"Fiddlesticks is a collaboration between two of Britain’s most
liveliest musical forces. One is the indefatigably adventurous violinist
Madeleine Mitchell...the sticks belong to the Ensemble Bash, the supremely
talented 4-man percussion group...an evening of gloriously ear-tickling
sounds..."
The Times
" ... my favourite contemporary music CD of 2007 ... These are enthusiastic performances with immaculate sonics: brilliant stuff"
BBC Music Magazine
"Ideal players to help you uncover the complexities of Harrison's Concerto ... the high level of Harrison's unfaltering invention would be superhuman if it weren't so understated ... Madeleine Mitchell lets Harrison's material speak for itself, taking a noticeably objective view, and it's a winning strategy"
Gramophone
"If you fancy giving your ears a good work-out then this should do the trick very nicely ... so captivating and headily virtuosic are these performances by Madeleine Mitchell and Ensemble Bash that one is left positively thirsting for more"
Classic FM Magazine
"Mitchell plays this often lyrical work with great style, in the Largo Cantabile second movement weaving deliciously sinuous and extended musical lines over the most delicate and colourful accompaniment ... Mitchell is terrific throughout - she plays with a well focused tone that is both beautiful and lively"
The Strad
On first hearing Lou Harrison’s violin concerto, Madeleine Mitchell
was entranced by the colourful array of percussion and its juxaposition
with the violin’s innate lyricism. Indeed, this description could fit
almost all the works featured on this lively, multi-rhythmic disc. Both
string and percussion blend in a unique mix of styles from early
Andalucian music to a Stravinsky inspired piece, Fragments from a Gradual
Process. Complex rhythms from the Ensemble Bash who use rhythms of West
African drumming as the core of their playing, combined with Madeleine’s
interweaving lines often catch the listener in a moment of surprise.
