THERE was a tangible sense of anticipation in the auditorium of the Courtyard Theatre last Thursday evening. A healthy number of people both young and old were gathering to hear the Barkham Harp Quartet, and I had the distinct impression I was not the only one wondering what four harps were really going to sound like.

How surprised we were by such a kaleidoscope of music encompassing many contrasting genres and periods and wonderfully performed as solos, duos and quartets.

Not only were we treated to the 'standards' of the harp repertoire, but we were introduced to many new compositions, two written by members of the group and one written especially for the ensemble.

The first of these 'home-grown' compositions Sun, Moon and Stars 'A Middle Eastern Sky' by Harriet Adie was very enchanting. Depicting a childhood in the far east, beautiful textures combined with eastern scale and harmonies, it was quiet spellbinding. The second piece, Butterflies by Eleanor Turner, was quite a contrast to the first, far more contemporary in style, rhythmic and accompanied by some percussion. Both were of an extremely high standard and added an extra element to the content of the evening.

There were opulent amounts of French impressionism bounding about. However, Helen Radice took our breath away with her performance of the Impromtu by Faur. This piece contains great challenges for the player and this performance was confident, assured and executed with great style.

Shaun Ward