PROGRAMME
Brahms Sonata for Violin and Piano
Brahms Horn Trio
Author: Carol Middleton
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC SONGSTERS – Alaw Evans, Soprano; Meral-Magali Cox, Mezzo-Soprano and Jenny Sykes, piano at Boston Grammar School PE21 6JE at 7.30 pm on 20th October 2026. There is plenty of parking at the Rowley Road entrance. Tickets are £12, either in advance or at the door. To order tickets please phone Mrs Robinson on 07977 140450 or send your details to bostonconcertclub@gmail.com. Students and children are admitted free of charge.
PROGRAMME
This is just a selection of the songs and music on offer this evening
Henry Purcell – Sound the Trumpet
Duke Ellington – My solitude
Alma Mahler – Laue Sommernacht
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Che sapete
INTERVAL
Edward Elgar – Sea Pictures – II In Haven III A Sabbath Morning at Sea IV Where Corals Lie
Mel Bonis – Songe
Gareth Glyn = Bwydo’r Adar
Jacques Offenbach – Belle nuit, O nuit d’amour from Barcarolle
George Gershwin – The Man I love
Giacomo Rossini – The Cat Duet
BIOGRAPHIES
Alaw Grug Evans soprano
Alaw Grug Evans is a soprano from Carmarthenshire in South-West Wales. A first-class Music graduate from The Queen’s College, Oxford, she is now studying for her Master’s degree postgraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). This year, she is generously supported by the Dobie Award, and was the recipient of the Maurice Pearton Scholarship during her undergraduate studies.
Recent professional highlights include Lucy (The Telephone, Menotti), performed at the British Embassy in Rome, Cupid (King Arthur, Purcell) and soprano soloist (Cantata 150, Bach), both with New Chamber Opera. She is also a named soloist on That Sweet City (album, Choir of The Queen’s College 2024). Her interest in music has always been propelled forward by her Welsh heritage. Contributing to the National Eisteddfod as both a singer and composer, she won the Principal Composer Prize in 2021 and was spotlighted by Classic FM for her work.
An experienced ensemble singer, Alaw has worked with various groups across the UK, including Kantos Chamber Choir, The Delius Singers, and Coro Spezzato. Alaw is delighted to be a member of the RNCM Songsters this year.
Alaw Grug Evans appears by kind permission of the RNCM.
Merel-Magali Cox mezzo soprano
Dutch mezzo-soprano Merel-Magali Cox is studying for a Master’s degree at the RNCM with Mary Plazas, supported by Help Musicians, Het Cultuurfonds, James & Mary Glass Scholarship, Peter Snook and Eva Turner Award. Past roles have included Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Linette (L’amour des trois oranges), Solomon (Solomon), Woodpecker (The Cunning Little Vixen) and Idamante (Idomeneo, abridged). An RNCM Songster, she was a finalist in the Frederic Cox Award and won the RNCM Song Cycle Competition. She has performed with ensembles such as The Mancunium Consort, VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble, and Edvard Grieg Korene, with tours coming up through Europe and Colombia.
Merel-Magali Cox appears by kind permission of the RNCM.
Jenny Sykes piano
Jenny Sykes is a pianist from Wiltshire. She has recently completed her Master of Music in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), with distinction, under the tutelage of Harvey Davies. Since receiving her First-Class Bachelor’s degree in Music from Newcastle University, Jenny has worked as a freelance accompanist and piano teacher. She has also conducted and performed as a clarinettist with the Corsham Wind Band Association.
Jenny enjoys performing both as a soloist and a collaborative pianist. Recent highlights include recitals with RNCM Songsters at Manchester Cathedral and Buxton Opera House, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 20 with Newcastle University Symphony Orchestra and Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano at the King’ Hall, Newcastle University, as well as masterclasses with Julius Drake, Roger Vignoles and David Owen Norris. As part of the Sykes-Zhang duo she was a runner up in the 2026 RNCM Piano Duo Prize, and winner of the Bessie Cronshaw and Frost Brownson Song Cycle prize alongside soprano Bonnie Staude.
Jenny is delighted to be a member of the RNCM Songsters this year, performing in concert series across Greater Manchester and in Buxton. She has also been involved with the RNCM Children’s Opera and Community Opera, continuing her passion for community engagement and working with aspiring young musicians.
Jenny Sykes appears by kind permission of the RNCM.
REVIEW OF CONCERT GIVEN BY GEORGE ELSON (bass singer) and TAMMY SEE (piano) on 21 April 2026
This was the final concert of the Season. George is Lincolnshire born and is in his final year of undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. Tammy is a Singaporean pianist and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music (Honours), also at the Royal Northern College of Music.
George’s first song was Fauré’s Les Berceaux. This, I thought was a splendid beginning to the evening. George then sang Vaughan-Williams’ Four Songs from the House of Life. I was not so keen of this; somehow, I felt that his voice did not quite gel with the music, he didn’t sing a wrong note but there was something.
Tammy then played a piano solo for us; this was Aaron Copland’s Four Piano Blues and this went down very well with the audience.
After the interval George sang Brahms’ Sommerabend followed by Schubert’s Six Songs from Schwabengesang and ending with Loewe’s Song Cycle for Bass Voice. Now we heard a singer! George’s voice is well suited to the German repertoire and he gave it his all. George is still very young and his voice will improve over the years and I believe that he will be one of the finest lieder singers of his generation once he has matured. I should like to hear him again.
