Annette spent her childhood in Richmond.  Since then, she has lived in various UK locations, Kuwait and Turkey, before returning. She was kept busy bringing up 4 children, volunteering in various local organisations and working in careers advice.  
 
She loves walking, travel, theatre, attempting photography and gardening, watching rugby and football. Musically, she displays little talent – being told to mime rather than sing, but enjoys live music.  She loves opera – enjoying live events at the Station or Opera North. Her musical tastes range from Mozart, Beethoven to jazz – Bessie Smith and Courtney Pine. She loves listening to Nina Simone and Leonard Cohen – seeing him perform twice live.  

Naomi worked in publishing and taught the cello in York before moving to    Swaledale. She enjoys playing in orchestras and small ensembles, especially continuo. Other favourite things include Bach, ski-touring, hillwalking and wildlife gardening. She hopes her two new ponds will help the local toad population.

The repertoire for piano four hands (aka piano duets) is neither very well known nor often performed in public, so I was intrigued.  Apart from playing piano duets with piano teachers, I did not know the repertoire, and so was delighted to discover such variety and quality last night.  Not only this, but piano four hands is fun to watch!  Schubert kept the four hands in their places on the upper and lower halves of the keyboard, but Mendelssohn had hands crossing and as Alison Gill pointed out, “the choregraphy gets interesting”.   The Hungarian dances by Liszt were fabulously evocative and fun, and then the highlight of the evening came in the second half – Stravinsky’s own arrangement of Petrushka for piano four hands.  I am a newcomer to Richmondshire and Richmondshire Concerts and have to say I was impressed.  I will be back!
Photo: Jane Morris Abson