Friday, 27 February 2009

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and Voices for Hospices

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and Voices for Hospices is taking place on 10 October 2009 with events and activities celebrating and supporting hospice and palliative care around the world. For more information visit www.choirs.org.uk/hospice.html

BBC Radio 3 Composers of the Year

British Choirs on the Net (www.choirs.org.uk)

British Choirs on the Net is working closely with the BBC Radio 3 Composers of the Year (Radio 3) and The Birth of British Music (BBC 2).

Composer of the Year is a celebration of the lives of four magnificent composers throughout 2009. The year marks the 350th anniversary of Henry Purcell's birth, the 250th anniversary of G F Handel's death, the 200th anniversary of Joseph Haydn's death and the 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn's birth.

As part of the Nationwide Mendelssohn Celebration, choirs are invited to register their interest in performing Mendelssohn's 'O for the Wings of a Dove' from Friday 8 May to Sunday 10 May. Choirs may schedule their performances in any chosen location during the course of the weekend in question. Registration is by email to composers@bbc.co.uk Putting 'Wings Choir Registration' in the subject line, email us details of your choir, with the name, postal address, and email address of a primary contact, together with the URL of your choir's website, where applicable. Tell us about your choir and why you're keen to take part. We will acknowledge receipt of your registration; within four weeks we will send you a link to a branded, customisable poster tor you to advertise your performance.

BBC Radio 3 will offer a downloadable poster which you can customise to advertise your performance. If your choir has its own website, we invite you to record your performance and post it on your site - the Radio 3 Composers of the Year website will link to it. In addition, choirs will be invited to send recordings to Radio 3, for possible broadcast, in part, during future editions of The Choir. Choirs are also invited to email digital photographs of the performance to Radio 3 for publication on the Composers of the Year website.

About the music:
Mendelssohn's 'O for the Wings of a Dove' is part of a larger motet, Hear My Prayer; choirs with sufficient resources are encouraged to perform the whole work. Mendelssohn's motet, Hör' mein Bitten (Hear My Prayer) was completed on January 25, 1844, and was first performed for Bartholomew's concerts in Crosby Hall, London, a year later. The piece is arranged for soprano solo with four-part mixed chorus and organ accompaniment. The English words, by W Bartholomew, are a paraphrase of Psalm 55, in which the petitioner calls upon his Lord to protect him from his enemies. The second half of the motet, often performed separately, is 'O for the Wings of a Dove.'

Registering your Concert on http://www.concertfinder.co.uk/
To register your concert on the Online Choral Concert Diary send details including time/date; choir name; venue and ticket cost to British Choirs on the net by email to philliptolley@colcanto.co.uk

For more information on BBC Radio 3 Composers of the Year visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/composers/

Village of the Year 2009 launch

CALL TO ACTION FOR VILLAGES IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Villages throughout Gloucestershire with a population of 5,000 and under are being called to action as the Calor Gloucestershire Village of the Year competition 2009 was launched at Fairford today – last year’s competition winners.

Villages entering will be judged across 5 new categories - Children and Young People, Economic Development and Enterprise, Healthier Communities and Older People, Natural Built Environment and Safer and Stronger Communities. The competition is about recognising, rewarding and encouraging vibrant and sustainable village communities which pull together to make the best of local opportunities through both good times and bad. The Gloucestershire judging panel has again amended the entry form to make it easier for communities to complete and participate. This is reflected in the reduction of 8 categories to 5 and the prize pot has increased too, to £500 for the winner of a category and £100 for the runner up. All entries will automatically be put into the Grand Prize Draw with the chance of winning environmentally friendly prizes of a composter, shredder and strimmer, courtesy of B & Q in Gloucester. All winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, this year held at the prestigious Campden House in Chipping Campden on Friday 17th July 2009 at 7pm.

The deadline for entries to the 2009 Calor Gloucestershire Village of the Year competition is Friday 8th May 2009 and entry forms can be requested from Naomi McMahon at GRCC on 01452 528491, email naomim@grcc.org.uk or downloaded from the GRCC website at www.grcc.org.uk

“When you take part in something like this you learn so much about your own village. And at the end of the day, it’s the people who really make a place special.”

