English Touring Opera at the Northcott Theatre "The Fantastic Mr Fox"

Nicholas Merryweather and Miriam Sharrad
as Mr and Mrs Fox
with the children of Newton Poppleford and St Nicholas Schools

On Tuesday evening at Exeter Northcott Theatre a packed house enjoyed Tobias Picker's modern opera production of Roald Dahl's 'Fantastic Mr Fox'.  Despite the very serious opera style the children were highly amused and absolutely delighted by the way their favourite story-book characters were portrayed.  Equally enchanted were the parents and grand-parents who took them along - and many adult opera-lovers who went along simply to enjoy the show.
Children had an active part in the production as well, appearing as fox cubs and very convincing singing trees.  The children all had their parts to sing, ably assisted by ETO cast members.  Henry Grant Kerswell, Mark Wilde and Maciek O'Shea were hilarious as 'Boggis, Bunce and Bean' the evil farmers.  Quite apart from the wonderful Fox family Greg Tassel was amazing as Badger and Stuart Haycock as the mining Mole was his very able side-kick.  The love interest from Catrine Kirkman and Adam Tunnicliffe as Hedgehog and Porcupine was touching and delightful.  Cary Hughes' Rita Rat was charming and delightful - perhaps a little too charming for a rat, but no one was complaining!  The most extraordinary and dazzling character by far, however, was 'Agnes the Digger' played by Fiona Kimm.  This anthropomorphic JCB, played by the diminutive Fiona was absolutely convincing, a little terrifying, and children absolutely loved her.
The Northcott was the place to see smiling children on Tuesday night - every one grinning from ear to ear!

Classical Journey Tuesday 22 March

To make it easier to navigate in the future each of this week's reviews is posted separately below.  The concerts for the next two weeks are listed below that - in Saturday's post.
All that remains to be added is the playlist for tomorrow's journey, which is as follows:

1720 Spain          Santiago de MURCIA  Jacaras por la E                        Paul O'Dette, baroque guitar
1749 Leipzig        J S BACH                Mass in Bm: Kyrie Eleison        Taverner Consort and Players
1749 Leipzig        J S BACH                Mass in Bm: Christe Eleison      Emma Kirkby, Emily van Evera
1791 Prague        W A MOZART           Clarinet Concerto                       Jose Ostanec
1881 Budapest     Johannes BRAHMS    Piano Concerto No 2                  Alfred Brendel
1894 Paris           Claude DEBUSSY      Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune  S. German Philharmonic
1899 Norwich      Sir Edward ELGAR    Sea Pictures                                  Dame Janet Baker
1914 New York  Giacomo PUCCINI     Il Tabarro                                      Plácido Domingo
1937 Frankfurt     Carl ORFF                  Carmina Burana                           Haken Hagegard
1987 Houston      John ADAMS              Nixon in China                            Orchestra of St Lukes
2005 Bristol         Andrew DALDORPH  L'Apres-Midi                             Le Jazz (with Chris Gradwell)

(Scroll down FIVE posts for concert run-down)

The Piatti Quartet, Northcott Theatre, Sunday 13 March

The Piatti Quartet

Charlotte Scott & Michael Trainor, violin
David Wigram, viola; Jessie Ann Richardson, 'cello

On the evening of Sunday 13 March the Piatti Quartet came to the Northcott Theatre to give the last of four concerts in the 'Classical Concert Series'.  Previously at the Northcott there have been a piano recital by Freddy Kempf, a violin and piano recital by Katie Stillman and Simon Lane and a piano, violin and 'cello recital by the 'Vienna Mozart Trio' (q.v.).  Following mathematical logic the fourth concert involved four musicians, two violinists - Charlotte Scott and Michael Trainor, in conjuction with a violist and a 'cellist - David Wigram and Jessie Ann Richardson.
The concert was very well attended and many local musicians were there to hear this new and very impressive string quartet.  Without preamble they launched into the very vigorous 'Emperor' Quartet by Josef Haydn, a breathtaking performance in four increasingly impressive movements.  Jessie Ann Richardson's 'cello continuo was firm and strong throughout, with lovely duets by the two violinists.  In the presto the instruments alternated more and the four players all showed their amazing individual skill.
The Quartettsatz by Franz Schubert started feverishly and had even more going on for each player.  As each completed a beautiful passage the next would leap in with absolute confidence, creating a beautifully coherent whole.

