Tchaikovsky - the life and times of a troubled genius

Book a place on this weekend before 31 January 2011 and receive a £50 gift voucher to spend on a booking in our 2012 Programme. To make a booking ring 033 3456 8580 or email us today!

Tchaikovsky - the life and times of a troubled genius (Part One) with Julian Williamson 16-18 December 2011.

Free Cello Recital with James Halsey and Nigel Clayton at Farncombe

International pianist Nigel Clayton will be joining James Halsey at Farncombe Estate on Saturday 27 November.

An evening recital will take place from 8pm which will include the Sonata in A major by Beethoven and pieces by Kenneth Leighton, Tartini and Faure.

Tickets for the recital are free but please make a reservation in advance - call 033 3456 8580 or email enquiries@farncombeestate.co.uk.

New dates for 'The Turbulent Years : Late Romantic Music'

Following on from an earlier course about the beginnings of Romanticism, this course with Barry Collett will now take place 21-23 January 2011.

Look at music from the twenty years that led up to the First World War. This post-Wagner epoch saw the richness of the Romantic Age at its height, and several composers at the height of their powers, including Elgar, Rachmaninoff, Dvorak, Richard Strauss and Mahler. The anxieties of the age showed itself not only in these composers, but in the growth of Nationalism, the advent of Debussy and Impressionism, the mystical experiments of Scriabin, and even the stirrings of atonality that were to bring such chaos to music post-war. Turbulent times indeed, which swamped many fine composers whose music deserves to be heard, and will be on this course.

Carducci Quartet Latest News

Carducci Festival
A few tickets left for concerts at this year's festival. Sunday's finale 3pm concert is sold out, but additional performance at 1pm. Free tickets are also available to children and students. Concert details as follows:


Carducci Festival - Highnam, Glos, UK

Friday 21st May – ‘Death and the Maiden’
7.30pm – Highnam Church

Haydn Op.9 No.4
Moeran String Quartet in Eb
Schubert 'Death and the Maiden'

Saturday 22nd May – ‘Quintets by Candlelight’
7.30pm – Highnam Church

Julian Bliss - clarinet
Weber Clarinet Quintet Op.34 in Bb major
Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
Mozart Quintet for Clarinet and Strings K581

Sunday 23rd May - 11am - Gambier Parry Hall
FREE EVENT - FAMILY CONCERT
Join the Carducci Quartet for musical fun and games followed by a chance to ‘paint the music’. Discover the amazing sound world of the string quartet and be creative. Booking is not essential, but please arrive early to be sure of your place. Duration approx 1 hour. Supported by the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust.

Sunday 23rd May – 'Fandango Finale'
1pm – Highnam Court Orangery

with Michael O'Toole (guitar)

Programme to include works by Vivaldi, Boccherini and Ginastera.

Special Christmas offer from the fab four of baroque, Red Priest

The wonderful baroque ensemble Red Priest are running a fantastic offer in the run up to Christmas.

With the purchase of any two of Red Priest's four CD's you will be given a FREE pre-release copy of their much anticipated new all-Bach release, Johann, I'm Only Dancing. P&P is FREE for all UK customers.

The offer is only running until 21st December 2009 so hurry if you would like to take advantage of this red hot offer before Christmas!

Please visit www.redpriest.com for this exclusive offer.

STOP PRESS
Fancy a Night Less Ordinary?
Red Priest's forthcoming concert at The Hawth has a limited number of FREE TICKETS available to those under 26 years old.

To find out more and to apply for free tickets,
Jan 10, THE HAWTH, CRAWLEY, Box Office: 01293 553 636
https://tickets.hawth.co.uk/public/

Brighton Early Music Festival 2009 (BREMF)

23rd Oct to 8th Nov
Click here for the ebrochure

Purcell, Handel & Haydn and
East Meets West at BREMF 09
Music from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and China, celebrating some rich encounters across the globe and through the ages.
21 events; 3 BBC Radio 3 broadcasts

THE ORGAN WORKS OF J S BACH

St James’ Church, Chipping Campden
THE ORGAN WORKS OF J S BACH
in 10 sessions
played by
Richard Stephens
Wednesday, 1 July to Saturday, 4 July 2009

Admission is free but donations are invited for the organ restoration fund.
Each complete programme lasts app 2 hours, but these are not formal concerts and listeners are
welcome to come and go at any time.

