REVIEW OF CONCERT 19th NOVEMBER 2024 – EMMA JOHNSON (Clarinet) and GREGORY DROTT (Piano)

This was a concert that was given in memory of the late Chairman of Boston Concert Club, Rev. Jenny Dumat, who died on 23^rd December 2023.

This was the third concert given by Emma Johnson for the Concert Club, the first was on 16^th December 1986 and the second on 21^st March 1989; one of our members and her daughter were at both concerts and at each of them obtained an autograph from Emma on their programme. Both autographed programmes were brought to this concert and shown to Emma.

The concert began with a set of variations from Mozart’s clarinet concerto, a lovely piece of music and one of my personal favourites and a wonderful beginning. The concert continued with Schumann’s Fantasiestucke Op. 73 and was followed by Rebecca Clarke’s Impetuoso and then Poulenc’s Clarinet Sonata.

After the interval Emma played for us her own composition, ‘Three Perspectives’ – Echoes, Solace and Senegal Spirit, and she explained that each movement reflected a different character of the clarinet.

We then heard the wonderful larghetto from Mozart’s Clarinet concerto followed by the Arthur Bliss piece, ‘Pastoral’, which she played as a dedication in Jenny’s memory Next, we heard Sidney Bechet’s ‘Petite Fleur’ and then a medley of Duke Ellington’s music, including a lovely performance of ‘The Single Petal of a Rose’ from The Queen’s Suite, part of an album he prepared specially in honour of Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. The concert ended with an amazing rendition of the ‘Flight of the Bumble Bee’.

Emma was ably supported by her very talented accompanist Gregory Drott on piano and his playing greatly enhanced the whole experience. This was a concert that Jenny Dumat would have enjoyed enormously; she herself, was an accomplished clarinettist. We were delighted that members of Jenny’s family were able to attend this very special concert.

Thanks to Judith Warnes for this great picture of Emma Johnson and Gregory Drott

HEARTWOOD STRING QUARTET Concert on 21st January 2025 7.30 pm at Boston Grammar School PE21 6JE. Tickets are £12 at the door or in advance by contacting 01205 366018 or bostonconcertclub@gmail.com, Children and Students attend free of charge. There is plenty of parking at the entrance off Rowley Road.

The Heartwood String Quartet appear by kind permission of the Royal Northern College of Music.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Audrey Doyle violin
Bruno Robalo violin
Michaela Jones viola
Jasmine Blackshaw-Britton cello

Winners of the 2024 RNCM Hirsch Prize and 2024-2025 Chamber Studio UK Hans Keller Forum artists, the Heartwood Quartet are a Manchester-based string quartet founded in 2020 at the Royal Northern College of Music.

The quartet has been mentored by members of renowned quartets including the Elias Quartet, the Chilingirian Quartet and the Talich Quartet as well as receiving tuition as part of the European Chamber Music Academy in 2023.

Since their formation, the Heartwood Quartet have performed extensively across the UK in recitals with established concert series such as the Yorke Trust, Bury Concert Series and Buxton Opera House Concert Series as well as in chamber music festivals such as Didsbury Arts Festival and Enys Chamber Music Festival. In 2022 they enjoyed a residency with the Lake District Summer Music Festival and were pleased to be invited back for a recital in their 2024 concert series.

The quartet’s many upcoming projects for 2025 include recitals in concert series such as Solway Arts Society, Boston Concert Club and William Aston Hall Concert Series and a performance at the Royal Over-Seas League in January 2025.

PROGRAMME

Mozart: String Quartet No.15 K421

Jesse Montgomery: ‘Strum’

Interval

Beethoven: String Quartet Op59 No.1

Danish String Quartet: ‘Halling’

LAITON TRUMPET QUARTET on 17th December 2024 at 7.30 pm at Boston Grammar School PE21 6JE. Tickets are £12 at the door or in advance by contacting 01205 366018 or bostonconcertclub@gmail.com . Children and Students attend free of charge. There is ample parking at the entrance off Rowley Road.