David Wigram introduces Smetana's First String Quartet
- and his own viola solo

After the usual luxurious interval in the Northcott mezzanine bar, where many positive comments were made, David Wigram took the floor to tell us all about the very special piece that would take up the whole of the second half.  As David explained, very succinctly, Bedřich Smetana's First String Quartet "Z mého života" ("From my life") describes the composer's life in four movements.  Childhood leads to young adulthood, marriage, Czech nationalist awakening  and finally old age and infirmity.  Smetana suffered from tinnitus in later life, a terrible experience for a composer, and that is expressed in the vivace where high violin harmonics give us some idea of his suffering.
David not only introduced and explained this work beautifully, but also had a beautiful viola solo to open the proceedings.  From then on everything was beautiful.  The 'cello sound was rich and clear with the pizzicato section representing Bedřich's beloved wife Kateřina was delightful.  The exchange between the instruments in the polka was worked perfectly with sharp transitions executed with faultless dynamics.  Everything was excellent and the whole 'story', lasting about an hour, was pure pleasure from start to finish.

Thank you

In response to the audience applause the quartet treated us to a little more Haydn, the finale to Opus 33 No 4, a fitting end to a wonderful concert.  Then, as Michael warmed up the car for their journey home, the remaining players changed into more casual clothes and posed for a farewell snapshot.

and bon voyage

Since then the quartet have completed a tour of Scotland  - funded by the Tunnell Trust for Young Musicians as an award for excellence, just one of the many awards they have won, and shall no doubt continue to win in the future.




More classical concerts at the Northcott Theatre?  Watch out for news of the next 'Classical Concert Series' - which will also appear on this website.  In the meantime we have a quadruple bill of opera this week.  Four separate operas performed over five days by the English Touring Opera.  (Details in this week's Concert Run-Down.)  As soon as the dust settles after that, Exeter University's Director of Music, Marion Wood will mount the rostrum next Monday evening to conduct the Exeter University Choral Society in a selection of 'carmina' ('songs') from Carl Orff's 1936 'Carmina Burana' - poems by mediaeval students in exciting modern arrangements.  The full 'Carmina Burana' will follow in June this year.  (Details of Monday's concert are also in the run-down below.)


Exeter's Northcott Theatre is not only a great venue for drama, but also for great music.

Rebecca Willson, Modern Piano, Monday 14 March

Champion of new music Rebecca Willson

With the threat of funding cuts hanging over the future of live music concerts in the Music Room, it was a wonderful treat to see one of Exeter's most talented musicians giving a lunchtime concert on Monday last week.
Anyone visiting the library at around midday, or working nearby, could go up to the superb purpose-built music room and enjoy an hour of incredible music - and pay only £4 for the privilege.
Rebecca was one of the last few to graduate from Dartington College of Arts.  She was awarded a first in music in 2007.  Her study and collaboration with contemporary composer Graham Fitkin ignited her passion for new music, and she now works with an equally exciting new composer, Gabriel Prokofiev.  (Yes, that's the grandson of the even more famous Sergei Prokofiev.)
Rebecca's programme was full of exciting music very enthusiastically played.  The music was exclusively late twentieth and early twenty-first century.  The playlist was a roll-call of the greatest modern composers: John Adams, Somei Satoh, Rodesik De Man, Joyce Beetuan Koh, Permagnus Lindborg, and Caleb Burhans.  Every piece was played with incredible energy and a clear demonstration of Rebecca's detailed understanding of the music.  Most exciting was the music of her former mentor, Graham Fitkin - 'The Cone Gatherers' from 1978 and, to finish the concert, 'Fervent' from 1994.
The whole recital was not only very well balanced but very precisely and engagingly played.  Rebecca also solved that perennial problem of page-turning which often disrupts the music and can make a terrible noise.  Electronic displays which change page automatically are available, but expensive.  Rebecca solved that by inventing her own system by using a normal laptop PC and changing the page on the screen with the mouse - operated by her left foot.  This small innovation made a huge difference to the enjoyment of the music.  I hope the idea catches on.
The whole concert was recorded by that technical wizard, Mike Gluyas, who will provide the edited recordings of each piece for play-out on 'The Classical Journey' in the near future.  You really have to hear Rebecca playing to realise the extraordinary complexity and beauty of this music - and why she is so passionate about it.
Rebecca is currently working with 'Joined Up Thinking Projects' who showcase young musicians in Devon.  She will also be working on a series of performances of new music at the Bikeshed Theatre in Exeter.  (Many will remember Rebecca's playing from the Exeter Fringe Festival last year.  She took the 10pm-midnight slot two Thursdays running on 24 June and 1 July with her own amazing 'Journey' across three centuries and three continents.)
This Monday's concert was a wonderful opportunity to see a wonderful new musician.  If you didn't manage to see it, don't worry.  Rebecca Willson is a name we shall be hearing more often in the future.  To find out more about Rebecca's music teaching in Exeter go to www.exeteryoungstrings.org

