Max Richter – London Union Chapel

Max Richter

October 30th 2009

Tonight Max Richter is playing at London’s Union Chapel as part of the Marginalised festival. The festival has been lucky enough to have such artists as Gavin Bryars and Michael Nyman. The Marginalised festival is in its second year supporting the charity Margins, which is based right here in the Union Chapel. Margins helps the homeless and people with both mental health and alcohol problems.

After missing most of the mesmerizing set by The Gamalan Orchestra I settle down with the crowd to enjoy who we are all here to see Fat Cats Records’ Max Richter. This evening is not just about Margins, though; it also coincides with the re-release of Max Richter’s first album Memoryhouse.

Tonights sets starts in a sombre way, with strings that drag you along with every bow; I feel like I’m breathing in something enchanted. His music is enhanced with a rapturous classical romance; like scenes from black and white romance movies, Max’s scores tugs on your heart strings. ‘Flowers for Yuila’ fills the Chapel with crackles and whispers whilst Max stares deeply at his sheet music till we are surrounded by the swirling strings of its cresendo.

Max is not here to disappoint: both him and his ensemble play a shockingly tight set which sounds like listening to the tracks direct from his albums. ‘Arboretum’ is no exception and is executed perfectly showing Max’s less romantic side while tea lights flicker above our heads he unveils his minimalist influences of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. While the set consists mostly of songs from his more popular albums Songs from Before and The Blue Notebooks, Max manages to slip a few of his lesser known tracks in this evening. Then he brings the set to a booming crescendo that the pimp my ride team would be proud of, which makes me jump out of my pew. He leaves us with a overwhelming stunned silence which we are happy to fill with applause.

Max is one of the most likable of the minimalist composers bridging from classical circles to the realm of indie. Sharing a label with Mum and Sigor Ros its hardly a surprising he is the perfect contender to draw in the crowds to raise money for such a deserving cause as Margins.

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