Monday, 23 February 2009

Four World Premieres for Carducci Quartet !

The Carducci Quartet are very excited to be performing four world premieres in 2009. First up is a new string quartet by the Chinese American composer Huang Ruo, for their Carnegie Hall debut on 31st March, in association with the Concert Artist Guild.

On June 17th the Carducci Quartet are thrilled to be performing the world premiere of a new commission, David Matthews' String Quartet No.11. They performed his String Quartet No.10 at the Wigmore Hall to critical acclaim and are delighted to be giving the first performance of his new quartet in London at the 'Proms at St. Judes'.

Next up is a new quartet by Adrian Williams, to be performed at the Presteigne Festival in Wales on the 30th August and finally the Carduccis will join forces with the Brodowski Quartet for the premiere of a new string octet by Simon Rowland-Jones at the North Norfolk Music Festival on Sept 12th. This exciting addition to the octet repertoire will receive it's second performance at the Wigmore Hall on Oct 9th.

Other performances of works by contemporary composers include:
March 14th - 5th Naxos Quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies - Birmingham April 21st - 2nd Quartet by Anthony Powers - Cardiff University May 3rd -5th Quartet by J. Horovitz - Kings Place, London and performances of works by Philip Glass and Huw Watkins.


www.carducciquartet.co.uk

New Permanent Galleries at the British Museum

Medieval Europe 1050–1550
The Paul and Jill Ruddock Gallery
Opening in March 2009
The new gallery features the famous Lewis Chessmen alongside Byzantine art, Romanesque and Gothic metalwork and ivory, coinage, jewellery, arms and armour, prints, leatherwork, tiles, and scientific instruments.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/galleries/europe/room_40_europe_ad_1000-1540.aspx

New painting blog by Paul Priestley

Visit Paul Priestley's new blog site http://paulpriestley.wordpress.com

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Musicians Explore New Frontiers

MUSICIANS will learn more about 'lost' music, African music, pop music and the work of women composers at the ISM Annual Conference 2009, Exploring New Frontiers.


The event will take place from 14-17 April at the Cave Castle Hotel, Brough, East Yorkshire.


Professor Nicola LeFanu will discuss the work of female composers; Malian composer Tunde Jegede will introduce a programme of African classical music; Peter Nickol will explain how pop music came to be taken seriously; and Dr Lewis Foreman will unearth forgotten music in a session called Lost and (Only Sometimes) Found.


Royal Northern College of Music Principal Jonty Stockdale, who took over at the RNCM in September, will discuss his new role in the conference's keynote address. Baz Chapman, director of the government-sponsored National Singing Programme, Sing Up, will report on its progress and answer questions.


Participants will visit Beverley Minster and Hull University Music Department, and listen to performances from the Tippett String Quartet and the satirical comedy piano duo Katzenjammer.


Philosopher AC Grayling will speak at the conference's closing dinner.


ISM President 2008-09, the musicologist and broadcaster Roderick Swanston, will chair the conference. He said:


'The conference may make us ask what constitutes a true history of music and re-evaluate our ideas about popular culture. I hope together we can explore new frontiers with passion, insight and pleasure.'


To download a booking form, visit ism.org/annualconference.