More Piano - Jill Govier at Glenorchy, 16 March

Pianist Jill Govier at Glenorchy

Following the outstanding lunchtime concert of modern piano music in the Music Room at Exeter Library on Monday, it was possible to hear more excellent piano music only two days later in another lunchtime concert at Glenorchy United Reformed Church in Exmouth.  Although not restricted to modern music (the concert covered three centuries of European music in fact) there was a very special modern piece by Norfolk composer Patrick Hawes to bring us up to the present day.
Jill called her programme 'A Season for Everything' - a reference to the opening line of the third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes in Hebrew Scripture:

".לַכֹּל, זְמָן; וְעֵת לְכָל-חֵפֶץ, תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם"

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"
And the heavens smiled on Jill's endeavours on Wednesday afternoon.
She opened with two pieces from 1722, Preludes 1 and 21 from 'The Well Tempered Clavier'.  The first, in C major, is well known to all piano students, deceptively simple but delightfully flexible.  Jill delivered it beautifully and continued with the very different Prelude 21 in B flat major.  No beginner would want to be given this to study.  The melody hops about the keyboard with sudden chords and long and exhilarating runs up and down.  For all its complexity, number 21 complemented number 1 perfectly, especially with Jill's consistent playing.
Leaping ahead in time to the nineteenth century, Jill continued with Chopin's Mazurka No 13.  Although in a doleful minor key, this dance was gently uplifting.  The very gentle start lead into beautiful legato phrases - and a sudden ending, characteristic of Chopin, which leaves the listeners uncertain about what they have heard.
Slipping back to the closing years of the eighteenth century, Beethoven's Seventh Piano Sonata was a much larger work in four movements.  The opening presto was cheerful with fun rhythms which carried the listener along.  Lovely.  The largo was actually quite fast too, a lovely fluid sound which led to a surprisingly staccato ending.  The minuet and rondo returned to the jokey tune of the opening but built to an impressive finish.
Two more short mazurkas by Chopin followed (29 and 43).  Both were short but sweet, the first a piece of fun and the second more serious and ponderous.

Then it was time for the wonderful 'Sleep Song' by Patrick Hawes.  Jill met Patrick in Exeter during his 2007 'Towards the Light' tour, in which he played the 'Sleep Song'.  This was Jill's first public performance of the personalised score she received from Patrick at that meeting.  With a key signature of six flats, changing to six sharps this wsa not too restful for the player, but it was certainly restful for the audience - but by no means sleep-inducing!
Jill finished with Edvard Grieg's 'Lyric Piece for Piano', 'Wedding Day At Troldhaugen'.  The wedding was his own - to his cousin Nina Hagerup at his home, Troldhaugen in Bergen in Norway.  She dedicated it to the impending wedding of Prince William (Friday 29 April, by the way).
The long and complex development of the theme brought an unfortunate problem - the page turn.  Rebecca's laptop would have been invaluable.  After turning the page halfway through a fantastically complicated crescendo it is necessary to turn back again for the repeat.  Jill seemed to have tried to overcome this by making a photocopy to use for the repeat.  Despite having practiced the turn in advance with her husband in charge of the music, something seemed to go wrong in practice.  Apparently Howard, thinking Jill had been playing from the photocopy removed it!  All was not lost, however.  Jill simply began the offending section again and played it from memory - for us to enjoy all over again.
Despite the little technical hitch, the audience were delighted with the Grieg and hoped there might be a little something extra for an encore.  Jillhad just the thing: 'Quanta Qualia', composed by Patrick Hawes in 2005 and included in his 'Towards the Light' concert tour.  With a pronounced sense of longing, this lovely piece was beautifully played,  every new harmony a delight.  A very sweet conclusion to another very enjoyable concert.

This Wednesday at Glenorchy we can hear the singing of soprano Janet McDonald, accompanied by clarinettist Phil Bonser.   This intriguing duo will be brought together again a week from Saturday, when they will take part in Schubert's 'Shepherd on the Rock' at St Margaret's Church in Topsham.

