Music for St Valentine

February 2016

The New Year is moving on, with an unpredictable weather pattern to keep us guessing... meanwhile the Taunton Sinfonietta is announcing its forthcoming concerts, and the musical scene, at least, is becoming clearer!

First in 2016 is "Music for St Valentine" on Sunday 14th February in Temple Methodist Church at 3pm: suitable music, served with tea and cake in the interval...
Kreisler's romantic pieces "Liebesleid" and "Liebesfreud" express Love's Passion and Love's Joy, while Concerti Grossi by Handel and Corelli swing from quiet reflection to vigour and delight from one section to the next.
Soloists Pamela Canter and Hesther Somerville star, together with Mary Eade, in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no.4, for treble recorders and violin, and there'll also be a Concerto for two treble recorders by Telemann. Clive Jenkins' "Thames Reflections" completes the programme - warm, friendly and beautiful!

Next come two different chamber concerts:
On Sunday 10th April The Beacon Piano Trio makes a welcome return, to Temple Methodist Church at 3 pm, to play trios by Beethoven, Arensky, Debussy and Haydn.
On Saturday 7th May The Divertimento Ensemble, led by Mary Eade, with Lynn Carter (oboe) will bring another exciting programme to St James' Church at 7.30 pm.

The next Orchestral concerts are on Saturday 25th June, and Saturday 24th September, both in St James' Church at 7.30 pm, and the programmes are:

"Songs and Strings" on 25th June with Suzanne Manuell singing "White Bird" by Clive Jenkins and songs by Purcell and Thomas Arne, while the strings will play Britten's Simple Symphony". Vivaldi Double Concerto for 2 violins in A minor and Telemann Triple Concerto for 3 Violins in F.

"Classy Clarinet" on 24th September, with the renowned Colin Parr, formerly Principal Clarinet of the CBSO, playing Clive Jenkins Romance and Weber Clarinet Quintet in an arrangement for string orchestra and clarinet, and the Strings playing Janacek "idyll" , Svendsen Variations on a Norwegian Folk Tune, Bruch "Kol Nidrei" , Vivaldi "La Stravaganza" and Leroy Anderson "Plink, plank plunk" and "Blue Tango".

Finally, "Showground for Soloists" on Sunday 4th December is in Temple Methodist Church at 3 pm, features the new Taunton Young Musician of 2016 - to be chosen next month - and also Nicola New on French Horn. She'll play Glazunov's Idyll for horn and strings, Sarah Wormell's In Memoriam for horn and strings, Mary Eade will play Sarasate Zigeunerweisen, and there'll be some seasonal Concerti Grossi too.

We look forward to seeing you at some - or all - of our concerts this year!