On 31 August, Robin Ireland put on a wonderful concert in St Andrew’s Church in Sheffield to celebrate his 70th birthday. Involving many friends and colleagues from his days in the Lindsay Quartet, from his work at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and his long career as a chamber musician, the concert included a great mix works and players.

I opened with the first movement of the Mozart Oboe Quartet and was delighted to be joined by Paul Barritt and Robin who were members of my original oboe quartet back in the 1980’s. Jane Salmon joined us as a representative of my current George Caird Oboe Quartet whilst Jo Horder, who played in the original GCOQ, was at the concert.

Robin, who amazingly played in every work, continued with his arrangement of Bach’s G minor Fugue for four violas (with Louise Lansdown, Lucy Nolan and Eleanor Chapman), followed by the slow movement of Haydn’s Op 76, No 2 with Martin Cropper, Christopher Jones and Jane Salmo

The first half ended with Janet Hilton, clarinet and Benjamin Frith, piano, joining Robin for the third movement of the Kegelstatt Trio, a work that these three have played together on countless occasions ove the years.

Robin, never tiring, gave a beautiful account of the first movement of the Arpeggione Sonata with Tim Horton, piano, and followed this with his own Pairings 3 with violinist, Suzanne Stanzeleit, hugely enjoyed by all present.

The slow movement of the Brahms A major Piano Quartet with Suzanne Stanzleit, Andrew Fuller and John Thwaites highlighted the Primrose Ensemble that Robin has worked with extensively, and this was followed by a brilliant finale, the first movement of the Mendelssohn Octet (Paul Barritt, Suzanne Stanzeleit, Martin Cropper, Christopher Jones, Robin Ireland, Lousie Lansdown, Andrew Fuller, Jane Salmon).

There were many distinguished musicians in the ausdience too, so the whole concert had a party flavour which spilled into a party proper in the next door hall, where delicious food and drink fuelled a celebration that also featured eulogies for Robin and some fun poetic inputs from guests.

Robin Ireland

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