Janet McDonald (Soprano) 
Glenorchy United Reformed Church Exmouth Wednesday 23 March 12.30pm

Clarinet and Song (with clarinettist Philip Bonser)

Admission Free

SPRINGTIME IS COMING!

St Margaret's Church Topsham Saturday 2 April 7.30pm

Franz Schubert: 'Shepherd on the Rock'

Soprano: Janet McDonald

Clarinet: Philip Bonser

Piano: Margaret Chave, Mary Pickard

Tartini: Concertino

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto

and songs by Finzi, Fauré and Mozart

Admission Free - but all donations go to 'Shelter Box'

to provide relief to disaster victims around the world

Exeter Singers at St Mary Arches, Wednesday 16 March

Exeter Singers - Sopranos and Altos to the fore

Efforts continue to preserve a wonderful historical building in the Heart of Exeter.  Built one thousand years ago, and having narrowly survived the Blitz on Exeter during the Second World War, St Stephens Church now needs extensive work to preserve and restore it for public use.  This is not just for church services, by the way.  Central Exeter Parish has embraced a policy of 'open access' for the wider community since 1973.

So far the roof has been made weather-proof and work is now under way to put right the damage to interior caused by years of rain on leaking tiles.

Consequently fund-raising concerts to raise money for the St Stephens Project cannot take place in the Church itself at the moment.  This is not such a terrible blow, however.  Concerts continue in the nearby church of St Mary Arches (behind British Home Stores, if you were wondering).  St Mary Arches is a truly glorious setting for small concerts.  Compact and cosy, with delightful decor - and those fabulous Norman arches, it also has perfect acoustics.  Any concert held here is almost guaranteed to be at once comforting and uplifting.

Second Tenor and Conductor Tony Yeates

Wednesday's evening concert in support of the St Stephens Project ranged widely from the early sixteenth to the late twentieth century.  Renaissance music was interspersed with comic opera, show songs, poems, and solo performances on the piano and organ by the one instrumentalist at the concert, Matthew Wright.
Tenor Tony Yeates led from the rostrum and opened with five renaissance songs.  Apart from the occasional piano note to get the key these were all sung a cappella (Matthew staying in the background with the tenors).  In French and German, they each had an English translation on the programme sheet, but each told its own story through the music:
Pierre Passereau, 'Il est bel et bon' - a loving husband
Josquin Des Prez, 'Mille regrets' - separation - terribly sad but beautifully harmonised
Hans Leo Hassler, 'Tanzen und Springen' - dancing in the meadows - full of joy
Heinrich Isaac, 'Inssbrudk, ich muss dich lassen' - homesickness - deep bass harmonies
Orlande de Lassus, 'Bonjour mon coeur' - love - more deep harmonies lovingly rendered.

Second Tenor and Organist
Matthew Wright

Step forward Matthew Wright - for Bach's final work, 'The Art of Fugue'.  Matthew played 'Contrapunctus I' which, he explained, has alternate scoring for string quartet, piano or organ, and is equally difficult on each. Matthew chose the organ which, I feel sure, must really be the most taxing option.  The organ at St Mary Arches has a lovely tone - matched by Matthew's sensitive touch.  In the perfect acoustics of the church long and winding fugue of 'Contrapunctus I' was pure pleasure for everyone - including the Singers who were taking a well-earned rest.
The initial melody was slow and stately, but then the second 'contrapunctal' melody intrudes, followed by yet another in the bass so that the building was completely filled with gorgeous sounds.  As a grand finale Matthew pulled out extra stops to release the deep bass rumble under the lingering final trills - ending with the trademark big final chord.


In contrast to the opening renaissance music, the Singers continued with songs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.  Still very varied and versatile:
Arthur Sullivan, 'The long day closes' - a hypnotic lullaby - sweet soprano and deep bass fading to a whisper
Benjamin Britten, 'The Evening Primrose' - moonbeams represented by silvery tones in the soprano and alto beautifully sustained on the final note
Gerald Finzi, 'My spirit sang all day' - vigorous and spirited, ending with a powerful chord

Another short break from singing, this time for some poetry:
Robert Bridges, 'Shall I let thee go?' - very clear diction - 'I shall not let thee go!'
Shakespeare, Sonnet 116 - soft and gentle
Wendy Cope, a light hearted 'joke' sonnet about a jealous boyfriend from 'Strugnell's Sonnets'

