Many years down the line, the Stratford Community Flute Festival continues to grow and grow.
This time round, this vibrant enterprise has attracted some 85 young flautists from all over the world, as far as New Zealand, Australia, Korea, Mexico and the United States as well as Europe.
And it continues to throw up surprise offerings in its fortnight- long programme, when after a week of exploring the complete flute music of William Alwyn in his centenary year and JS Bach in his 320th, it gave a packed and appreciative audience the joint-jumping "Broadway to Hollywood".
Sunday teatime might not be the most appropriate slot for a jazz-based showcase of stage and screen standards, but the format worked, thanks largely to the enthusiasm and pzazz brought by the star of the show, festival director and worldrenowned flautist Elena Duran.
Her energy, whether clacking her heels in America, leading the audience clapping in Baby Elephant Walk, flowingly dancing as she played Tonight or merely drawing the listeners into her intimate circle of friends as she introduced the numbers was amazing, buoyed along by the admiring whoops and cheers of the fired-up students.
Supporting Duran was the Roberto Aymes Jazz Trio from Mexico, opening proceedings with a rather doggedly delivered, piecemeal pseudooverture from West Side Story. But these expert players, not least the gifted pianist Jaime Reyes, came to life with the entry of Elena Duran - difficult to resist her charismatic and bubbling personality.
And the technique is awesome. Skittering articulation decorates melodic lines, sultry tones and bluesy "bent" notes add soul-baring expressiveness to these well-worn ditties, a polished but spontaneous platform-manner compels the attention: what an object-lesson to these committed young people.
Christopher Morley
