The Mystery Ensemble ‘Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams’, The Stoller Hall. 13th April 2025

This is a bit different. An afternoon of classical music with a programme titled Hayao Miyazaki's Dreams. We’re in The Stoller Hall with the Mystery Ensemble. Comprising two violins, viola, cello, piano and double bass. It’s a far cry from the Pigx7 gig the other night. Honestly I’m a bit out of my depth trying to review this, but it’s an hour of beautiful music from the film world of Studio Ghibli. So there’s favourites from amongst others Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Howl’s Moving Castle. Some I recognise and you hear little appreciative gasps ripple through the room. Others are new to me or possibly forgotten, but it all sounds wonderful. It’s lovely to watch too. The lad on piano really gets stuck in when it’s called for and the guy with the double bass looks like he’s having a lovely time. The bloke on first violin does introduce himself and the other players, but I’m so swept up, I’ve forgotten by the time I take my phone out of my pocket to give them individual credit. That’s where phones are supposed to be though and the audience are well behaved, aside a few naughty stealth photographers in the gallery that get rightly told off. It’s not at all stuffy or pretentious, but warm, inviting and friendly. Quite a treat in fact to separate the music from the films and enjoy them in isolation. There’s a lot of space in a classical score and it’s fascinating to watch each instrument, the role that it plays and how it all comes together. Especially in a room like this, created for performance and optimised perfectly. It’s events like this that make me appreciate living in a big city and one with such an admiration for music. Not only to have wonderful venues like this, but to drawer such talented people to play them. The Mystery Ensemble, look them up.