Ruth Hopkins sings The Tempest
I suppose I should have been nervous about what Michael Wolters jokingly called my “first portrait concert” last week, but having attended rehearsals I simply sat back and enjoyed an incredibly skilled performance under the intelligent lead of my good friend and conductor Dan Watson.
I have only heard, in recent years, of one other group attempting to perform in 31-et (James Weeks/Exaudi) – and that was a choral rather than instrumental piece. Thumb acheived something very special – transforming fixed temperament, diatonic instruments into new, microtonal versions through sheer hard work and experimentation. The results were surprising and stimulating, and Ruth Hopkins effortlessly intoned some of the strangest intervals as if she had always sung that way. You were all wonderful – thank you Thumb x
