The last few weeks has been extraordinary in living alongside the Schubert Ensemble as it completed its final year. Last Saturday’s final concert at the Barn on Doug Paterson’s farm brought together many close friends as the ensemble played Louise Farrenc, Fauré, Dvorak and Judith Weir before receiving  yet another standing ovation from the assembled company. Judith’s Song of Departure said it all – a touching, witty and heartfelt farewell piece for an ensemble that has done 35 years in nearly 50 countries round the world with all those amazing first perfromances and recordings along the way. Having finished the Song of Departure, there was a feeling in the hall that that was the ensembles last breath, but luckily they were persuaded to pay their arrangement of Strauss’ Morgen which indicated that life for all members will go on and they probably will paly again at some stage….who knows?

This last concert came at the end of a year with two US tours, Roumania, Scotland and the North and countless other concerts. They completed their Kings Place series in the autumn and played their final Wigmore Hall in March. A remarkable feature of the year has been the creation of a legacy website with all the recordings and premieres on it: www.schubertensemble.com

And there is also a legacy fund which will allow ensembles to apply for grants to perform Schubert Ensemble commissions. Details can be found on the website.

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