Saturday, 16 April 2016

Branscombe Festival Friday 29 - Sunday 31 July 2016 Details from Publicity Assistant at Albion Media Elliot Thompson

Branscombe Beach
venue for the festival finale


Ian Rosenblatt curates the fourth Branscombe Festival
with the help of Iain Burnside.
The compère for the week is, once again, Petroc Trelawney.


Rory McCleery
founder of
The Marian Consort



St Winifred's Church
Friday 29 July 7pm
THE MARIAN CONSORT
Soprano: Cecilia Osmond
Countertenor: Rory McCleery
Tenor: Ashley Turnell, Guy Cutting
Bass: Christopher Borrett
Baroque Choral Music






Miss Hope Springs

Branscombe Village Hall
Friday 29 July 10pm
MISS HOPE SPRINGS
(aka Pianist Timothy Jeffries)
an ex-vegas showgirl with a repertoire
of original comic songs & stories





Ashley Solomon
founder of
Florilegium
St Winifred's Church
Saturday 30 July 12 noon
FLORILEGIUM
Flute/Recorder: Ashley Solomon
Violin: Bojan Čičić
Viola da Gamba: Reiko Ichise
Harpsichord: Terence Charlston
George Frideric Handel:
"Trio Sonata in E minor" HWV398
"Trio Sonata in B minor" HWV386b
Johann Christoph Pepusch:
"Sonata for Violin and Continuo in E major"
"Trio Sonata in C major"
John Banister:
"A Division on a Ground for Recorder"
Francesco Barsanti: "A Collection of Scots Airs"


Harry the Piano

Branscombe Village Hall
Saturday 30 July 3pm
HARRY THE PIANO
Extraordinary Improviser & Educator
plays any piece in any style





Serena Gamberoni

Branscombe Village Hall
Saturday 30 July 7.30pm
ITALIAN DUETS & ARIAS
Soprano: Serena Gamberoni
Baritone: Luca Salsi
Piano: Michele Gamba
Monteverdi to Sciarrino




Leo Green


Branscombe Village Hall
Saturday 30 July 10pm
THE LEO GREEN EXPERIENCE
& DANNY TOEMAN
The regular yearly Branscombe
blues & jazz fusion evening







Kevin Mackenzie
musical director of
Camborne Town Band

Branscombe Beach
Sunday 31 July 1pm
CAMBORNE TOWN BAND
FREE CONCERT
Musical Director: Kevin Mackenzie
Barbecue on the beach &
Branscombe Vale Brewery beer tent

          - A FREE CONCERT -
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Sidholme Hotel Sidmouth Sunday Afternoon Concerts Lutenist Steve Graham 24 April, Maynard School Young Musicians 8 May, Instrumental Interludes 22 May, Showcase of Finalists (Devon Performing Arts Festival) with Roger Hendy 12 June 2016 A Message from Sidholme Music Room Friends Concert Organiser John McGregor

Concerts at Sidholme Music Room
(Elysian Fields, Sidmouth)
Maybe you already know about this venue but if not I would like to introduce it to you. There are two concerts coming up this month. Both last about an hour.
Sidmouth Town Band

Tuesday 12 April 7.45pm
Bold as Brass Ensemble
(from Sidmouth Town Band)
A musical journey through a typical band year.
Leader: Fiona Harvey



Steve Graham
Sunday 24 April 3.30pm
From Dowland to Purcell -
A Concert of Baroque and Renaissance Music
Mezzo Soprano: Sue King
Lutes, Theorbo, Baroque Guitar: Steve Graham





Each month there are usually two concerts (not all entirely 'classical' but mainly).

A new venture from May will be Morning Coffee Concerts.

Maynard School Musicians
In May and June we will also include:

Sunday 8 May 3.30pm
The Maynard School Young Musicians
Sunday 22 May 3.30pm
'Instrumental Interludes' -
various local musicians
(piano, pipe organ, clarinet, violin)
Roger Hendy

Sunday 12 June 3.30pm
'Showcase of Finalists' -
from the Devon Performing Arts Festival
Leader: Roger Hendy





and during that week there will be a variety of events to celebrate the restoration of the organ.
(This is how the whole programme started a couple of years ago.)