Show songs:
George and Ira Gershwin, 'S'Wonderful' - a lovely piano piece for Matthew with minimal voices
Rodgers and Hart, 'Blue Moon' - lovely unaccompanied 'scat' melody leading into 4-part harmony
Thomas 'Fats' Waller, 'Ain't misbehavin' - Jazz piano opening followed by more harmonious 'scat'

After a very convivial interval the choir sang the renaissance  'Beatus Vir' by Claudio Monteverdi very reverently with organ accompaniment, immediately followed by the ethereal romantic hymn 'Cantique de Jean Racine' by Gabriel Fauré - with piano accompaniment.
Matthew then stayed at the piano for more of Bach's 'Art of Fugue'.  The chorale 'Wenn wir in Höchsten Nöten sein' ('When in the hour of utmost need').  This was Bach's very last composition, dictated from his deathbed.  Starting very simply, the chorale extracts a serene beauty from the simplest harmonies.  The final gentle offering of a master musician.

First Tenor Julian Clutterbuck

The concert ended with modern songs and poems.  Six songs by Peter Knight, Goff Richards, Jonathan Willcocks, John Rutter, John Whitworth - and Billy Joel (arranged for choir by Bob Chilcott - with a solo part for the conductor!)  And, along the way, three poems - Dorothy Parker's 'Nocturne' and 'One perfect rose', and John Masefield's 'Ballad of John Silver' - the last recited by tenor Julian Clutterbuck (see photo).

After Whitworth's 'The Mermaid', with audience participation in the refrain ('Rule Britannia'), and an appreciative final round of applause, the audience were sent away with Bob Chilcott's 'Irish Blessing'.  A very appropriate finish.

Apart from the beauty of the setting and the sound we were reminded of the important purpose of these concerts - to raise money to complete the preservation work on St Mary Arches' sister church, St Stephens. To find out more about the St Stephens Project and ways in which anyone can help preserve this wonderful building visit www.stephenproject.org.uk.

To hear how wonderful the acoustics are at St Mary Arches - for orchestra music - there is a lunchtime concert at 1.00pm this Saturday, 26 March, by the University Chamber Orchestra, proceeds going to the Parish of Central Exeter.

Exeter University Chamber Orchestra
St Mary Arches Church Exeter Saturday 26 March 1pm
Lunchtime Concert with tea and coffee
Proceeds to the parish.

Last Concert Run-Down for March

Tuesday's 'Classical Journey' will be the last for March.  The next 'Journey' will be on Tuesday 5 April.  Here's a sneak preview of the wonderful classical music events taking place over the next two weeks, and into April, May and June.  Want to add an event?  Just post the details in the comments box or email to luch@phonic.fm.  Watch this space for more details.

English Touring Opera
Northcott Theatre Exeter

Tue-Sat 22-26 March

Tuesday 7pm:
Tobias Picker: Roald Dahl's
'Fantastic Mr Fox'
Wed&Sat 7.30pn:
Mozart: 'La Clemenza di Tito'
Thu&Fri 7.30pm:
Puccini: 'Il Tabarro'
        & 'Gianni Schicchi'

Tickets: £17-£30

(concessions 1/2 price)
Box: 493493

www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

www.englishtouringopera.org.uk

Janet McDonald (Soprano) 
Glenorchy United Reformed Church Exmouth

Wednesday 23 March 12.30pm

Clarinet and Song

(with clarinettist Philip Bonser)
Admission Free

¬ Soprano Janet McDonald (2nd from right)

in performance at Poltimore last year

Chris Hunt, Tenor;

Joyce Clarke, Piano;

Janet McDonald, Soprano;

Claire Powell, Mezzo-Soprano

Jenny Carter plays flute with
the EU Symphony Orchestra

Exeter University Symphony Orchestra
Mint Methodist Church Exeter
Wednesday 23 March 7.30pm
Easter Concert
Debussy: 'Prelude de l'apres-midi d'un faune'

Saint Saëns: Piano Concert No 2
(with a special guest soloist) 
Dvořák: Symphony No 7
Ticket details to follow
( or email gle202@exeter.ac.uk )

Lympstone Entertainments

Lympstone Village Hall Friday 25 March 7.30pm

Caruso and the Quake

Very timely, following the devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan,

this musical drama by the Prodigal Theatre Company follows

The escape from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso
played by Ignacio Jarquin

