I’d never been in a Masonic hall before, but Bath’s was used for a series of late-night concerts in the Festival. These were informal, in that you could take your drink into the concert hall and the seats were unreserved. The Masonic Hall was the original Theatre Royal, although quite a bit must have changed. There is now a triptych at one end showing King Solomon flanked by two others, and a fine chequered floor can be seen in photos, although at the concert it was covered with boring blue carpet (to protect it from women’s heels?!), as was the lower part of the triptych (perhaps it shows things non-Masons are not supposed to see?) I would guess that, after the Church and some civic organisations, Freemasonry must be one of the main clients for ceremonial embroidery, and this hall contained some of the most beautifully embroidered banners in Bath, thought it’s not clear where they get paraded.
The well-attended concert was a harp recital by Gabriella dall’Olio loosely based on a theme of sleep, and interspersing earlier pieces with contemporary ones (two composers were present). I enjoyed it without being really grabbed by any particular piece. The harp can produce a variety of tone, but aggression doesn’t really fall easily in its range. Some of the modern pieces seemed to be striving too hard to avoid the glissando and accompanied melody clichés; I thought David Knott’s Entice the dewy-feather’d Sleep succeeded best.
My husband went to hear the Gould Piano Trio play Beethoven’s Op. 121a and Brahms’ Op. 87, together with Peter Maxwell Davies’ A Voyage to Fair Isle and the première of James MacMillan’s second piano trio. Both Maxwell Davies and MacMillan were present, though I fear we’re unlikely ever to see a repeat of the 2005 concert where the latter conducted the Bath Festival Chorus. The two 21st century pieces came off well, especially the Maxwell Davies, but he felt that including the Brahms after other substantial pieces was a strain on the concentration of both performers and audience.