?”

The Balalaika has just three strings, two of them the same.

The music produced by such a simple instruments was amazing. The quartet began with Russian folk songs, then played Russian arrangements of songs from round the world, including an Irish Ballad, and Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles.

We sat at the front table and, when they ended their half hour performance, were moved to stand up, like X Factor judges, acknowledging a simply incredible, and very moving, performance.

Pictured above are the interpreter, the Balalaika Quartet, and George Haslam (who played baritone sax before they arrived) and Steve Kershaw (who played double bass with George).

Karavai are here from the Russian City Perm, in the Urals – twinned with Oxford. They would  love to play at the Liverpool Festival.

Ian Giles busking “Hail hail the first of May-o” in Abingdon Bury Street.

Ian is a renowned folk musician and often to be seen busking in Abingdon.