Tickets: £8  Box: 01395 263928

or Lympstone Post Office

info@lympstoneentertainments.co.uk

www.lympstoneentertainments.co.uk

Divertimento

St John's Church Bridgetown Totnes Friday 25 March 7.30pm

The Pressenda Ensemble

(Malcolm Latchem & Brenda Willoughby, violin)

Handel: Concerto Grosso in D minor Opus 6 No 10

Telemann: Violin Concerto in G

Arvo Pärt: Tabula Rasa

Telemann: Concerto for 4 violins in G

Purcell: Pavanne and Chaconne

Rachmaninoff: Vocalise Opus 34 No 14

Piazzolla: Winter & Summer in Buenos Aires

Tickets: £12 (Concessions £10)

Child/Student free

Box: Divertimento 01803 863168

Coffee and Music
Church of St John the Baptist Broadclyst Saturday 26 March 10.30am
Rebecca Smith Mezzo Soprano
John Scarfe Piano
Elgar: Sea Pictures
Britten: A Charm of Lullabies
Admission Free
Retiring collection in aid of the Organ Restoration Fund

(Rebecca will sing Alto
at Sir Neville Mariner's Choral Workshop Day

at the Shaldon Festival on Saturday 18 June - see below.)

Exeter Festival Chorus

Exeter Cathedral Saturday 26 March 7.30pm

Music for Awhile (Margaret Faultless)

Handel: Israel in Egypt

Tickets: £12-22

Box: Exeter Phoenix 432309

Le Jazz

Kennaway House Sidmouth
Sunday 27 March 6.45pm

Chris Gradwell, Clarinet/Sax
Andrew Daldorph, Piano

Tickets: £7 Box: 01395 515551
01297 625137

www.kennawayhouse.org.uk

¬ Le Jazz = Andrew Daldorph & Chris Gradwell



Exeter University Choral Society
Northcott Theatre Exeter Monday 28 March 7.30pm
'Take Orff' (an introduction to the Carmina Burana)
100-strong choir
Director: Marion Wood (q.v.)
Tickets: £8 (Concessions £5) Box: 493493
www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
(The full 'Carmena Burana'  will be performed
at the Northcott Theatre
by The Exeter University Choral Society 
and Scholars Ensemble
on Wed&Thur 15&16 June 7.30pm
details here )

St Peter's Music

St Peter's Church Budleigh Salterton

Tuesday 29 March 8pm

(Free Pre-Concert Talk 7pm)

Peter Donohoe: Piano

Bach: French Suite No 5

Brahms: Drei Klavierstuck

Beethoven: Piano Sonata in A flat Opus 110

Bartok: Sonata (1926)

Chopin: Ballade 3, Polonaise Fantasie

Andante Spianato e Gran' Polonaise Billiante

Tickets: £15 (Student £7.50) Phoenix: 667080

Exeter Recorded Concert Society

Exeter Central Library Music Room
Saturday 2 April 1.30pm

Luch Càise-Dearg Spain and the New World

Admission Free

The Maynard Concert Series
Maynard School Hall Exeter Saturday 2 April 3pm &7.30pm
Isobel Buchanan International Soprano
Afternoon Masterclass: 3-5pm (all wecome)
Champagne and canapés reception: 7.30pm
Concert: 8pm
A journey from East to West
Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Grieg and Frank Bridge
Masterclass with tea and cake: £15 (student £7.50)
Reception and Concert: £15 Box: 355966
development@maynard.co.uk
www.maynard.co.uk


SPRINGTIME IS COMING!

St Margaret's Church Topsham Saturday 2 April 7.30pm

Franz Schubert: 'Shepherd on the Rock'

Soprano: Janet McDonald

Clarinet: Philip Bonser

Piano: Margaret Chave, Mary Pickard

Tartini: Concertino

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto

and songs by Finzi, Fauré and Mozart

Admission Free - but all donations go to 'Shelter Box'

to provide relief to disaster victims around the world

Exeter Bach Society
St David's Church Exeter Saturday 2 April 7.30pm
J. S. Bach: Mass in B minor
Conductor: Nicholas Marshall
Leader: Anna Cockroft
Soprano: Raphaela Papadakis
Mezzo Soprano: Cátia Moreso
(follow this link to hear Cátia sing Bach's Magnificat)
Tenor: Clement Hetherington
Bass: Ben McAteer
(all soloists from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama)
Tickets: £15 unreserved (concessions £11)
Exeter Phoenix: 667080