Save up to 35% on weekend breaks

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Open Farm Sundays 2009

When & where -


4th March - Balliefurth Farm, Grantown-on-Spey, Highlands
5th March - Aik Bank Farm, Calthwaite, Penrith, Cumbria
11th March - Hardwick Park Farm, Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Nottinghamshire
12th March - Manor Farm, Kelfield, Nr York, Yorkshire
17th March - Overbury Farms, Overbury, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
18th March - Rectory Farm, Great Easton, Market Harborough, Leic'shire
24th March - West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry, Edinburgh
25th March - Blagdon Farm, Seaton Burn, Newcastle, Northumberland
30th March - Kenniford Farm, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, Devon
31st March - Collings Hanger Farm, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Bucks
2nd April - Manydown Company, Wootton St Lawrence, Basingstoke, Hants
6th April - Shotford Hall Farm, Harleston, Norfolk
7th April - College Farm, Grange Road, Duxford, Cambridgeshire
16th April - Reed Court Farm, Marden, Tonbridge, Kent
17th April - Boyton Farms, Warminster, Wiltshire
21st April - Hill Farm, Sound, Nantwich, Cheshire
22nd April - Osbaldeston Hall Farm, Osbaldeston, Blackburn, Lancashire
28th April - Caerlan Farm, Penrhiwfer, Tonypandy, South Wales
29th April - Cannon Farm, Llanerfyl, Welshpool, Powys, Wales


Programme -


1.45pm Arrive
2.00pm Open Farm Sunday farm Walk covering top tips and guidance -
- Feedback and lessons learnt from 2008
- Generating interest and publicity
- Avoiding jargon, handling tricky questions and awkward visitors
- Activities to make your event memorable
- Making it safe, insurance, bio-security, toilets and hand washing
- Charging, first aid, disabled visitors, wet weather plan
4.20pm Tea and cake
4.30pm Finish


If you would like to attend a workshop, register your event, order your free pack or know more about Open Farm Sunday please visit www.farmsunday.org <http://leaf.everysite.co.uk/glue/rpc/click.aspx?2RRVTHNXTS.7OX3AKWS7TPNY,http://www.farmsunday.org> or telephone LEAF on 02476 413911

New Gloucestershire website

Visit aroundgloucester.co.uk - a new website for the county with an online community forum - http://www.aroundgloucester.co.uk/gloucester-forum/register.html

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Elgar Day, 28 February 2009

Elgar died on 23 February 1934, so on 28 Feb 2009 there will be a talk followed by two concerts in Worcester to commemorate his death:

- the day starts at 11am with a talk at the Elgar Birthplace on Elgar's Powick Music, given by Andrew Lyle, formerly producer of Radio 3's CD Review programme, speaking in his role of editor of our recently published volume of the Elgar Complete Edition;
- in the afternoon, there is a concert of the Powick Music at King's School, Worcester, starting at 2.30pm and given by the Elgar Camerata conducted by Barry Collett, dedicatee of the Complete Edition volume. The concert will use scores generated from the Complete Edition volume;
- in the evening starting at 7.45pm, Donald Hunt, former organist at the Cathedral, Vice-President of the Elgar Society and the prime mover of the Elgar Day, conducts the English Symphony Orchestra in performances of Elgar's First Symphony and The Music Makers

The day is being run in support of St Richard's Hospice in Worcester. For more details email enquiries@FarncombeEstate.co.uk





Dragons' Den Online

An exciting new opportunity from the makers of the award-winning BBC series Dragons’ Den. Harnessing the accessibility and reach of the internet, the ‘Online Dragon’ offers entrepreneurs from across the country the chance to make their business dreams come true.

Dragon is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to two new ‘Dragons’ chosen for their business expertise, and also provides a platform for wider debate and discussion around these ideas before they appear in the online ‘Den.’

The investment will be limited to less than £50,000. The BBC are interested in great ideas, which may range from innovative blue-sky thinking to investment-ready products. So if you have an idea for a great new textile product but need some help to get it off the ground then this may be the ideal opportunity for you. Please be aware that all applications must include a video pitch.

Entrepreneurs wanting to apply can do so via email to dragonsden@bbc.co.uk or by visiting the website www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden.

If you have a product selected for the series then don’t forget to tell us about it!

Stitched textiles competition 2009

Forge Mill Needle Museum, in collaboration with the Charles Henry Foyle Trust, is offering a unique opportunity for 20 textile students.

Firstly, to push the boundaries of their knowledge and expertise, they will have a master class with the textile artist Alice Kettle on either 14 March or 2 May. Secondly, the students will go on to have their work exhibited at the Forge Mill Needle Museum in September.

