The Nadsa concert season was joyfully opened by the Hathor Duo, a young, exuberant combination of flautist Meera Maharaj and harpist Lucy Nolan, writes Jeff Collman.

No strangers to some of the most famous concert halls of the UK, they quickly developed a rapport with us.

Whatever its origins, Bach’s Sonata in G minor BWV1020 proved a delightful concert opener. The mellow sustained tones of the harp, so different from a harpsichord, were complimented by the similarly mellow flute in the spirited and flowing first movement. The adagio was gentler, with Meera’s beautifully developed sustained flute notes; and, in the final lively allegro, repeated flute notes were superbly differentiated. This was a very different performance from any that either Bach could have heard [the orchestral harp not having been developed until the 19th Century]. 

Our duo introduced the next composer ‘Saint-Georges’. He had an amazing life: much stranger than fiction. Unusually, in his Sonata for Flute and Harp in E flat, the flute is often taking a lower melodic line. Its three movements were tuneful, upbeat and fun: a treasure well saved from the 18th century.

Kjerulf’s Synnoves Sang, influenced by Norwegian folk traditions, was hugely different from the preceding pieces. The flute mostly took the vocal line, though the introduction and finale were graced with our duo singing. A very pleasant surprise.

Hamilton Harty’s In Ireland is a work of contrasts and this showed most clearly in staccato and high register sections of flute. However, the greatest contrast of the evening came with Donald Grant’s ‘Chrissie’s’. To be effective, a mood has to be created, and in that Meera and Lucy excelled. Their soft and mellow notes created a wistful, haunting Scottish air. The harp’s pianissimos were stunning: you could hear a pin drop.

Saint-Saens’ Fantaisie Op 124 was composed for violin and harp. The loss of edge from the violin was compensated for by the flute’s more complimentary tone quality producing a wonderful kaleidoscopic experience.

It was almost exactly a year ago that Ravel’s Pavane was played at a Nadsa concert, - and surely an annual hearing is not too often. Originally for piano, our rendition was quite naturally a different experience. The mood created lingered with us.

And then we had a little gem – Lili Boulanger’s Nocturne – light, brief and very engaging.

Alwyn’s Naiades, actually written for flute and harp, provided a varied and glorious virtuosic finale for our concert.

Our encore took us from virtuosity to simplicity. Da Trow’s Jig by Stout and McKay found us in Scotland again, but in a jolly mood for going home.