Most of the concerts are FREE,
with a retiring collection for the Music Room Restoration Fund. 
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Divertimento String Quartet Mozart, Shostakovich & Smetana Tophsam, Kingsbridge, Lustleigh & Totnes Sunday 24 April, Friday/Saturday 29/30 April & Sunday 1 May 2016 Press Release from Vicky Evans

Divertimento String Quartet
'Cello: Vicky Evans     Violin Linsay Braga 
Leader: Mary Eade     Viola: Andrew Gillett

Hello!

At the end of this month we are giving four performances of our new string quartet programme.

This is a most attractive programme which begins with Mozart’s String Quartet ‘The Hoffmeister’, followed by Dmitri Shostakovich’s First String Quartet which is short and exciting with a lovely slow movement.

Bedřich Smetana
The final quartet, by Bedřich Smetana, is nicknamed ‘From My Life’ (Z Mého Života):

"My intention was to paint a tone picture of my life.

"The first movement depicts my youthful leanings toward art, the Romantic atmosphere, the inexpressible yearning of something I could neither express nor define, and also a kind of warning of my future misfortune.

"A quasi-polka brings to mind the joyful days of youth when I composed dance music and gave it away right and left to other young folk, being known myself as a passionate lover of dancing.

"The third movement reminds me of the happiness of my first love, the girl who later became my first wife."

Smetana’s wife died during their exile in Sweden, which could account for the pensive quality of this movement - could this be the misfortune alluded to?

The fourth movement describes "The discovery that I could treat national elements in music, and my joy in following this path until it was checked by the catastrophe of the onset of my deafness, the outlook into the sad future, the tiny rays of hope of recovery, but remembering all the promise of my early career, a feeling of painful regret."

There is a point in this movement where the music abruptly breaks off, followed by a low tremolo. Above this, the violin plays a long high piercing note.

"The long insistent note in the finale owes its origin to this [his deafness]. It is the fateful ringing in my ears of the high-pitched tones which, in 1874, announced the beginning of my deafness. I permitted myself this little joke because it was so disastrous to me."


Do you know any musical families that would like to bring their children along? We have free tickets for the children and would love to encourage their attendance at live concerts.

The April/May Quartet concerts are as follows:-

St Margaret’s Church Topsham
Sunday 24 April 4pm
DIVERTIMENTO STRING QUARTET
Mozart, Shostakovich and Smetana
Tickets: £12 (advance £10 U18 FREE)
The Topsham Bookshop: 01392-877895

St Edmund’s Church Kingsbridge
Friday 29 April 7.30pm
DIVERTIMENTO STRING QUARTET
Mozart, Shostakovich and Smetana
Tickets: £12
Divertimento: 01803 863677
Kingsbridge TIC: 01548 853195
Salcombe TIC: 01548 843927

Lustleigh Village Hall
Saturday 30 April 3pm
DIVERTIMENTO STRING QUARTET
Mozart, Shostakovich and Smetana
Tickets: £10 
Available from Lustleigh Dairy
Will Carnell: 01647 277270

St John’s Church, Bridgetown, Totnes
Sunday 1 May 5pm
DIVERTIMENTO STRING QUARTET
Mozart, Shostakovich and Smetana
Tickets: £12
Divertimento: 01803 863677


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"Ashburton Live" Sunday Evening Jazz Concerts Five Dates with Facebook Links 24 April - 28 May 2016 Press Release from Andy Williamson

Ant Law Standards Trio
(Art of Rhythm Tour 2016)

Yes, on Sunday 24 April, we have the first of six weeks of great gigs at St Lawrence Chapel. I'm really looking forward to ALL of these, and will write more about them later. They're all in St Lawrence Chapel on Sundays at 8pm (the last is on a Saturday), admission £10 or a concessionary price of £5. Tickets available in advance from Silver Lion Jewellers, as ever (to whom many thanks for their continuing support of live music in Ashburton).

The links all go to Facebook Event Pages – please join, share and invite your friends. If you can reply and let me know which ones you're planning to come to, that would be really useful.


