A Buxty, not a Benjy, but a very very goody.

Solomon's Knot had a super day out at Aldeburgh on Saturday. At first glance, a programme of German Baroque music doesn't have much to do with Britten's Suffolk seaside home; one passerby, being informed that our concert was a "Buxty" rather than a "Benjy", cycled on. In fact, as we trawled Reed II bookshop the following day, we were reminded of just how much of this repertoire Britten and Pears performed at the Aldeburgh Festival over the years, some of it extremely obscure. We imagine that they, like us, were drawn by the music's harmonic and melodic clarity, and by the vivid, often pungent nature of German Protestant poetry.

Without a doubt, this concert project has been one of the most successful yet. The ensemble vibe throughout the week was as collective as we'd hoped with rehearsals featuring a great amount of input from all points in the ensemble. Individual music-making was characterised by extreme skill and flexibility, but was always sensitive to the need to create an ensemble piece. There was hard work, and there was good friendship.

As ever, it was great to make contact with our audience. We were delighted to welcome some Solomon groupies from Cambridge and flattered by the presence of some noted Aldeburgh concert-going regulars. Was it the most diverse Solomon audience yet? We've certainly not entertained a thriller author or an anarcho-punk band before...

We've already started having meetings about our next concert on December 10th at St John's Smith Square. Watch this space for more details very soon.