BIOGRAPHY – LAITON TRUMPET QUARTET

The Laiton Trumpet Quartet are Grace Harman, Erin McLellan, Charlotte Nuta and Isabel Thompson who have all recently graduated from The Royal Northern College of Music. The ensemble has enjoyed success performing in several lunchtime concerts in and around Manchester and the North West. They have taken part in masterclasses, coaching and performance within the RNCM. In June 2023 and 2024 the group made it to the finals of the RNCM Philip Jones Brass Prize and were commended for their innovative and creative programme. All four members of the Quartet are based in the North West and continue to perform as soloists in ensembles, workshop leading as well as teaching. It is regretted that Isabel Thompson will be unable to perform at this concert. The Quartet are very grateful to Seb Williman for stepping in to perform with them. Seb came to the Concert Club two years ago with Rosamund Brass, playing at that December concert.

PROGRAMME

Fanfare for an Angel – James Stephenson

Solitude – Duke Ellington arr. Murray Grieg

Amazing Grace – John Newton arr. Andrew Reid

The Lazy Trumpeter – Edrich Siebert

Someday my Prince will Come – Miles Davis arr. Erik Veldkamp

Intrada – Hansen arr. Murray Grieg

Away in a manger – tradition arr. Peter Graham

Chorale and Fugue – Bach arr. Henry Mancini

The Seal Lullabye – Eric Whitacre arr. Isabel Thompson

Part 1 Encore: Tico Tico

INTERVAL

Rockin Robin – Jackson 5 arr. Grace Harman

Georgia on my Mind – Ray Charles arr. Erin McLellan

Eleanor Rigby – John Lennon/Paul McCartney arr. Grace Harman

Killer Queen – Queen arr. Grace Harman

Someone to watch over me – George Gershwin arr. Joseph Turrin

Dynamite – Christopher Bond

The Seal Lullabye – Eric Whitacre arr. Isabel Thompson

Basin Street Blues – Louis Armstrong arr. Grace Harman

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Frank Sinatra arr. Grace Harman

Caprice – Bernard Fitzgerald

Encore – Jingle Bells

EMMA JOHNSON (Clarinet) & GREGORY DROTT (Piano) this Concert is in memory of the late Chairman of Boston Concert Club, Rev. Jenny Dumat. The concert will take place at the Grammar School, Boston on 19th November 2024 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £12 in advance or at the door. Children and Students enter free of charge. To order your ticket in advance telephone 01205 366018 or email bostonconcertclub@gmail.com. There is ample parking at the entrance off Rowley Road and for this concert there will be additional parking in the lower car park, there will be someone there to help you park.

EMMA JOHNSON – Clarinet

Emma Johnson is one of the few clarinettists to have established a career as a solo performer which has taken her to venues all over the world. Emma grew up in London and her career was launched when at the age of 17 she won BBC Young Musicians in front of a TV audience of 12 million, followed by the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York.

Johnson has made 30 recordings to date; her album English Fantasy has been streamed 5 million times on Spotify whilst Voyage and The Mozart Album both reached the top of the classical charts. She recently released a recording with Gloucester Cathedral choir of her own composition, Songs of Celebration. A passionate advocate of the clarinet as a solo instrument, Emma has commissioned new works from composers such as Sir John Dankworth, Sir Michael Berkeley and Jonathan Dove. She also enjoys giving concerts with her own group, Emma Johnson and Friends and is known for her eclectic programming which has ranged from Mozart with Sir Yehudi Menuhin to Klezmer at the Jazz Café and Jazz with Dame Cleo Laine.

Emma Johnson’s compositions and arrangements have been published by Chesters and Faber Music. Her composition for clarinet and choir, Songs of Celebration, was recently performed in Dublin, London and Tokyo and her clarinet concerto, Tree of Life, a response to the climate emergency, is touring in 2024.

In 2020 she received the Cobbett Medal from the Musicians’ Company Guild in the City of London for distinguished services to chamber music. She was honoured by the Queen with an M.B.E. in 1996.

Emma Johnson plays a clarinet made by the English instrument maker, Peter Eaton.

In her spare time, Emma likes running and birdwatching – but not necessarily at the same time!