1 May: Sam Richards (Totnes) – Songs Of Freedom: Concert For May Day

8 May: Kristian Borring and Bruno Heinen (London/Denmark) – “Postcard to Bill Evans” 

15 May: Lilli Unwin Band (London/Totnes)

Saturday 28 May: Noelle Rollings et les Papillons (Ashburton/France)

The first of these, next Sunday, features the outstanding drummer Asaf Sirkis, plus bassist Matt Ridley – both utterly fabulous musicians, who deserve a full chapel all to themselves. Ant and Asaf have been touring and recording with the great saxophonist Tim Garland.

This really will be a treat – please come!

Meanwhile, on Sunday 17 April (TOMORROW as I write) at The Royal Oak (Ashburton)

  . . .  Cosgrave & Banks, folk/acoustic duo – 2pm until they're done 

Mike Cosgrave ("Sin é", Jackie Leven, Jackie Oates) and Steve Banks ("Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band", "Blue Jewel") have pooled their considerable musical talents and experience to form an exciting new folk/acoustic duo, performing a smörgåsbord of beautiful music, traditional and contemporary, from Britain and Europe (mainly France, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe).

Andy Clarke (Totnes Folk Club): "They blew us away with their virtuosity."

Info, audio, videos at cosgraveandbanks.com

Free Entry.
A fine Sunday Lunch available from 12.30 – 2.30 (or until it's finished)
Dogs/Kids welcome.
Come early and get a seat. Share a table, make new friends

Next Sunday, 24 April, the Klezmer/Gypsy Jazz outfit, the Gustav Bensel Hot Club will be back, with more Bessarabia musical malarkey. 

Best wishes in extreme haste!

Andy Williamson - Ashburton Live


The man himself - Andy Williamson
serenades Gaelle Hammond and Noelle Rollings
at Sam Richards' "Christmas on Saturn" 2015
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Amnesty International Concert Steve Graham Lute, Liz Pannell Violin and Susan King Mezzo Soprano Venue: Saint Winifred's Church Branscombe Saturday 21 May 2016 Press Release from East Devon Group Publicity Officer Martin McDonagh

Lutes & Baroque Guitars:
Steve Graham

         AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EAST DEVON GROUP
– PRESS RELEASE

LEADING MUSICIANS PLAY FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IN EAST DEVON
11th April 2016
Lute player, Steve Graham, will join vocalist, Susan King and violin player Liz Pannell, for a special fundraising concert on behalf of Amnesty International East Devon.
They will play at Branscombe’s picturesque St Winifred’s Church on Saturday 21 May with all proceeds going to the support Amnesty’s vital human rights work across the world.
Announcing the line-up, organiser Angela Lambert of Amnesty International East Devon, said:
"We feel very lucky indeed to have  three top class musicians playing an intriguing range of music and instruments from the early Renaissance to the late Baroque. It will be a very special experience for us and for the musicians to enjoy this  concert, here in the heart of the Branscombe valley, in  our beautiful church of St Winifred's, one of the oldest in Devon.”
The programme includes instrumental solos and accompanied songs from the earliest Renaissance to the late Baroque, a span of 300 years and features works from England, Ireland, Italy, France and Spain including pieces by Handel, Purcell and Dowland.
Amnesty spokesman Martin McDonagh said “This very special event will support Amnesty’s work with prisoners of conscience, victims of torture, refugees and people all over the world who are denied their basic human rights which most of us in East Devon take for granted.”
Sue King added: “We are delighted to be supporting Amnesty’s work through our music. There are so many injustices going on in the world right now so it’s good to be able to do our bit by raising money for important human rights work.”
Multi-instrumentalist Steve Graham, owns six lutes, and both Renaissance and Baroque guitars and has played with early music ensembles such as “The Goliard Ensemble”, “Pilgrims Solace”, “Pange Lingua” and “Arcadia”.  Steve is also known as a jazz trumpeter .
As well as playing classical music Liz Pannell has recently recorded with singer/ songwriter Grace Gillan and plays with a traditional Irish folk ensemble. Irish music appears in the programme through the works of Turlough Carolan (1670 – 1738) an Irish harpist and composer blinded at the age of 18 by smallpox.   His music is a hybrid of Irish ballad (folk) song, 'classical Irish' harping style and Italianate form.
Sue King, mezzo soprano, will sing songs of courtly love, loss, and laughter in praise of springtime. She will be accompanied by a Baroque guitar and a variety of lutes, including a theorbo, designed in late sixteenth century Italy. Sue studied musical performance and musicology at Exeter University and has been a soloist with the East Cornwall Bach Choir and also performs in other ensembles including “Misty Roses” and “Bedlam Bess”. She is also known as an interpreter of traditional folk songs, several of which have appeared as  recordings.
Amnesty International
St Winifred's Church
Branscombe
St Winifred's Church Branscombe
Saturday 21 May 7.30pm
LUTE CONCERT
Lute Songs & Tunes
Renaissance to BaroqueLutes: Steve Graham
Voice: Susan King
Viola & Violin: Liz Pannell
Free wine & baroque nibbles
Tickets: £10
Box Office: Paragon Books Sidmouth
or 01297 680297 / 01395 513345
Free Parking at the Village Hall (400m)
Limited disabled parking at the Church

