Merlin Music

JOHN LILL Piano
Saturday September 23rd 2006 7.30 pm
£ 15, £8

An intellectual giant and master craftsman - The Glasgow Herald

John Lill is no stranger to the Merlin Music Society, though international demand has taken him to over forty countries, both as a recitalist and as a soloist with some of the world’s leading orchestras. We are especially proud to welcome him back to inaugurate our rebuilt Steinway piano.

Waldstein Sonata – Beethoven
Carnival Jest – Schumann
Variation and Fugue on a theme of Handel - Brahms

Back to top

With BBC NOW musicians playing as if these were their own lives on the line, the passion and commitment was total . . . The Guardian

The orchestra has gone from strength to strength over recent years ander its formidable conducting team of Principal Conductor Richard Hickox, assited by Jac van Steen, Tadaaki Otaka and Grant Llewellyn. They bring to us an exciting programme of romantic works by European composers.

Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus – Ralph Vaughan Williams
Concerto for Clarinet and Strings – Gerald Finzi
Romanian Dances – Bela Bartok
Serenade for Strings – Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Back to top

FINE ARTS BRASS
Tuesday 12th December 2006
7.30pm
£ 15, £8

Dazzling . . .wonderfully spirited . .sublime. Gramophone

You almost do not notice how good these players are, as musicians, as charming performers, and as advocates for contemporary music. Edinburgh Guide

Fine Arts Brass is now in its twenty-fifth year and firmly established at the forefront of the international brass chamber music scene. Originally formed in 1980, the ensemble took its name from the place of its first rehearsal; the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at Birmingham University. The groups enduring success is due to its chameleon-like adaptability to different audience requirements. With the combination of their unique versatility of sound, eminent humour and passion for the music they play, it is easy to see why they have toured to over sixty countries and have performed in just about every festival in the UK.

Their programme will include Renaissance and Baroque music for brass as well as music with a more contemporary feel.

This is sponsored by the Music Box.. Monmouth Music Box will have music and CD's for sale in the foyer before the concert.

Back to top

WYE VALLEY FESTIVAL ENSEMBLE
Friday 19th January 2007
7.30pm
£ 15, £8

Every year the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival brings a group of outstanding instrumentalists to the area for a series of concerts in January. Directors Fiona McNaught and Daniel Tong perform alongside top chamber musicians from Britain and abroad. Members of the Leopold String Trio, Nash Ensemble, Dante Quartet and Kungbacka Trio are regular visitors.

Back to top

WENDY DAWN THOMPSON Soprano
Thursday 15th February 2007
7.30pm
£ 15, £8

A native of New Zealand, Wendy, studied with Margaret Kingsley at the Benjamin Britten Opera School and in 2003 she won the Kathleen Ferrier Competition. She has appeared in principal roles at Garsington, Aldeburgh and Edinburgh and has made her Wigmore Hall debut. She recently made her debut with Opera Australia and has sung Minerva (The return of Ulysees) for Birmingham Opera Company.

Back to top

VOGLER QUARTET
Tuesday 20th March 2007
7.30pm
£ 15, £8

Founded in East Berlin in 1985, the Vogler Quartet celebrate 21 years with their members unchanged and have established themselves as one of the finest quartets of their generation. The members studied at the Hochschule für Musik “Hans Eisler” and have a keen interest in the performance of music of all styles.

Recordings with BMG/RCA-Classic include works by Bartok, Beethoven, Debussy, Janacek, Ravel and Shostakovich and the complete Quartets of Brahms. Their 05/06 season included premieres of works by Frank Michael Beyer and Joerg Widmann.

Haydn Op. 64 no. 6
Bartok Quartet no. 2
Beethoven Op. 59 no. 3

Back to top

SIMON CRAWFORD-PHILLIPS AND PHILIP MOORE (Four hands one piano)
Tuesday 8th May 2007
7.30pm
£ 15, £8

Simon and Philip have been playing together as a duo since 1995. They opened the Millennium’s New Century, New Stars concert at the Wigmore Hall and in 2001 made their proms debut. They appear regularly on BBC Radio 3 and recently have appeared twice at the Edinburgh Festival as well as return visits to the Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall and the Purcell Room.

In 2004 they were recipients of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship.

Back to top