Wednesday 1 July 7.30 pm
includes Prelude & Fugue in D (BWV 532), Trio Sonata no 1, Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C, Concerto 1,
Schübler Chorale Preludes, misc Chorale Preludes, Toccata & Fugue in D minor (BWV 565)

Thursday 2 July 1.30 pm
includes Prelude & Fugue in C (BWV 545), Preludes from Das Orgelbüchlein for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany, Fantasia in C, Toccata & Fugue in E (BWV 566), Prelude & Fugue in A minor (BWV 543), Prelude & Fugue in A

Thursday 2 July, 4.30 pm
includes Prelude & Fugue in F minor, Preludes from Das Orgelbüchlein for Lent, Easter & Pentecost, Concerto in G,
Fugue a la Gigue, Prelude & Fugue in D minor, Trio Sonata no 2, Prelude & Fugue in B minor

Thursday 2 July, 7.30 pm
includes Prelude & Fugue in A minor (BWV 551), Trio Sonata no 5, Prelude & Fugue in C minor, Chorale Preludes,
Fantasia in C minor, Concerto in C, Prelude & Fugue in E minor (BWV 533)

Friday 3 July, 1.30 pm
includes Prelude & Fugue in G minor (BWV 535), Chorale Preludes, Trio Sonata no 3, Prelude & Fugue in E minor (BWV 533),
Pièce d’Orgue

Friday 3 July, 4.30 pm
includes Prelude & Fugue in G major (BWV 550), Trio Sonata no 4, Concerto in D minor, Chorale Preludes,
Prelude & Fugue in C (BWV 547)

Friday 3 July, 7.30 pm
includes Toccata and Fugue in D minor (“Dorian”), Trio Sonata no 6, Chorale Preludes, Prelude & Fugue in C (BWV 531),
Concerto in C (BWV 594), “Corelli” and “Legrenzi” fugues, Prelude & Fugue in C minor (BWV 546),

Saturday 4 July, 11.00 am
Clavierübung, Vol III: ‘The German Organ Mass’

Saturday 4 July 4.30 pm
including Fantasia & Fugue in G minor, Trio in D minor, Partita ‘O Gott du frommer Gott’, Pastorale, “Little” Fugue in G minor,
Toccata & Fugue in F

Saturday July 4, 7.30 pm
including Prelude & Fugue in G (BWV 541), Canonic Variations on ‘Vom Himmel hoch’, Prelude & Fugue in E minor (‘The Wedge’),
Fantasia & Fugue in C minor, Partita on ‘Sei gegrüsset’, Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor

2009 Haydn, Mendelssohn Handel & Purcell Anniversary Events

Choirs are invited to register in performing Mendelssohn’s “O for the Wings of a Dove” as part of a nationwide Mendelssohn celebration from Friday 8 May to Sunday 10 May. Choirs may schedule their performance in any chosen location during the weekend in question. For more information visit www.choirs.org.uk/mendelssohn.html and for details of BBC Radio 3 Composers of the Year visit www.bbc.co.uk/composers/

Parish Music Concert Saturday 16th May

Concert in St Nicholas' Church, Teddington at 8pm Saturday 16th May 2009

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.

Trio Ébano was formed in January 2003; the name is taken from the Spanish for the ebony from which many woodwind instruments are made. Nicola is joined in the current ensemble by clarinettist Lucy Tugwell and bassoonist Hannah Wrieden. Nicola and Hannah studied together at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Lucy studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. In the summer of 2004, the trio won third prize in the ensemble category of the 13th Anglo-Czech Trust International Competition. 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. Between them they teach in private and state schools in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, London and Warwickshire. Nicola originally learnt by the Suzuki method with Susie Alington and is now herself an accredited Suzuki Flute teacher.

Musicians must stand together in credit crunch

LEADING conductor Sir Mark Elder has urged musicians to stand together and speak up for the arts during the credit crunch.

Speaking as he was presented with the Incorporated Society of Musicians' Distinguished Musician Award at the Royal Opera House last night, he said:
'Before the credit squeeze jumped on us, we were all nervous and apprehensive that the wonderful "Olympic dream" would drain the resources that might otherwise have gone to the arts.

'Now the credit squeeze has joined that pressure, it is all the more important to stand together and be prepared to speak out. Not as "whinging luvvies", but as people who stand up for something that they passionately believe in.'