Amnesty International is a non-political, non-religious organisation that campaigns for human rights under the United National Declaration of Human Rights, including freedom for political prisoners, an end to torture and abolition of the death penalty.

For further information please contact

Martin McDonagh:  01395 513345
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Exeter Railway Band & eXe Singers St Michael's Heavitree Wednesday 20 April 2016 Message from Ian Shields

EXETER RAILWAY BAND

Exeter Railway Band
& The eXe Singers
St Michael & All Angels Church, Heavitree
Wednesday 20 April 7.30pm
MUSIC FOR A SPRING EVENING
In aid of St Michael & All Angels Church


Exeter Railway Band

Formed in 1944 by a group of railway workers with £100 lent by the Southern Railway Recreation Club the band celebrated it’s 60th anniversary last year. Founded as the Exeter & District Southern Railway Band it has moved through a number of names, settling on the Exeter Railway Band. With support from MP Ben Bradshaw the band was granted permission to use the British Rail logo by Glenda Jackson the Transport Minister at the time.

The band has a year round season of regular engagements from concerts to fêtes, church services to the traditional chilly outdoor Christmas carols. Graham Eaton has been the band’s Musical Director for just a year, having previously been MD at Torbay Brass Band and Totnes Band. His musical education was at Chetham's Music School, Manchester followed by The Guildhall School of Music in London and he has played with championship section bands in the Midlands as a baritone player, performing in both the Royal Albert Hall and Festival Hall London. Graham is now retired after being a teacher for 38 years……… and loving it!

If you are interested in the band, it’s history or to listen, play or book, find more info at exeter-railway-band.co.uk , facebook.com/ExeterRailwayBand or on twitter.com/#RailwayBand. Alternatively, please talk to one of the band during the interval or after the concert.

 eXe singers

‘eXe singers’, as they hope you will see this evening, are a small, but (almost!) perfectly formed 4-part harmony choir. They rehearse weekly, on Wednesday evenings in school term times, usually at St Leonard’s C of E Primary School, Exeter. Whether it’s Mozart or McCartney, Bach or bossa novas, madrigals or medleys, they aim to perform to the highest standard and are lucky enough to be led by the talented, patient, perceptive, award-winning Musical Director, Charles West, who also arranges much of the music specifically for the choir.

Each week, at rehearsal, members enjoy singing an interesting, entertaining, broad and challenging repertoire and also enjoy performing at various concerts, festivals and shows around the county, throughout the year. Interested in joining or booking? PLEASE don’t be shy, speak to Charles or a choir member at the concert, visit exesingers.org.uk , facebook.com/exesingers or twitter.com/eXe_Singers 

THE EVENING’S PROGRAMME:

EXETER RAILWAY BAND
W. E. Moyle: Cornish Cavalier

eXe SINGERS
Traditional: "Dona Nobis Pacem" (Grant Us Peace)
Gustav Holst: "I Love my Love"
John Wilbye: "Adieu, Sweet Amaryllis"

EXETER RAILWAY BAND
Various Artists: James Bond Collection (arr. Goff Richards)
Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell: "Georgia On My Mind"
(arr. Alan Morrison - Cornet Soloist: Matt Martin)
Chris Hazell: "Mr Jums" (arr. Alan Catherall)
Irving Berlin: "Puttin' On The Ritz" (arr. Goff Richards)
Etienne Crausaz: "The Last Night of Fall"

eXe SINGERS
Antonio Carlos Joabim: "Corcovado"
American Folk Song: "Shenandoah"
Charles Villiers Stanford: "The Blue Bird"

