French and Australian works bring the season to a glittering conclusion.

Jean Anouilh’s satirical comedy, known in English as Ring Round the Moon and worthy of Wodehouse or Waugh, inspired Poulenc’s highly amusing incidental music of dances and parodic character pieces to illustrate the comic intrigues at a lavish ball.

Gabriel Fauré’s delicate music is represented by a celebrated Nocturne and loving transcriptions by Percy Grainger of two songs by his friend and hero, which weave the song melodies into a glorious web of sound.

Australian composer Martin Wesley-Smith’s Merry-go-round, for live instruments with audio-visual backing, grew out of his concern for the fate of war-torn Afghanistan, and hints with subtle power at the violence that can easily sweep away innocent children.
Ravel’s Trio masterpiece, composed as World War I loomed, stresses universality in its reference to Malay poetry and Basque dance as well as the classical forms that offer some resistance to the encroaching horror, and which ultimately triumph.

POULENC L'Invitation au Chateau FP 138 [1947]
FAURÉ trans. Grainger Après un Rêve and Nell [1870-1877]         

FAURÉ Nocturne no. 6 in D flat [1894]
WESLEY-SMITH Merry-go-round [2002]
RAVEL Piano Trio [1914]

David Griffiths, clarinet; Dimity Hall, violin; Julian Smiles, cello; with guest artist, Piers Lane, piano.