Julie Barns reviews Trichotomy + Black Square String Quartet
Housed in the gorgeous brick and stone heritage listed Holy Trinity Church in Fortitude Valley, I enter the performance space for Trichotomy + Black Square String Quartet via a pair of Gothic timber arched doors, setting the mood for the evening of music. A brief introduction to the members of Trichotomy – Sean Foran (piano), John Parker (drums) and Samuel Vincent (bass), with the Black Square String Quartet – Camille Barry (violin), Mike Patterson (violin), Charlotte Burbrooke de Vere (viola) and Dan Curro (cello), and the evening is underway.
The opening piece is a beautiful soundscape that transports me to my favourite creek in the Scenic Rim – meandering notes from the piano underscored by the bass are the water flowing over and around obstacles on the creek bed, interspersed with percussion reminding me of the flow of water creating a splash as it hits large rocks. The notes and chords, like the flow of the creek, wending their way to a gently satisfying conclusion. However, it was the second piece of the evening entitled ‘Life Gets in the Way’ that transports me from simply enjoying the music, to being held enraptured. The piece begins with piano and strings creating a sense of urgency and raw power – deep, driving soulful notes on the bass that have me feeling tortured because I cannot get up and physically move in response to the music. The completion of ‘Life Gets in the Way’ is met with enthusiastic applause and anticipation for what is next on the evening’s program.
‘That Which is not Fleeting’ composed in 2005 by Trichotomy and rearranged to include string quartet for the Anywhere Festival, is performed next, followed by ‘Petrichor’ an improv-like piece (although certainly not improvised) for bass, percussion and piano. The instruments all work beautifully together, at times one taking the lead then melting away to allow aural space for another, building in intensity – then backing off, and finally softening away into silence. At times I feel as though my heart would latch onto the percussion, my very breath would rise and fall with the piano, and my mind didn’t know what to focus on. I give in to everything and drown in this delightful, sensuous piece.
In a departure from this style of music, Black Square String Quartet then perform three pieces of Romanian music – much to the audience’s delight. The first is lively dance music; the plucking of strings again have me struggling to remain politely seated, which then segue into the second piece of music that can only be described as an achingly deep, soulful cry, followed by the final piece – incredibly fast, lively, and I suspect technically demanding – you could just about see steam coming off the musicians’ instruments. The elation in the room at the end of this section is expressed through joyous stomping of feet and rapturous applause from the audience.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the music of Trichotomy after hearing them perform with Topology in 2017 to accompany an Expressions Dance Company production of ‘Behind Closed Doors’. Discovering Black Square String Quartet tonight was markedly delightful. I left Holy Trinity Church spiritually fulfilled through the most divine music. I highly encourage you to see Trichotomy + Black Square String Quartet on May 22nd at North Lakes for their next performance with the Anywhere Festival.