INTERVAL

EXETER RAILWAY BAND
Trevor Sharpe: "Fanfare & Soliloquy"
David J Evans: "Be Still in the Presence of the Lord" (arr. Stephen Tighe)

eXe SINGERS
Paul McCartney: "Blackbird" (1968)
Richard Rodney Bennett: "Words and Music"
Dan Haymann: "Weeping" (1987) (arr. Alexander L’Estrange)

EXETER RAILWAY BAND
Glenn Miller: Miller Magic (arr. Denzil Stephens)
George Shearing: "Lullaby of Birdland"
(arr. Gilbert Tinner - Flugelhorn Soloist: Joy Richards)
Dmitri Shostakovich: "The Second Waltz" (arr. Alan Fernie)
Barry Manilow: "One Voice" (arr. Ray Farr)
Traditional: "Lord of The Dance" (arr. Derek Broadbent)

eXe SINGERS
Thomas Morley: "Aprill is in my Mistris Face"
Sir Edward Elgar: "As Torrents in Summer" (1896)
Bob Chilcott: "Irish Blessing"

Tickets: £6 (student/child £3)
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Blackdown Early Music Projects welcome JanJoost van Elburg's Utrecht Choir "Coqu" Holland Meets Britain North Curry & Wellington Friday 6 & Saturday 7 May 2016




Following Blackdowns Early Music Projects' very well attended concert last Sunday in Wellington's Parish Church, we are pleased to be hosting the Dutch choir COQU from Utrecht, under their current project director and BEMP's principal director, JanJoost van Elburg.


Jan Joost van Elburg
COQU are bringing a programme entitled HOLLAND MEETS BRITAIN in which music by composers of both countries is compared and contrasted, from the 15th century to the present day.


Note that there will be two one-hour perfomances, Friday 6 May and Saturday 7 May, both at 7pm, the first in The Church of St Peter & St Paul, North Curry, TA3 6LJ (5 miles east of M5 Junction 25 - Taunton) and the second in The Church of St John the Baptist, Wellington, TA21 8QY.

ENTRY IS FREE - neither concert is ticketed and doors will open at 6.30 pm in each case.  


The programme includes many favourite British composers such as Byrd, Purcell, Parry, Vaughan Williams, Stanford.  Listen to these alongside their Dutch contemporaries, de la Rue, Clemens non Papa, Sweelinck, Diepenbrock, Flothuis and Daan Manneke.  The concert concludes with Benjamin Britten's "Hymn to St Cecilia" - highly appropriate, following BEMP's recent Cantantibus Organis programme which owed much to the inspiration of St Cecilia.


Coqu Choir
JanJoost van Elburg
1. Church of St Peter & St Paul
      North Curry TA3 6LJ
        (5 miles east of M5 Jct 25)
     Friday 6 May 7pm
2. Church of St John the Baptist
       Wellington TA21 8QY
     Saturday 7 May 7pm
HOLLAND MEETS BRITAIN
Musical Director: JanJoost van Elburg
William Byrd, Henry Purcell, Hubert Parry
Ralph Vaughan Williams,
Charles Villiers Stanford
Pierre de la Rue, Jacob Clemens non Papa,
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck,
Alphons Diepenbrock
Marius Flothuis & Daan Manneke
Admission FREE
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Taunton Sinfonietta Concert Programme continues with "Music in May" St James Church Taunton Saturday 7 May 2016 Press Release from Chairman Robin Carpenter

Taunton Sinfonietta


Taunton Sinfonietta April 2016

As I write this, the sun is shining, the birds are feeding their young and spring most definitely has sprung. Taunton Sinfonietta has been busy too; our February Concert featured the recorders of Pam Canter and Hesther Somerville who delighted us with "Brandenburg Concerto IV" by Johann Sebastial Bach. Members of the orchestra accompanied Minehead Choral Society performing "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" by Antonio Vivaldi and "Requiem in D Minor" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in March and most recently, we worked with our friends in Taunton Choral Society for Stephen Bell's last concert, playing music by Maurice Duruflé, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sir Edward Elgar. The Beacon Piano Trio (Piano Joyce Clarke, Violin Anna Cockroft, 'Cello Ruth Lass) played a delightful concert of Piano Trios in Temple Methodist Church, Taunton, last Sunday.