For more details please visit www.emmajohnson.co.uk

Follow Emma on Twitter: @ClarinetEmmaJ

PROGRAMME

Emma Johnson – Three Perspectives (Echoes – Solace – Senegal Spirit)

Schumann – Fantasiestucke Op.73 (Zart und mit Ausdruck – Rasch und mit Feuer)

Poulenc – Clarinet Sonata

Interval

Rebecca Clarke – Impetuoso

Mozart – Larghetto and Variations K581a

Bliss – Pastoral

Bechet – Petite Fleur

Ellington – Medley

REVIEW OF 600 YEARS OF MUSICAL HISTORY

Chris Green and Sophie Matthews gave a fast moving and fascinating brief history of Music on Tuesday evening. They had been due to come to us in March but had to cancel. We were delighted to welcome them to the Grammar School.

The instruments that were played were very interesting and some were unusual. For instance, there were two types of mandolin played by Chris, the smallest – a mandolino and a larger mandola. Chris also played a gittern, a lute and a guitar as well as a piano accordion. Sophie’s instruments were equally interesting, recorders, a shawm (the ancestor of the oboe), a crumhorn a very odd-looking reed instrument which is curved at the bottom, a rauschpfeife (this is German for “rush” or “reed” pipe) and the bagpipes. Sophie told us that the UK has ten different kinds of bagpipes! Sophie’s bagpipes looked like the Medieval type.

The concert began in the Middle Ages with “Summer is icumen in, Llyod sing cuccu”, this is the oldest English song and Chris and Sophie accompanied themselves on the mandolino and shawm respectively. There then followed a dance played on the bagpipes and called a Brawl!, this dates from the 15^th century We then travelled in time to the 16th century for Pastime in Good Company written by that famous musician Henry VIII accompanied by the crumhorn and gittern. This was followed by a 16^th/17^th century dance called a Maggot, this seems to be a generic term and the modern equivalent would be an earworm. This was fast and furiously played by Sophie on shawm and Chris on gittern. It was followed by that lovely John Dowland song “Come again sweet love” from his First Book of Airs with Chris accompanying on the lute.

Still in the early 1600s, accompanied by the red pipe – a Waite’s instrument according to Sophie, (the City Waites patrolled the streets at night) – we heard the Boys of Bedlam nonsense song “Who’s the fool now?” We joined in the chorus – Thou hast well drunken man, who’s the fool now?

Into the 18^th Century with bagpipes and gittern and a song Shepherd and Shepherdess from 1799. This was followed by Pills to Purge Melancholy by Thomas Sturgeon and then the Tale of the Sovay, which is about a female highwayman. Into the 19^th century with a moral Ballad, “Billy don’t you speak to me” and of course the Victorian Music Hall “When father papered the parlour”; this brought us to the last two songs from the First World War, Ivor Novello’s “Keep the Home Fires Burning” and the comic song “Goodbye-ee!” The concert ended with an encore, “The Somerset Wassail”.

What a wonderful concert this was and a splendid beginning to the 2024/2025 season.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSIC – 600 years of musical history in 90 minutes! With Chris Green and Sophie Matthews at Boston Grammar School on 15 October 2024 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £12 on the door or in advance from 01205 366018 or email bostonconcertclub@gmail.com. There is plenty of parking at the entrance to the Grammar School off Rowley Road.

The latest show from acclaimed musicians Chris Green and Sophie Matthews takes in 600 years of musical history in 90 minutes! Beginning in the Middle Ages and ending up in the 20th century (and incorporating everything in between!) this fun and fast-moving show is a whistle-stop tour of Western musical history.

Featuring long forgotten songs and tunes (not to mention jokes!) Chris and Sophie paint a vibrant and vivid picture of our musical DNA, mixing the familiar and the obscure, the raucous and the reflective and the courtly and the commonplace.

The show combines the vigour of the medieval period, the musical intricacy of the Renaissance, the grandeur of the Baroque and the pomp and bombast of Victoriana. Add to that the wit of Blackadder and 1066 And All That and the stage is set for a veritable musical feast!

Complete with a bewildering array of instruments such as cittern, rauschpfeife and virginal (and that’s just the first 100 years!), “A Brief History of Music” uses tunes, songs and humour to take you on a musical journey from

which you won’t want to return!