There will also be an award of £2000 made for the most original and innovative stitched textile piece on this year’s theme, which is 'Freedom'. The Trust is also offering an award of £500 for technical innovation and two further awards of £250 for the most outstanding workbooks.

To enter:

The competition is open to all textile students on a higher educational course, ie MA, first degree, City & Guilds, etc.

To enter you need to submit five jpeg images of your current work – this can include one close detailed image – along with an entry form. The images should be sent on disk and each image should be titled and accompanied by a brief description. Please send images to: Jo-Ann Gloger, Forge Mill Needle Museum, Needle Mill Lane, Riverside, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8HY. Please include a SAE if you would like your disk returned.The closing date for submissions is 20 February 2009.

An entry form for the competition can be downloaded at www.forgemill.org.uk

PARISH MUSIC

Parish Music concerts resume on 28th February with a recital by the Oriel Singers in Overbury, followed by

Saturday 4th April 2009 8pm St Barbara’s Church, Ashton under Hill

Jessica Thomas, violin, and Ashok Gupta, piano, are two talented young musicians studying at Clare College, Cambridge. Their programme includes Beethoven’s Spring Sonata, the Brahms violin sonata no 2 in A major and JS Bach’s Gavotte en Rondeau from the Partita no 3 in E major.

Jessica is in her fourth year, studying for a B.Mus. She is also a Choral Scholar. She has participated in the University Instrumental Award Scheme, which exists to promote the performance of chamber music.
Ashok is in his second year at Clare, reading Music. He regularly performs with and conducts the college Chapel Choir, and recently composed a Jazz Mass for them. While a pupil at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, he gained his ABRSM Diploma in 2004 and became Young Musician of Gloucestershire in 2005.

Saturday 16th May 2009 8pm St Nicholas’ Church, Teddington

Trio Ébano makes a welcome return to Parish Music. The group last played for us in November 2004 shortly after their leader, flautist Nicola Shorland, had become Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year. She continues to be a dedicated chamber musician and has acquired an interesting collection of flutes, some of which she will demonstrate at the concert. The programme will also include solos for flute (Debussy’s ‘Syrinx’) and clarinet (‘Tricolour Capers’ by Eric Mandat), duos for flute and clarinet by Rutter, Elgar and Villa-Lobos, and trios by Shostakovich and Mozart.

Nicola is joined in the current ensemble by clarinettist Lucy Tugwell and bassoonist Hannah Wrieden. In 2006 Trio Ébano took their music to Singapore where they performed with the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, and gave recitals and led workshops in various schools. All the members of the trio value teaching as part of their portfolio. Nicola originally learnt by the Suzuki method with Susie Alington and is now herself an accredited Suzuki Flute teacher.

For more details visit www.ashtonunderhill.org.uk/organisations/music

Free workshop on feather fascinators, at ICHF (Stitches) show on 15th - 17th of February 2009, NEC, Birmingham, UK

Visit the following link for more details: http://www.ichf.co.uk/chsi/workshops_popup.php?c=46
MW & More TAS Milliner Warehouse
www.mwandmore.com

Move it Dance 2009 - 20% off tickets

If you're after a great day out for yourself, your children or your partner then a visit to MOVE IT in London is the perfect choice. MOVE IT is a dance extravaganza and brings together every style of dance under one roof for three amazing days in March. Entry tickets start from as little as £6.40 for children and £8.40 for adults when using the 20% discount.

Book now using the 20% discount code MTA6

Ballroom - Salsa - Tap - Tango - Swing - Cheerleading - Flamenco - Jive - Streetdance - Ballet - Charleston - Jazz - Hula Hoop Dance - Bellydance - Bollywood - Contemporary - Commercial - Hip Hop - Musical Theatre - Stage Combat -Samba - Elizabethan Dance - Lindy Hop - Breakdancing and more!
Plus, celebrity appearances, freestyle stage, auditions and so much more...!

www.MoveitDance.co.uk

Thursday, 5 February 2009

The Conservatoire Folk Ensemble with Joe Broughton

3 Special February Concerts 2009





From riotous 50-piece group to intimate duos and trios (with plenty in between), the shape-shifting Conservatoire Folk Ensemble is a whole festival’s entertainment in one show. Funky arrangements, traditional and original tunes, virtuosic playing, humour, dancing, hats... it’s more fun than anyone deserves!