Leader: Mary Eade
2nd Violins: Anna Cockroft
Our next concert, Mozart in May is approaching and I do hope that lots of you will be intrigued by the programme. This features the Taunton Sinfonietta Ensemble playing in various combinations. The Ensemble may not sound familiar to everyone, but comprises Mary Eade, Anna Cockroft & Sarah Wormell (violins), Vicky Evans ('cello) and Lynn Carter (oboe), all regular performers in Taunton. They will be playing "Oboe Quartet in F Major" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and quintets by Arnold Bax and Gerald Finzi. There are other chamber works by Mozart on the programme and it promises to be a lovely evening. The date for your diary is Saturday 7th May at 7.30pm at St James Church, Taunton.

Following that, our June Concert will feature the whole orchestra playing a varied programme which include "White Bird" by Clive Jenkins featuring soprano Suzanne Manuell. Clive is a Devon-based composer whose works we have played in previous concerts. They are approachable and deserve greater recognition. Clive himself hopes to be in the audience, so it would be lovely to have a full church to play to. This concert is on Saturday 25th June at 7.30pm again at St James.

Remember to keep an eye on the website which we hope to revamp over the coming weeks. You can also follow Taunton Sinfonietta on Facebook and Twitter; if you "like" us, you will get all the latest news and information.

We are also seeking sponsorship from local businesses and organisations, so if you have any suggestions or would like to help us, please do contact Robin Carpenter, our Chairman. Robin's phone number is 01935 862339 and his email address is robinsheila@icloud.com We all look forward to seeing you on 7th May and 25th June.

Taunton Sinfonietta
St James Church Taunton
Saturday 7 May 7.30pm
MOZART IN MAY
Director & Leader: Mary Eade
Oboe: Lynn Carter
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
"Oboe Quartet in F Major" (1781)
Arnold Bax:
"Quintet for Oboe & Strings" (1922)
Gerald Finzi:
"Interlude for Oboe & String Quartet" (1936)
Tickets: £15 (student £5 family £32 season £50)
Box Office: 01823 340470 (Taunton Visitor Centre)

Taunton Sinfonietta
Suzanne Manuell
St James Church Taunton
Saturday 25 June 7.30pm
SONGS & STRINGS
Director & Leader: Mary Eade
Soprano: Suzanne Manuell
Benjamin Britten: "Simple Symphony" (1926)
Clive Jenkins: "Majesty" & "White Bird"
              (Dartmoor ghost story with vocalise)
Antonio Vivaldi: "Double Concerto in A Minor"
Georg Philipp Telemann:
                    "Concerto for 3 Violins in F Major"
Clive Jenkins: Arrangements of Songs
                      by Thomas Arne & Henry Purcell
Tickets: £15 (student £5 family £32 season £50)
Box Office: 01823 340470 (Taunton Visitor Centre)

Taunton Sinfonietta
Colin Parr
St James Church Taunton
Saturday 24 September 7.30pm
SONGS & STRINGS
Director & Leader: Mary Eade
Clarinet: Colin Parr
Carl Maria von Weber: "Clarinet Quintet"
                 arranged for clarinet and strings
Clive Jenkins: "Romance"
                 for solo clarinet and strings
Leos Janácek: "Idyll for String Orchestra" (1878)
Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concerto "La Stravaganza"
                  Opus 4 No. 1 in Bb major
Max Bruch: "Kol Nidrei" (Aramaic: "All Vows") (1880
                 ('Cello Soloist: Chris Sampson)
Johan Svendsen: "Variations on a Norwegian Folktune"
Leroy Anderson: "Plink, Plank, Plunk" & "Blue Tango"
Tickets: £15 (student £5 family £32 season £50)
Box Office: 01823 340470 (Taunton Visitor Centre)