“You guys are awesome!” Bill Barclay, Director of Music at Shakespeare’s Globe

“Eclectic and enjoyable… a bewildering range of instruments” English Dance and Song Magazine

CONCERTS FOR 2024/2025

15 October 2024

Chris Green and Sophie Matthews

“A Brief History of Music”

600 years of musical history in 90 minutes!

19 November 2024

Emma Johnson (cl) and Gregory Drott (p)

Clarinet and piano

This concert is in memory of our Chairman The Rev. Jennifer Dumat who died in December 2023

Proposed programme:

Emma Johnson – Three Perspectives (Echoes – Solace – Senegal Spirit)

Schumann – Fantasiestucke Op.73 (Zart und mit Ausdruck – Rasch und mit Feuer)

Poulenc – Clarinet Sonata

Interval

Rebecca Clarke – Impetuoso

Mozart – Larghetto and Variations K581a

Bliss – Pastoral

Bechet – Petite Fleur

Ellington – Medley

17 December 2024

From RNCM

Laiton Trumpet Quartet

Proposed programme: (to come)

SJB / v3 / 7 July 2024 / p1

21 January 2025

From RNCM

Heartwood String Quartet

)

Proposed programme: (to come)

18 February 2025

Eira Lynn Jones

Harp

Proposed programme: (to come)

18 March 2025

Sofia Sacco

Solo piano

Proposed programme:

D. Shostakovich – 3 Preludes and fugues op. 87

M. Clementi – Sonata op. 40 n. 2

O. Respighi – Nocturne

M. Ravel – La Valse

Interval

F. Couperin – Les Barricades Mystérieuses

L.C. Daquin – Le Coucou

J. P. Rameau – Gavotte et Six Doubles

J.S. Bach – Toccata in E minor

D. Shostakovich – 3 Preludes and Fugues op.87

SJB / v3 / 7 July 2024 / p2

TOM DALE – Guitar this concert will be on 19th March 2024 at 7.30 pm at Boston Grammar School. Tickets are £12 at the door or in advance. Students and children have free entry to all concerts. To order tickets in advance please telephone 01205 366018 or contact bostonconcertclub@gmail.com. There is ample parking at the entrance off Rowley Road.

PROGRAMME

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

Cinq Preludes
- Prelude no.1
- Prelude no.2
- Prelude no.3
- Prelude no.4
- Prelude no.5

Cyril Scott (1879-1970)

Sonatina for Guitar
- I: Adagio, quasi introduzione – Molto Moderato
- II: Allegretto Pensoso
- III: Finale

Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909)

Lagrima

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Rumores de la Caleta

Interval

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Sarabande

Peter Sculthorpe (1929-2014)

From Kakadu
- I: Grave
- II: Comodo
- III: Misterioso
- IV: Cantando

Federico Moreno Torroba (1891-1982)

Madronos

Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996)

Folios
- I
- III

John Lennon (1940-1980) & Paul McCartney (1842-)

Here, There and Everywhere (arr. Takemitsu)
Michelle (arr. Takemitsu)
Yesterday (arr. Takemitsu)

REVIEW OF JAMES BLACKFORD CONCERT on 20th February 2024

This concert was the penultimate one of the season and what an enjoyable concert it was. Australian, James Blackford plays the Euphonium, this is an instrument which looks like a small tuba and is sometimes called the tenor tuba. James is a winner of the Philip & Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists, and on tonight’s showing is a worthy winner. Other winners of this prestigous award include Steven Isserlis, Elizabeth Watts and Craig Ogden.

James’s accompanist on the piano was Ruth Hollick. The first half of the concert was taken up by familiar works such as Villiers- Stanford’s Caoine a Clarinet Sonata and James played the second movement which has been arranged for the Euphonium. This was a delightful beginning to the concert. This was followed by Hummel’s Fantasy, James played the one on Mozart’s “Non piu andrai” (Figaro), Op.124. This was followed by the lovely Prayer, the first movement from Bloch’s A Jewish Life. Then we heard that wonderful Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky.

