Last night we celebrated A Prelude to Menuhin’s Centenary with a glorious concert at Temple Church followed by dinner in the Parliament Chambers of the Inner Temple.

Compered by news presenter and journalist Naga Munchetty, the concert featured 1989’s 1st Prize winner Joji Hattori, Menuhin Competition Austin 2014 Junior prizewinner Ludvig Gudim and Roger Sayer performing with the Orpheus Sinfonia. The concert began with a lively Mozart Divertimento followed by a stunning performance of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, throughout which the energy between Hattori and Gudim’s positively fizzed and their evident enjoyment of playing together penetrated throughout the packed church. Hattori performed the Bach Double with Lord Menuhin himself, and one day Gudim hopes to perform it with a young winner of the next generation. The performance of Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Timpani and Strings featuring Roger Sayer as soloist on Temple Church’s recently restored organ was spectacular and Gudim conducted Winter from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with panache well beyond his years. It was indeed a truly unique evening of world-class performance, and a fitting prelude to Menuhin’s centenary in 2016!

Photo credit: Alice the Camera