Taunton Sinfonietta
Mary Eade
Temple Methodist Church Taunton
Sunday 4 December 3pm
SHOWGROUND FOR SOLOISTS
(featuring 2016 Taunton Young Musician)
Director & Leader: Mary Eade
French Horn: Nicola New
Aleksandr Glazunov:
"Idyll for Horn and String Orchestra" (1884)
Sarah Wormell: "In Memoriam for Horn and Strings"
Ernest Bloch: "Concerto Grosso No.1" (1925)
Arcangelo Corelli: "Christmas Concerto"
Francesco Manfredini: "Christmas Pastorale"
Pablo de Sarasate: "Zigeunerweisen" (Gypsy Airs)
                   (Violin Soloist: Mary Eade) (1878)
Tickets: £15 (student £5 family £32 season £50)
Box Office: 01823 340470 (Taunton Visitor Centre)
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Force Five Wind Quintet A Children's Concert Cygnet New Theatre Saturday 14 May 2016

FORCE FIVE WIND QUINTET
Oboe: Ben Edmonds     Clarinet: John Welton     
Bassoon: Prue Tasman     French Horn: Beth Osment
Flute: Jessica Wright

At 4pm on Saturday 14th May the Force Five Wind Quintet will be presenting a family concert at the Cygnet Theatre in Exeter.

The concert is designed to introduce the main wood wind instruments.

Working with Narrator Mai Targett and pianist Carol Galton, the programme will include settings by Keith Amos of verse, ‘Dirty Beasts' by Roald Dahl, and ‘Lupin, the Pot-Bellied Pig' by Gerald and Lucian Russell-Price.

The programme will be of particular interest to children aged 6 - 12.

Tickets are available directly from the Cygnet Theatre.

Force Five Wind Quintet
Force Five Wind Quintet
Cygnet New Theatre
Saturday 14 May 4pm
A CHILDREN'S CONCERT
Lucian Russel Price:
"Lupin the Pot-Bellied Pig"
Roald Dahl: "Dirty Beasts"
Narrator: Mai Targett
Pianist: Carol Galton
Bassoon: Prue Tasman
French Horn: Beth Osment
Clarinet: John Welton
Oboe: Ben Edmonds
flute: Jessica Wright
Tickets: £7
(child £5 family £20)
Box Office: 01392 277189
Online Booking: Ents24 / WeGotTickets


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Thursday, 7 April 2016

Sidmouth Orchestra Glenorchy Church Exmouth Wednesday 7 April 2016

Alan Williams
Conductor, Sidmouth Orchestra

Yesterday David Lee's Lunchtime Concert Series at the United Reformed Church in Exeter Road Exmouth hosted it's largest ensemble, by quite a margin. The Sidmouth Orchestra has no percussion section, nor any tubas or trombones, but there is a sizeable brass and woodwind section - and a full-scale string section. The Leader is Audrey Williams (who runs her own Summer Lunchtime Concert Series at the nearby Church of St John at Withycombe Raleigh). Principal 'Cello is Ruth Lass, familiar to fans of the Beacon Piano Trio, and Ruth's husband Laylor Lass is also there playing his Double Bass.

Alan Williams
introduces . . .
Their concert opened with a piece over 100 years old - "Plymouth Hoe - A Nautical Adventure" by John Ansell. With instrumentalists packed into every part of the stage, and the surrounding area, the conductor Alan Williams took us on a rollicking sea voyage with a delightful hornpipe theme.

Skipping back another century, Alan introduced Beethoven's First Symphony, reminding us how novel his approach to opening a piece was, even in this first work. (It is not actually the first symphony he wrote - the numbering system came later.)

Moving to Paris, the orchestra played "Pavane" by Gabriel Fauré - written twelve years before Maurice Ravel's homage to Paris music patron Winnaretta Singer - "Pavane pour une Infante Défunte", a very beautiful and influental piece.

Then the string players very gingerly edged off the stage to allow Alan to conduct the wind and brass section in a very early piece by Richard Strauss, "Serenade for Wind Opus 7", with lots of opportunities to hear the soloists in action. In the oboe section, it was very pleasing to see and hear that great Topsham all-rounder, and Glenorchy veteran, Philip Henry.

With the string section re-installed, the concert finished with an arrangement of one of Geoffrey Hartley's twentieth century bassoon quartets. His Fantasias cover many English themes, including the Vicar of Bray, and Widdicombe Fair. For this week's concert Alan had chosen "Fantasia on a British Tea Song" which opens with the children's nursery rhyme "Polly puts the kettle on" - delicately picked out on piccolo - before wending its way through several familiar melodies, including Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No 5".