After the interval James and Ruth played for us Anthony Brahe’s Tour de Force, this music was written especially for James. It was indeed a a tour de force. This was followed by Piazzola’s tango Café 1930. Another treat followed, Martin Ellerby’s Euphonium concerto and we heard the 3^rd and 4^th movements. The last item on the Programme was Philip Spark’s Harlequin this piece was composed for and dedicated to the Euphonium virtuoso David Childs. It depicts the happy and sad masks of the Comedia dell’Arte, this features Harlequin as one of the main characters, the other eight are Zanni (Giovanni), Pantalone, il Dottore, Pulcinella, Columbina, il Capitano and Brighella. I enjoyed this piece very much and felt that it really showed off the versatility of the Euphonium. Judging by the whoops and loud clapping at the end, the audience felt the same.

We were treated to an encore – a very popular choice for a Lincolnshire audience – part of (another Australian), Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Poesy.

James was ably supported by Ruth who is a very fine pianist indeed and she was mentioned especially admiringly by a member of the Club that I met yesterday.

This was a very special concert.

JAMES BLACKFORD – Euphonium and RUTH HOLLICK – Piano will give a concert at Boston Grammar School, PE21 6JE at 7.30 pm on 20 February 2024. Tickets are £12 in advance or at the door. In advance telephone 01205 366018 or email bostonconcertclub@gmail.com

BIOGRAPHIES

Based in Melbourne, Australia, James Blackford is a Besson Sponsored Artist and one of Australia’s most eminent and versatile euphonium players. He is the solo euphonium player with the Royal Australian Air Force Band, teaches euphonium at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and regularly travels around Australia and the world performing as a soloist.

He holds a Master of Music from the Royal Northern College of Music, in Manchester, where he studied under the guidance of David Thornton and Steven Mead. Whilst at the RNCM, James won the college’s concerto competition and received the highly commended award at their prestigious Gold Medal final. James’ studies were proudly supported by the Australian Music Foundation, through the AMF Overseas Study Award, and the Tait Memorial Trust, through the Tait White Loewenthal Award. He is the first euphonium player ever to receive an award from either foundation.

Whilst in the U.K., James won the Philip Jones Brass Prize at the Royal Over-Seas League’s Annual Music Competition. He was later invited to compete in the competitions ‘Overseas Final’, where he was awarded the ROSL trophy for the most Outstanding Musician from Overseas. In the same year, following a performance of the Martin Ellerby Euphonium Concerto at the prestigious RNCM Festival of Brass, James was invited to join The Cory Band to perform and compete with them at the 2023 European Championships, in Malmo, Sweden. James is a strong advocate for the virtuosic capabilities of the euphonium, and he looks forward to continuing to push the boundaries of euphonium performance in the years to come.

Ruth Hollick BMus(Hons) PGdip PPRNCM

Ruth studied Piano at the Royal Northern College of Music for six years, graduating in 2005 with postgraduate qualifications in Solo Performance , Piano Accompaniment and Chamber Music, in addition to her undergraduate degree. She was offered a job at the RNCM as a Staff Pianist soon after graduating and still works there, alongside a similar role at the University of Salford.

As part of her performing and teaching career, Ruth enjoys working with choirs; she is currently Principal Accompanist of Haydock Male Voice Choir and Bolton Choral Union.

In addition to the piano, Ruth has played various Brass instruments since a very young age and now enjoys it as a hobby, playing in a Championship section Brass Band. Ruth considers herself fortunate to be able to combine her career as an Accompanist with her passion for Brass Bands; she regularly performs with Brass soloists in recitals, for recordings and competitions.

PROGRAMME

Charles Villiers-Stanford

Caoine (arrangement of 2^nd movement)

Johann Nepomuk Hummel

Fantasy

Ernest Bloch

Prayer (the first of 3 movements from “a Jewish Life”

P Tchaikovsky

Variations on a Rococo Theme

INTERVAL

Anthony Brahe

Tour de Force (an Australian work written for James)

Astor Piazzola

Cafe 1930

Martin Ellerby

Euphonium Concerto movements 3 & 4

Philip Sparke

Harlequin