On Wednesday 22 May we greatly enjoyed a very varied afternoon-lunchtime recital provided by performers from the Royal College of Music, the Trinity Laban Conservatoire and the Royal Academy of Music.

The recital was given by Matthew West  (organ), Carlota Blázquez Vargas (piano),  Joshua Furtado-Mendes (tenor) and Stefan Weidner (piano).

This creative project is the second of two concerts for students of the Conservatoire, in which they were performing together in the historic setting of Brentwood Cathedral.

Matthew West began the recital with an ethereal organ piece by Duruflé, which gradually built from a calm and gentle introduction to a magnificent finale.

The mood then changed as Carlota Blazquez Vargas played the romantic Ballade No 4 by Chopin, a lovely piece beautifully executed.

The recital continued with Joshua Furtado-Mendes, whose stage presence and powerful yet expressive voice brought us music by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner.

Stefan Weidner then gave us Liszt’s amazing Trancendental Étude (Mazeppa), a real tour-de-force.

A very appreciative audience expressed their great appreciation for the splendid programme, and were then treated to an encore by Joshua and Stefan, with Schubert’s Erlkönig.