Sir Mark Elder is the 27th recipient of the Distinguished Musician Award, the ISM's highest honour. Since 1976, the ISM has given the award to musicians including Jacqueline du Pré, Simon Rattle, Pierre Boulez and Janet Baker.

His friend and colleague, the accompanist Roger Vignoles, said:
'In Mark we have a truly rounded musician, truly a "musicians' musician". There is nobody more worthy of receiving this award from his colleagues in the profession.'

Sir Mark went on to emphasise the ISM's role in bringing together all types of music professionals: composers, performers and music teachers.

'This occasion allows me to state the importance of striving together. This very distinguished Society has stood for years as a voice and a forum for all types of musicians and what you do is of inestimable value. Combining creators, re-creators and teachers is the only way a united voice can be found in our profession.'

You can read the full text of Sir Mark Elder's speech on the ISM's website at www.ism.org

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/

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

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

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

PERCUSSION TRAINING DAY for MUSICIANS

PERCUSSION TRAINING DAY for MUSICIANS

Date: Saturday 24th January 2009, 10am - 4pm
Place: St Peter-in-Eastgate Infant's School, Greetwellgate, Lincoln LN2 4AW
Cost: Free
Tutor: Leo Nolan

This is the first of a series of training days for musicians wishing to explore their professional development with a view to working in schools and communities.
This first workshop will be based around percussion work with a specific emphasis on how to achieve good results with limited resources. It will be relevant for musicians from all backgrounds and will be of interest to both non-percussionists and percussionists.
Leo is a community musician with many years experience working with schools and communities. Based in the North West, he has worked for organisations as diverse as More Music in Morecambe and the Halle Orchestra. We are delighted he can join us for this first workshop and it will be a fantastic opportunity to learn new techniques and skills.
Place are limited so allocation will be on a first come first served basis.
For further details and to register, please contact Sue Hawes at The Firebird Trust Ltd:
e-mail: admin@firebirdtrust.com
or telephone: 01522 811229

Parish Music : Choral Delights

Parish Music : Choral Delights
Saturday 28 February 2009
Overbury Church 8pm

The Oriel Singers had just won the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition when they last sang for Parish Music in 2005. Founded in 1975 as a quartet meeting in Oriel Terrace, Cheltenham, the original group sang simply for pleasure and had no intention of performing. The choir soon grew and Tim Morris was invited to become director.
Numbering about 28, the members still meet primarily for their own enjoyment but now give around 12 concerts a year at home and abroad. They have always had the objective of producing a high standard of a cappella music both sacred and secular, serious and light-hearted.
The singers come from all walks of life. Conductor Tim Morris, who is also assistant conductor of the Cheltenham Bach Choir, studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and is an arable farmer.
Parish Music, now in its 14th year, provides concerts of classical music in the five country churches of the Parish: Ashton under Hill, Beckford, Overbury, Alstone and Teddington. Concerts start at 8pm and conclude with an opportunity to meet the performers and enjoy a drink of wine or fruit juice in the church.
Admission £10; students free.

Competition for Outstanding Amateur Pianists 2007

You don't have to be a professional pianist to make it to the stage
Do you have this passion for the piano? Do you practise in the evenings and at the weekends just for the sheer love of it? Have you dreamt of performing on stage in front of an audience but never thought it was possible? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then this is the competition for you!
There are two categories – CLASSICAL and JAZZ – with a winner in each category. All you have to do is choose the category you want to enter (that’s the easy part!) and then submit a 15-minute recording of your piano playing. You might find yourself up there on the stage performing in the finals to a packed house. (Imagine how impressed your friends and family will be!)
This year we have some fantastic opportunities to offer our winners: the Classical winner will be invited to perform a movement from a concerto of their choice with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Jazz winner will perform with Julian Joseph and his band at a top London jazz venue. The winners performances from the finals will be broadcast on Classic FM and the Jazz.
Six finalists will be invited to perform at one of London’s most prestigious venues – Cadogan Hall, in November 2007, in front of a distinguished jury including Jamie Cullum, Julian Joseph, Piers Lane, Noriko Ogawa, Jason Rebello, Martin Roscoe and Gwilym Simcock.
More details and how to apply from www.thepianists.co.uk

A night at Longborough opera

The Longborough Opera season begins in June. Bed & Breakfast accommodation can be booked at Farncombe Estate so that you can stay nearby and avoid a late return home.
Elite Travel Broadway can also help with transport to and from Longborough.