MUSIC lovers in Melrose hope to open the floodgates this season with an opening concert on the theme of water.

Celebrated Latvian pianist Arta Arnicane will lift the curtain on the Melrose Music Society 2018/19 programme with Acqua featuring water-themed music by Ravel, Liszt, Debussy, Greig, Chopin and others.

Born into a Latvian family with a strong musical background, Arta, now living in Switzerland, studied piano in Latvia, Zurich and Glasgow.

She has won many international competitions.

And having an extensive solo repertoire she is especially devoted to creating thematic and narrative programmes.

In ‘Acqua’, Arta uses music to portray water in ‘its myriad of moods’.

The programme begins with Près de la Mer by J?zeps V?tols, which evokes a sunny morning on the sea coast. Ravel’s captivating ‘Jeux d-Eau’ is accompanied by several other water-themed works.

The piece that follows, Barcarole by J?nis ?ep?tis, is a miniature jewel of Latvian piano music, ‘barca’ derived from Italian for boat.

Arta returns to Ravel with Une Barque sur l’Océan after which comes Au Bord d’une Source by Liszt.

Romualds Jermaks, Latvian composer of the piece Waterfall of P?rse, once said that the piano is the instrument best suited to creating the illusion of water sounds.

Debussy’s Reflets dans l’Eau and Poissons d’Or, continue the water theme, followed by Luciano Berio’s Wasserklavier and Brooklet, one of the Grieg’s Lyric Pieces.

The most mystical piece in the programme is a Prélude by Debussy, La cathédrale engloutie, and the concert concludes with Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude.

Arta brings Acqua to Melrose Parish Church Hall on Friday, September 14 at 8pm.

Tickets at the door: £14 and free for accompanied school-age children.