Collections & Connections

The festive season is over for another year - but there's still plenty to cheer our way, through what will be a tricky 2019! The Taunton Sinfonietta has four fine concerts planned, and the first is quite soon - on Sunday 10 February, at 3 pm in Temple Methodist Church.

Named "Collections and Connections", the programme links the great Johann Sebastian Bach with his son Carl Philip Emanuel, through the father's A minor Violin Concerto (with Mary Eade as soloist) and the son's A major Cello Concerto (soloist Chris Sampson). Then there's a piece by Mendelssohn, and a collection of Dances by Schubert - they were contemporaries, (though they didn't meet); and lastly, a collection of beautiful settings of Orthodox prayers, "Trisagion" (Thrice Holy) - for strings, without voices - by the Latvian composer Arvo Pärt, and a Suite for Strings by John Rutter, based on English folk songs. It will be intriguing to hear what influence the missing words will have on the music!

The other dates for your new diary this year are Saturdays 22 June and 21 September, both in St James' Church at 7.30, and the Young Musician's Platform in Sunday 1 December in Temple Methodist Church at 3 pm. There'll be oboe solos, bassoon solos, and the Taunton Young Musician 2019, yet to be chosen - more news in due course.

We look forward to seeing you - and your friends - on 10 February