Tuesday 30th August 2016 ALEXANDRA DARIESCU – Piano “Magnificently projected playing, Alexandra Dariescu is enormously impressive” BBC Music Magazine. Recently named as one of 30 pianists under 30 destined for a spectacular career. Mendelssohn Bartholdy Variations sérieuses d-Moll op. 54 für

Klavier

Messiaen 2 Preludes

Beethoven Klaviersonate Nr. 6 F-Dur op. 10/2

Fauré 9 Préludes op. 103

Tschaikovsky Der Nussknacker - Suite op. 71a aus dem Ballett in zwei Akten

Tuesday 11th October 2016 VAN KUIJK QUARTET “Style, energy and a sense of risk… These four young Frenchmen made the music smile” The Guardian 2015 Winners of the 1st prize, Haydn prize and Beethoven prize at the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. Haydn String Quartet Op.76/4 in B flat major “Sunrise”

Ravel Quartet Op.35 in F major

Beethoven String Quartet No.16 Op.127 in E flat major

Tuesday 15th November 2016 ANGELA HEWITT – Piano “The paramount quality of Angela Hewitt’s piano playing is the joy it communicates.” Daily Telegraph One of the world’s leading pianists, Angela Hewitt regularly appears in recitals and with major orchestras of the world. Scarlatti Sonatas (a selection)

Mozart Sonata in B flat major, K333

Beethoven Sonata in D minor, Op.31 No.2 “The Tempest”

Beethoven Sonata in E flat major, Op.27 No.1

Tuesday 29th November 2016 JOHN CASKEN - Composer MARCUS FARNSWORTH – Baritone JAMES BAILLIEU - Piano John Casken, a contemporary classical composer, has composed this Song Cycle for the Alnwick Music Society. Marcus Farnsworth handled superbly…Butterworth’s six songs from ‘A Shropshire Lad’ …sung by Farnsworth with heartbreaking fragile masculinity’ The Guardian, 2014 James Baillieu “… is surely the leader of the new generation of accompanists. …a natural singer’s accompanist:. … in a class of his own” Wigmore Hall. Schubert

Liebesbotschaft

Casken

Lines from a Wanderer - premiere

Butterworth

A Shropshire Lad

Britten Three Folksong Arrangements

Tuesday February 21st 2017 GINA McCORMACK – Violin NIGEL CLAYTON – Piano “Gina McCormack … an excellent violinist, fluent, suave in tone and technically at ease”. The Scotsman Gina McCormack, for 13 years Leader of the Sorrel Quartet, is one of Britain’s leading artists. Nigel Clayton, a piano soloist with a particular interest in accompanying was recently appointed Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music. Weinberg

Sonatina for violin and piano

Prokofiev

Five Melodies, Op.35bis

Mendelssohn

Sonata in F major (1838)

Szymanowski

“La Fontaine D’Arethuse” No.1 from Three Mythes

Strauss Sonata Op.18

Tuesday 4th April 2017 BRASS ENSEMBLE OF OPERA NORTH The Brass Ensemble of Opera North is a flexibly sized chamber ensemble, comprising of players from one of the United Kingdom's most versatile orchestras. Russell Flourish Franck Sonata No.6 (Intrada) Speer Sonata No.1 Gabrieli Canzona per sonare No.2 Various arr. Greig Suite of Aires and Dances Bach arr, Greig Prelude and Fugue No.17 in A flat Gounod arr. Greig Funeral March of a Marrionette Maxwell Davies Farewell to Stromness Ellin Stow Sketches Fillmore Lassus Trombone Stravinsky Fanfare for a New Theatre Verdi arr. Greig Overture to ‘Nabucco’ Dubensky Concerto Grosso Gershwin Promenade (Walking the Dog) Hancock Cantaloup Villa – Lobos Bachianas Brasilieras

Tuesday 2nd May 2017 MARTIN ROSCOE “…Roscoe is a pianist who both thinks and offers full-blooded playing of breadth and depth. In this country, he is an uncommon creature…” Daily Telegraph With an extraordinary career spanning over 4 decades, our President, Martin Roscoe, is arguably one of the UK’s best loved pianists. Weber Invitation to The Dance Bach French Suite No.6 in E Beethoven Polonaise Op.89 Schubert 16 German Dances D783 Ravel Valses Nobles et Sentimentales Smetana Polka in A minor Martinu Polka Szymanowski 2 Mazurkas Op.62 Chopin Mazurka in A minor Op.17/4 Chopin Polonaise in A flat Op.53

Welcome to the 2016 – 17 season. The Society’s thirty eighth.

