Wednesday 23 April 2014

Saturday 2 November 2013

Last post

OK, first up: Lillian Boutté on 12th Nov is SOLD OUT.  Call 01628 486227 if you want to go on the waiting list, but there will be NO TICKETS ON THE DOOR other than prebooked collections.

Second, if that has disappointed you, then why not come to our wonderful Autumn Serenade on November 23rd.  For full details see the poster below, then call to book your place!

And last but by no means least, we have a NEW WEBSITE.  So this blog is going to come to an end.  For all future events, and the archive of previous photos etc, go to www.musicinmarlow.org.uk



Tuesday 8 October 2013

Yes, she's back!

Lillian Boutté returns on 12th November, with Denny Ilet Jnr, Dan Moore, Andy Crowdy and Daisy Palmer.  

We know this is going to be FANTASTIC again!  Need I say more?  Only this - tickets are selling fast so CALL NOW on 01628 486227 before it's too late. Miss it and you'll regret it!


Blown away


Soundforce Big Band swung their stuff in fine style at Christ Church on Sunday night, with a programme largely although not exclusively from the classic repertoire of the golden era of swing.  From the first notes of Strike up the Band to a brilliant close with Jools Holland's arrangement of Tuxedo Junction, the 17-piece ensemble was directed by Keith Pocock and delivered the even blend of sound so characteristic of the style.  There were some fine solos too, among which Carolynn's clarinet interventions were notable, although a greater willingness from some of the soloists to really stand out would bring their performances more to life.



No shyness problem with the singers, with Lea delivering her diva best on several numbers and Mick doing it his way with a fair impression of Sinatra on others.  MC for the evening was Trevor, who laid on the cheese pretty thick at times.  That's just a matter of taste, of course, but it was unfortunate that he seemed to take it into his head that the audience was entirely from the U3A, which must have bewildered those who had no idea what he was talking about (for the record, we presented this concert in association with the U3A but by no means exclusively for their members!).  

A special mention should go to Richard on the sound desk.  When I saw the quantity of kit he hauled into the church I was seriously worried that the audience would need earplugs.  In fact he used the microphones very subtly to bring up the solos and ensure a good balance, rather than to amplify the overall sound.  Top marks!

More photos on the second tab above.

Soundforce will be back in Marlow at the end of November: if you missed them at Christ Church you could catch them at the Crowne Plaza.  See www.soundforcebigband.org.uk for more details.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Strike up the band!

Soundforce Big Band, that is.  My foot is tapping already in anticipation of their gig with us on Sunday October 6th.  See the poster below:


A great result from a very enjoyable evening

Big thanks to Mary and Clare for their recital last Saturday.  A very appreciative audience enjoyed a nicely varied mix of composers and styles from both pianists.  They opened and closed with "piano four hands" duets, always a crowd-pleaser, and in between alternated at the keyboard to give us Beethoven, Grieg, Haydn and more - with my own favourite being Mary's lovely performance of Handel's Suite in G Minor.

Thanks to a very good turn-out and the generosity of the audience, a cheque for £350 will be on its way shortly to Myeloma UK, the cause which Mary and Clare were supporting.  And there will also be a contribution to the church's piano fund, for which we are very grateful.

Here are a few pictures of Mary Daniels and Clare Mayo in action:










Saturday 7 September 2013

One piano, two pianists, and a very good cause

Mary Daniels and Clare Mayo are preparing for their piano recital at Christ Church on Saturday September 21st.  It promises to be another excellent evening and it is also in support of the charity Myeloma UK.  What we need now is a good audience! - ticket sales so far have been slow and I do hope many more will want to hear this concert.


The programme has just been confirmed so here are the details:

1. Mozart sonata in D major K.381 (duet)
2. Debussy Reverie (Clare)
3. Longing for home op.57 no.6 (Mary)
4. Humoreske op.6 no.3 (Mary)
5. Beethoven Sonata in F minor op.2 no.1 - mvt.1 Allegro & mvt.2 Adagio (Clare)
6. Debussy Danse (Tarantelle Styrienne) (Mary)
 
interval
 
7. Scarlatti sonata in D major K.512 (Clare)
8. Scarlatti sonata in E major K.163 (Clare)
9. Grieg Notturno op.54 no.4 (Mary)
10. Grieg Puck op.71 no.3 (Mary)
11. Einaudi Le Onde (Clare)
12. Handel Suite in G minor HWV.432 (Mary)
13. Chopin Nocturne in Eb major op.9 no.2 (Clare)
14. Haydn Variations in F minor (Mary)
15. Moskowski From Foreign Parts - Russia (duet)


Something there for everyone, surely?!  So call on 01628 486227 to book your tickets now.



Sunday 18 August 2013

Season of Mists and Great Music!

Our 2013 autumn season leaflet is now out and we are in for some more wonderful concerts this year.

The details are reproduced below but if you'd like some copies of the printed leaflet just drop us an email and we'll send some over, especially if perhaps you can help by handing these out to your friends or fellow musicians!

The season opens on 21st September when two very talented local musicians, Mary Daniels and Clare Mayo, will be giving a piano recital in aid of Myeloma UK.  

More details of the programme have just reached us.  It will include Reverie and Tarantelle by Debussy, a Chopin Nocturne in E flat, two Scarlatti sonatas, Haydn Variations in F minor, Handel Suite in G minor, 4 pieces by Grieg and Le Onde by Einaudi.  If that wasn't enough, Mary and Clare will also play a couple of duets (piano four hands).  Sounds fabulous! - so phone 01628 486227 to book your tickets in advance.





Sunday 16 June 2013

A first class return


Carlina Carr returned to Christ Church on Saturday (see earlier post for her previous visit), this time with cellist Ian Burdge.  And a first class return it certainly was, hugely appreciated by our audience.

The programme comprised sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy and Brahms.  The Beethoven was played with great delicacy and precision, bringing out beautifully the character of a work which at times seems to look back to the earlier classical age of Mozart and Haydn while yet being unmistakably romantic in character.  The Brahms sonata with which the evening finished is much lusher in texture and here the tone of Ian's late 18th century cello was simply delicious!

In between came Debussy's sonata from 1915, for me the highlight of the evening.  It is one of his last works, written as he was dying from cancer and against the backdrop of the First World War.  Again it nods to the past, in this case the French school of Rameau and his contemporaries.  But the soundscape is very modern indeed, showing Debussy even at the end of his life pushing tonality to the very limit and striving for a new form of expression.  Astonishing music!

So thanks to Ian and Carlina, and as usual there are more photos on the second tab (above).








Saturday 25 May 2013

Last but by no means least

The last concert in our 2013 spring season will be on Saturday 15th June and it will be a finale of the very top quality.  We welcome back Canadian-born pianist Carlina Carr who played at Christ Church last year, and she is partnered this time by cellist Ian Burdge.  The programme includes three wonderful cello sonatas, as shown on the flyer below.  Call 01628 486227 now for tickets, and come and join us for another evening of magical music-making in Marlow!