Georgina Duncan at Lunchtime Live!

 Georgina Duncan, Portsmouth Cathedral, Mar 19

English Literature graduates can make fine pianists. There's Andrew McVittie. There's Georgina Duncan. There isn't me but two out of three ain't bad.

Georgina began with her favourite composer, Grieg and To Spring, suitably sunlit. Her repertoire is Romantic and Impressionist with Robert Schumann's Kinderszenen next moving from innocence, through some hasty keyboard work and a bit of a sing-song to some lingeringly phrased Traumerei. 

Of particular interest was John Field, only a generation younger than Mozart, and two Nocturnes in which perhaps the right hand might have been playing a Mozart sonata over a lush left hand by Chopin.

Grieg's Gade was a country walk en plein air and Hjernad (Homeward) an invigorating striding out before running up the steps to the front door. A highlight for me, though, was the 'uncharacteristically showy' Impromptu, op. 90 No. 2, performed like the Minute Waltz with deft fingerwork and exuberance unleashed.

The Impressionist parts were provided by Debussy's prelude Bruyeres which could have been shadows in the clair de lune except I find it means 'heather'. Ravel's Sonatine, M.40, second movement, offered wide panoramas, before more Debussy, Cakewalk from Children's Corner, was a boisterous finale, almost ragtime, maybe verging on Erik Satie's quirkiness.

All of which made for a happy programme confidently presented by a young pianist with verve and enthusiasm and, it is to be hoped, a bright future.