REVIEW – Devizes Arts Festival – Christian Garrick & The Budapest Café Orchestra @ Corn Exchange 16th June 2023

Hot Gypsy Jazz

Andy Fawthrop

Devizes Arts Festival headed into its final weekend with a fine Friday night gig at The Corn Exchange. As Clair Figes of the Arts Festival said in her introduction, this was all about the music. Whilst there might have been some hesitation to give any Russian music any air-time at the present time, perhaps these days would have been different if more people had spent more time listening to music, rather than fighting. Let the music flow, she said. And how right she was.…..

So then the sharply-dressed quartet that is the Budapest Café Orchestra came to the stage, and proceeded to blow everyone away with a really virtuoso performance of world music. This was gypsy and folk-flavoured music from Spain, the Balkans, Russia, wherever, and it was played with verve and panache.

Established in 2009 by British composer and violinist, Christian Garrick, and with 13 albums to their name, the Budapest Café Orchestra is a small but impeccably formed ensemble of just four players. They combined violin, guitar, accordion, double bass, saz and balalaika to dazzling effect, creating a sound that you might expect of a far larger ensemble.

The BCO consisted of Christian Garrick (violin, darabuka), Eddie Hession (button accordion), Kelvin Cantlon (double bass), and Adrian Zolotuhin (saz, guitar, balalaika, domra). Each one of them is a master in their field, and each one of them has played with some of the most famous artists in the world. Their pedigree is impeccable. And boy did it show last night, as they collectively breezed through their highly entertaining two sets.

It was high energy, and it was delivered with style, and a great deal of wit. The versatile switching of instruments, the comedic commentary from Christian, the twirling shades of the on-stage standard lamps – it all added up to a visual and aural delight. And, not surprisingly, the large audience absolutely loved it.

Yet another triumph for this year’s Arts Festival.