The seven month series commences on 23rd January @ All Saints' Church, Putney SW15
Another year - another feast of music - and another opportunity to darn those socks, finish the crossword and tweak the final paragraphs of that unfinished and oh-so-promising first novel. Yes, it's the 2011 Knitting Concerts.
This year the concerts run from January to July with lots of delights and surprises in store: Rachmaninoff in February, the lovely Clare McCaldin singing us through March, Berg and Zemlinsky in April and so on through to the Goldberg Variations in July.
To start the season off there is a wonderfully effervescent January concert on January 23rd when there will be an opportunity to hear one of Saint-Saens' most infectious works, the Septet for trumpet, piano and strings with trumpeter Gareth Bimson, principal trumpet of the BBCSO, taking the leading role. Preceding this will be the passionate angst of Mozart's G minor piano quartet and Rossini's duet for the improbable combination of cello and double bass.
As ever the concerts are free, there will be complimentary wine and juice available and, as long you don't disturb your neighbour, you are welcome to bring something along to do whilst you listen. The retiring collection in January will be for the very worthwhile work of Trinity Hospice.
So that you can mark your diaries up the February concert will be on February 20th when Jonathan Higgins and Robert Bridge will give two-piano performances of Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsody and Third Concerto.
On a vaguely serious note I hope that you will appreciate that these concerts run on a shoestring and, that whilst we make a retiring collection, it is possible to come to these concerts without paying anything at all: the musicians play for nothing more than an occasional bottle of wine and the overheads are minimal. For me this is an integral part of these concerts and, over the years, this has enabled people to attend the concerts who would not have been able to afford the price of a normal concert ticket. From this year the overheads will increase a little as the parish has asked for a hire fee in line with other concerts at All Saints. Whilst this cost can be absorbed through the donations I would be interested to hear from anyone who might like to sponsor a concert. The sums involved are not great and I would be happy to offer any potential sponsor the opportunity to nominate the chosen charity by way of reward. Please email me direct if you are interested.
Sunday 23rd January at 7pm
Gareth Bimson (trumpet)
Marina Solarek (violin)
Julie Monument (violin)
Maria Dumrese (viola)
Sarah Hedley-Miller (cello)
Rupert Ring (doublebass)
Robert Bridge (piano)
will play
Saint-Saens’ Septet
and improbable works by Mozart and Rossini
whilst you knit, read, draw, or even listen....
Retiring collection for Trinity Hospice
January 6, 2011