6th February – The Cross, Moseley
A Spectacular Standing room only warm up gig also featuring Jack McNeill and Charlie Heys, and The Old Dance School! (And a very special surprise guest!)
8pm
£6 on the door but don’t get there too late if you want to get in!

7th February – Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, University of Leeds
7.30pm
£12/£8/£3
0113 343 8730


8th February – Guildhall, Lichfield
8pm
£12 (£11)
01543 262 223

http://www.folkensemble.co.uk/
http://www.joebroughton.com/

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Farncombe Estate Referral Winners

Congratulations to our referral winners in January ... Mrs E Spencer of Pebworth, Mrs A Stanbrook of Churchdown and Mr F O'Neil of Bridgenorth, who all won Farncombe Estate vouchers in our monthly 'refer a friend' prize draw.

The Royal Pump Rooms Art Gallery & Museum

Geometry of Fear 16 January - 15 March 2009 Bringing together sculptures and works on paper from the Arts Council Collection, Geometry of Fear explores the generation of sculptors that emerged in the post-war years, creating work in direct response to the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II, and in reaction to the climate of fear generated by the Cold War. The show takes its starting point from the ground-breaking exhibition at the British Pavilion in the 1952 Venice Biennale. It was here that art historian Herbert Read coined the term „Geometry of Fear‟ to describe this emerging group: "These new images belong to the iconography of despair, or of defiance... The geometry of fear …their art is close to the nerves, nervous, wiry." Geometry of Fear opens at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum on 16 January 2009, as part of a national tour.

As with the 1952 Venice exhibition, Geometry of Fear includes work by Lynn Chadwick, Geoffrey Clarke, Reg Butler, Kenneth Armitage, Bernard Meadows, Robert Adams, Eduardo Paolozzi and William Turnbull. Also like Venice, it includes a work by Henry Moore, highlighting the difference between the two generations. The young artists‟ work was characterised by linear, spiky forms, made from welded metal and reflected many of the concerns and anxieties of the post-war era. The exhibition includes key works of the period, such as Reg Butler‟s Girl and Boy (1951), Eduardo Paolozzi‟s The Cage (1951) and Kenneth Armitage‟s Figure Lying on its Side (1957). The contemporary recognition and praise enjoyed by these artists was largely influenced by the skill with which they interpreted some of the anxieties of their time. In today‟s uncertain climate, it is perhaps a timely moment to reconsider these works.

Hall & Son: Tailor Made Display at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

A display at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum explores the history of Hall & Son, the last bespoke tailor in the town. The display focuses on the company in the second half of the 20th century and looks at how items of clothing were made, and the relationship between tailor and customer. Hall & Son was first established in Leamington Spa in around 1875 when it was known as Hall & Spindler. The business moved location several times, with shops on Victoria Terrace, Euston Place and Warwick Street. Many eminent Leamingtonians were customers including Sam Lockhart, Sidney Flavel and Lord Aylesford. Most of the objects on display have been kindly donated to Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum by Richard Dodd. He worked at the shop from 1954 until its closure in 1998 and was the last manager. Items on display include the shop sign, a 14lb iron used to press clothes before sale, and a pair of shorts made by Hall & Son in 1936.

Royal Pump Rooms, The Parade, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4AA. Tel: 01926 742700. Fax: 01926 742705. Email: prooms@warwickdc.gov.uk

Farncombe Estate Centre's Fan Box

Where to find us and what we do

Farncombe Estate is situated just outside the Cotswold village of Broadway. We are approximately 50 minutes from Oxford, Birmingham and Bristol and easily located from the M5, M40 and M42.

There is a direct rail service from London Paddington to Moreton in Marsh which is our nearest rail station. To help rail travellers we offer a return taxi collection service from the station.

For a location map and further directions please visit our website.