Live review: Söndörgö at NCEM

By David Forsdike

The Making Tracks tours are all about introducing British audiences to music from less-well known corners of the globe, and last night at the NCEM in York the audience was treated to a scintillating live performance from a Hungarian quintet, Söndörgö. These five Hungarians have this music in their blood - there are three brothers in the group, along with a cousin and a family friend – and the father of the brothers, Kalman Eredics was a founder member of the group Vujicsics. Joe Boyd’s label Hannibal Records released a Vujicsics album of Serbian music from Southern Hungary in 1988, and it is this same repertoire which Söndörgö re-create with such panache today.

These musicians may be Hungarians, but there is no violin or cimbalom here. Their instruments are tamburas of various sizes, which they have mastered to a high level of virtuosity. The smallest is the size of a ukulele, but in the hands of the group’s leader Aron Eredics, the eldest of the three brothers, it demonstrated a myriad of emotions, sometimes slow and ever so slightly mournful, but more often than not ending in a joyful torrent of cascading notes across its small soundboard - this is after all music for dancing!

The line-up of instruments was ever-changing. Sometimes there were string only pieces, others featured clarinet, flute, saxophone or trumpet solos; the accordion stole the limelight at times, and engaged in frantic duets with the lead tambura, revealing a tightness of ensemble and infectious energy which was simply breathtaking. Was this the intuitive precision and collaborative musicianship that only fellow family members can provide? Their repertoire included Gypsy songs, Macedonian tunes with an Oriental flavour, and some smaller scale duos featuring tunes collected by Bela Bartok; at times they even added some hearty vocals to the mix.

One of the real joys of the evening was the chance to witness a true acoustic performance. This has become such a rarity in this day and age, and it was a real delight to hear Söndörgö’s music fill the NCEM without any amplification. Lighting was used sparingly, and enhanced the occasion without being obtrusive. These musicians were truly enjoying themselves. A highlight of the evening came after the interval with a magical piece for tamburas alone. This featured slow moving chordal harmonies ending in the most delicate of all pianissimos as the lights faded to nothing. Truly memorable!