Alan became increasingly animated at the piece progressed, and the audience were swept along in the very agreeable resulting tumult. Rousing applause greeted the closing chords. What a wonderful selection of music - and played with such enthusiasm and gusto. Great work by all concerned.

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Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Blackdown Early Music Projects Palestrina & Gabrieli for Choirs & Instruments St John's Church Wellington Sunday 10 April 2016



CANTANTIBUS ORGANIS was published by Palestrina as a five part motet in 1575.  Later, a group of his pupils in Rome’s Capella Giulia composed a triple choir Mass based on the motet in honour of their tutor and St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music for whom the motet was originally written.

Under the direction of JanJoost van Elburg BEMP singers will perform the Missa Cantantibus organis, interspersed with multi-choir works of Gabrieli’s Venetian school, accompanied by the virtuoso English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble with Martin Perkins' inimitable chamber organ continuo.

Following Grand Baroque II in Exeter Cathedral last August, we are delighted to return to one of our favourite venues, the Parish Church of St John in Wellington, Somerset and look forward to sharing this multi-choir programme with you. 

Thank you for reading, hope to see you at 6pm on April 10th; please share this information with others and follow the link below to purchase your tickets (full price £15, students £8 and under 12s FREE).


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Tuesday, 29 March 2016

Substance & Shadow Theatre Company present "Silver & Gould" at this year's "Festival at Cygnet" Two Performances at Cygnet New Theatre, Exeter 7pm Monday 6 June & 8.30pm Wednesday 8 June 2016 - Press Release from Rose Mullin

Midge Mullin is Melvyn Gould
Nathan Simpson is Leonard Silver
(Photography: Matt Austin Images)

SILVER & GOULD

A tale of desperation, betrayal . . . and darts!



Substance & Shadow Theatre are delighted to announce that our new production, "Silver & Gould" will be part of the acclaimed 'Festival at Cygnet' - a week long festival celebrating live performance from eight companies, serving up thought-provoking, challenging, tender and humorous drama.

Following years of separation, cousins Leonard Silver and Melvyn Gould are reunited after the sudden death of Len's Mum (Auntie Elsie). However, after being thrown out of the family home, Len is further shocked to find that he has been snubbed in the will in favour of the local cats' home, leaving him no option but to live in his beloved Rover. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Meanwhile, Melvyn has been left Auntie Elsie's treasured set of darts in her will, which leads him to reveal that he has been accepted to appear on cult 80's TV programme 'Bullseye'. Over a game of arrows at the wake, Len quickly realises that Melvyn is something of a hot-shot on the oche and starts to hatch a plan, but Melvyn has plans of his own for wooing Shirley the local barmaid.

Fame and fortune could be Len's if he can persuade Melvyn to take him on Bullseye as the brains of the operation. Winning the cash and glorious array of prizes on offer could spell an end to cold nights spent in the Rover for Len, or provide a testimony of Melvyn's love for Shirley. After some careful 'persuasion' by Len, the dream team of Silver and Gould appear on the show, but can they hit the bullseye and scoop the star prize, or will they check out with their dreams in tatters?

Everything hangs on the throw of a dart...

Venue: Cygnet Theatre  Friars Gate  Exeter  EX2 4AZ

Dates: Mon 6th June - 7.00 pm
           Wed 8th June - 8.30 pm

Tickets: £8.00

Box Office: 01392 277189

Online Booking: WeGotTickets - Mon/Wed

Exepose Arts: "Substance & Shadow's experimental approach to storytelling really pays off, the end result being a gripping evening which is both entertaining and thought provoking."

Circle of Spears Productions: "If you have never seen Substance and Shadow perform, or whether you are an avid follower of their work, you should let nothing stop you from joining the audience in any of their forthcoming shows. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed."

The Art of Exmouth: "Substance And Shadow Theatre are testament to what can be achieved if you have the will. Go and see them, I would say. They're great, basically, and destined for greater things."

Website under Construction: substanceandshadow.co.uk





Substance & Shadow Theatre
are proudly sponsored by
Savills UK Limited
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