Painswick Music Society has four concerts by world-class artists this spring in St Mary’s Church.
Voces8 return on April 20th with a programme entitled Twenty. including 20 of their favourite and most popular pieces.
The multi award-winning violinist Hannah Roper, accompanied by Adrian Partington, Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral, perform a programme of English music on April 13th, including The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams and works by Holst, Coleridge-Taylor and Ethel Barns, whose First Violin Sonata premiered in 1900, was compared with Brahms and Grieg.
A major early work by Brahms himself, the Serenade No 1 Op 11, features in Meliora Collective’s concert on 11th May. Written for five wind and four stringed instruments, this first Nonet by Brahms received such a rapturous reception at its first performance that he subsequently arranged it for both chamber and full orchestra.
Equally popular was the Nonet by French composer, pianist and teacher Louise Farrenc, whose salary as professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory was raised to the same level as her male colleagues after its first performance in 1859. Meliora’s fascinating programme opens with Ligeti’s charming Old Hungarian Ballroom Dances.
The season opens on March 26th with the former official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, Catrin Finch, widely recognised as ‘the most gifted harp virtuoso of her generation’ in partnership with the internationally renowned Irish violinist, Aoife Ni Bhriain who is equally expert in classical and folk music. Their programme includes items from their recent album Double You inspired by the culture of their two countries which has been praised for its ’spellbinding dexterity’ and ‘as quite clearly the sound of two musicians having the time of their lives’.
These four concerts are a wonderful opportunity to hear live music in a beautiful setting, and back by popular demand, tea and cakes will be available afterwards with donations welcome. Memberships giving access to all four concerts and individual tickets can be purchased online at www.painswickmusicsoc.co.uk or from Edward Bowron: tickets@painswickmusicsoc.co.uk or Tel. 07789 006006.