We begin the season much earlier than usual in order to present the concert that had to be postponed in February when we were asked to vacate the Guest Hall. The only date Alexandra Dariescu could offer us was Tuesday, August 30th and since she was keen to come to Alnwick and we were equally enthusiastic and determined to promote her piano recital, August 30th it is. Alexandra Dariescu is an outstanding emerging talent, predicted to reach the pinnacle of her profession. As usual we are always delighted to present the winners of the International String Quartet Competition and last year the Van Kuijk Quartet won a string of prizes at the Wigmore Hall. Despite the name, these four young men hail from France and received great accolades from the judges in London in the face of fierce competition. You will see we are promoting two concerts in November. Having finalised our programme Angela Hewitt’s agent, who I had been pursuing for some time, eventually confirmed that Angela would be available to play for us in November. The committee agreed this was an opportunity not to be missed so we will have the pleasure of listening to this outstanding talent who members may remember gave us a memorable evening a few years ago when she performed the Goldberg Variations. This will be a 7th additional concert and not part of the subscription package. The Society is delighted to be breaking new ground by commissioning a piece of work by our near neighbour John Casken who is one of the leading contemporary composers of the day. John, more used to work with prestigious orchestras including the Halle and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, has kindly agreed to produce a Song Cycle for an Alnwick Music Society World Premiere! The well known Baritone Marcus Farnsworth will perform the piece as part of a delightful programme, accompanied by the pianist James Baillieu. It was always the Society’s intention to invite the Sorrel String Quartet back to Alnwick following the string of wonderful concerts they had performed for us. Sadly, the Quartet is no longer in existence but happily its leader, the violinist Gina McCormack, now lives in the Borders and has agreed to come and play. It will be a great pleasure for the Society to hear once again a musician who has given us so much pleasure in the past. It is some time since we had a Brass concert and our President, Martin Roscoe, recommended the Brass Ensemble from Opera North who have performed for him at his Ribble and Beverley Festivals. We welcome them to Alnwick and look forward to an eclectic programme of music which hopefully interests not only our members but a wider audience of Brass players in the area. The season ends with the return visit of our President Martin Roscoe who not only performs wonderful recitals for us on a regular basis but supports the Society with his extensive knowledge of the contemporary classical music scene. We are greatly indebted to him. Chairman.

2016 30th August

ALEXANDRA DARIESCU Piano

11th October VAN KUIJK QUARTET 15th November * ANGELA HEWITT *

Piano 29th November JOHN CASKEN – Premiere

MARCUS FARNSWORTH Baritone

2017 21st February GINA McCORMACK – Violin

NIGEL CLAYTON - Piano

4th April BRASS ENSEMBLE OF OPERA NORTH

2nd May MARTIN ROSCOE Piano

* This is an extra concert and tickets (£10 for members) can be purchased from Alnwick Playhouse.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 6 CONCERTS £75

- A SAVING OF £30 SINGLE TICKET £16.00 CONCESSION £15.00

STUDENTS FREE NON-MEMBERS WELCOME

Membership Secretary – Jocelyne Tait – 01665 578 231 Registered Charity Number 702722

Tickets may be purchased in advance in person from Alnwick

Playhouse Box Office 01665 510 785 or on line at www.alnwickplayhouse.co.uk

Chairman: Roy Todd 01665 830 898 Vice Chairman: Hazel Pringle 01665 830 366 Treasurer: Anita Harvey 01665 606 489 Secretary: Joan Littler 01665 577 088

ALNWICK MUSIC SOCIETY

President: Martin Roscoe

CONCERTS 2016 - 2017

SEASON VENUE: ALNWICK PLAYHOUSE

NON-MEMBERS WELCOME

www.alnwickmusicsociety.co.uk

The A.G.M will be held at 6.30p.m. prior to the first concert in the Playhouse on Tuesday, August

30th