Opus Classical (Exeter Guildhall): 214044
Roger Churchward (Front of House): 468867
www.exeterbachsociety.org.uk

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Exeter Cathedral Thursday 7 April 7.30pm

Nationalist Stirrings

Sibelius: Karelia Suite

Schumann: Piano Concerto

Dvorak: Symphony No 6

Conductor: Owain Arwel Hughes

Piano Soloist: John Lill

Tickets: £9.50-£29 Box: 665885

www.bsolive.com

Counterpoint
Exeter Cathedral Saturday 9 April 7.30pm
J. S. Bach: The Saint John Passion BWV 245
Divertimento Ensemble
Leader Brenda Willoughby
Conductor: David Acres

Evangelist (Tenor): Christopher Watson

Christus (Bass): Stuart Young

Soprano: Mary Bevan
Counter Tenor: Jonathan Peter Kenny
Tenor: Greg Tassell
Tickets: £12-18
Phoenix box office: 667080
purchase.tickets.com
www.counterpoint.org.uk

Exeter Music Group Symphony Orchestra

Exeter Cathedral

Thursday 14 April 7.30pm

Elgar: Sea Pictures

Mezzo-Soprano Alison Kettlewell

¬ Mezzo-Soprano Alison Kettlewell

Mahler: Symphony No 2 "Resurrection"

Soprano Catherine Hamilton, Mezzo-Soprano Alison Kettlewell

with the Exeter Music Group Singers

Conductor: Marion Wood, Leader Clare Smith (q.v.)

Tickets: £8-15 Phoenix: 667080

www.emgsymphonyorchestra.org

Soprano Catherine Hamilton ®

Edward Scull: Marimba

The Helen Foundation
5th Anniversary Concert

St Peter's Church Shaldon
Friday 15 April 7.30pm

Romance of the Marimba

Marimba: Edward Scull

Exeter Chamber Choir: Andrew Daldorph

Monteverdi, Lauridsen, Gorecki, Daldorph

Tickets: £10

contact@thehelenfoundation.org.uk

www.exeterchamberchoir.co.uk

www.shaldon-devon.co.uk

St Boniface Concert Society

Crediton Parish Church Thursday 28 April 7.30pm

Alexander Sitkovetsky: Violin

Qian Wu: Piano

Brahms: Sonatas 2 & 3

Grieg: Sonata No 3

Prokofiev: Sonata No 1

Season Ticket (5 concerts) £50

Tickets: £12 (child £6)

Box: Opus Classical (Exeter Guildhall) 214044

www.bonifaceconcerts.co.uk

East Devon Choral Society/Exeter Chamber Choir
St Paul's Church Tiverton Saturday 7 May 7.30pm
Sir Edward Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius

Full symphony orchestra
conducted by Andrew Daldorph

Mezzo-Soprano: Frances Bourne
Tenor: Iain Milne
Bass: James Arthur
Tickets: Main Aisle £15, other £10 (U16 £6)
EDCS Box Office: 01884 840054
Tiverton Information Centre 01884 255827
Details: 01884 253494
www.exeterchamberchoir.co.uk

Orchestra of the Age or Enlightenment
Dartington Great Hall Sunday 29 May 3pm
Musical Director: Alison Bury
Soprano: Elin Manahan Thomas
George Frederic Handel:
Concerto Grosso Op 6 No 1
Guilio Desare: 'Da Tempesta'
Rinaldo: 'Lascia ch'io Pianga'
Alcina: 'Tonami a Vagheggiar'
Concerto Grosso Op 3 No 2
Concerto Grosso Op 6 No 7
Cantata for Soprano and Orchestra:
'Silete Venti'
Tickets: £18 (student £5) Box: 01803 847070
www.dartington.org

Shaldon Festival

St Peter's Church Shaldon

Thu-Sun 16-19 June

Thu 16: English Touring Opera

Fri 17: South West Music School (q.v.)

Sat 18: Choral Workshop with Sir Neville Mariner

Piano: Peter Adcock, Organ: Jonathan Watts,

Soprano: Héloïse West, Alto Rebecca Smith (see above),

Tenor: Gitai Fisher, Bass: Julian Rippon (q.v. & q.v.)

Sun 19: Innovation Chamber Ensemble

(Strings of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra)

Shostakovich, Brahms, Mendelssohn

www.shaldonfestival.co.uk