George and Tammy gave us an encore and it was that well known folk song The foggy foggy dew. A cheerful end to the evening.
I hope that George will continue with his singing because I feel that he has a lot to give.
CM
A CONCERT TO BE GIVEN BY GEORGE ELSON (BASS SINGER) ACCOMPANIED ON THE PIANO BY TAMMY SEE AT 7.30 PM ON 21 APRIL 2026 AT BOSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Tickets are £12 at the door or may be ordered in advance by telephoning 07977 140450 or email bostonconcertclub@gmail.com children and students are admitted free of charge. There is ample parking at the Rowley Road, PE21 6JE entrance.
PROGRAMME
Brahms: Sommerabend, Op 85 No.1
Schubert: Six songs from Schwanengesang
Carl Loewe: Song Cycle for Bass Voice Op 145
Interval
Ralph Vaughan-Williams: Four songs from The House of Life
Copland: Four Piano Blues – Tammy See (p)
Fauré: Les Berceaux & Apres un reve
REVIEW OF JAIME WONG – Piano CONCERT ON 17 MARCH 2026 AT BOSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
This was a concert eagerly awaited and Jaime did not disappoint us. Roy Sagar, who helped Jaime with the page turning commented that she has a very good technique and this, allied with great expression in her piano playing, made for a memorable concert.
The concert began with Mozart’s Sonata No 9 in D major; I particularly enjoyed the cascading notes in the Allegro and thoroughly enjoyed the final movement The Rondeau. This was followed by the pyrotechnics of Clementi’s Gradus ad Parnassum No 7 (or as Keith Osborne’s splendid Programme Notes had it – “The Art of Playing the Piano”!)
There then followed Romance by Toru Takemitzu and Etude No 28 by Czerny. After the interval Jaime played for us Debussy’s The Sunken Cathedral and this is a very atmospheric piece of music, the imagination is given full rein whilst listening to this.
Then we heard the magnificent Sonata No 11 in B flat major by Beethoven and finally Reflets dans l’eau by Debussy and Chopin’s “The Revolutionary”, short but full of fireworks and a fitting end to this concert given by a hugely talented young pianist. Jaime created a good, balanced programme of music and this was very much enjoyed by the audience.
Jaime has grown in confidence during the last year as evidenced by her professionalism at the microphone when announcing her music. There was a delightful touch at the end when she played “Happy Birthday” to our Chairman, Steve Boycott on his 73rd birthday. Jaimes’s justly proud parents and her piano teacher were at the concert giving her support. Well done, Jaime!
CM
REVIEW OF CONCERT GIVEN BY GREGORY DROTT AT BOSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL ON 24 FEBRUARY 2026
This was Gregory Drott’s second visit to the Concert Club. The first visit was on 19th November 2025 as the accompanist to Emma Johnson the Clarinettist. The members were impressed by his playing and engaging personality and so he was invited to perform for us again.
Gregory began with a musical “hello” and this was the Praeludium being the first section of The Holberg Suite by Grieg. I agree with Gregory there isn’t a nicer way of saying “Hello”.
Gregory then introduced the music he would play during the first half of the concert. He continued with the Holberg Suite and then swept into Schumann’s Liebeslied “Widmung”. Oh it was glorious! What a wonderful wedding present for Clara.
We then heard Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor Op 3 No 2 followed immediately by a firm favourite of mine – Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Well, we had all been impressed with Gregory as an accompanist but he was superb as a soloist.
After the interval we had another musical “hello”, this was the Prelude from Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque. Gregory then described the music he was going to play for us. He continued with the remainder of the Debussy and this was followed immediately by the amazing “Chanson de Nuit” and “Chanson de Matin” by Elgar both beautifully played and very much enjoyed by the members. Then we had Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances”, this was exciting stuff and then, we had something completely different – Stravinsky’s “Tango”. Gregory described this very picturesquely as “music by Picasso”. He wasn’t far wrong! At the end of this piece Gregory declared “Modern music done!” We then had a more familiar tango by Piazzolla, his “Libertango”. The concert ended with a Jazz Suite of Songs by Gershwin – A Foggy Day, Embraceable You and It Ain’t Necessarily So”. This last was beautifully arranged by Gregory.
We had an encore. Yes we did! It was Elgar’s “Nimrod” from the Enigma Variations and was the perfect end to a perfect concert. Gregory received a tumultuous round of applause and I hope that he will come and play for us again.
CM
JAIME WONG -piano will give a concert at Boston Grammar School PE21 6JE on 17th March 2026 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £12 at the door or may be ordered in advance by phoning 07977 140450 or from bostonconcertclub@gmail.com. There is ample parking at the Rowley Road entrance
PROGRAMME
Mozart: Sonata in D major, K.311
Clementi: Gradus Ad Parnassian No.7
Toru Takemitzu: Romance
Czerny: Finger of Dexterity, Etude No.28
Debussy: La Cathedrale Engloutie
Beethoven: Sonata Op22 No11 in B flat major
Chopin: Etude – Op10 No12
Debussy: Images Book 1 – Reflets dans l’eau
GREGORY DROTT Piano will give a concert at 7.30pm on 24th February 2026 at Boston Grammar School. Tickets are £12 at the door or in advance from 07977 140450 or from bostonconcertclub@gmail.com. Students and children enter free of charge.
PROGRAMME
‘Suites and Folk Dances’
The Holberg Suite, Op. 40 by E. Grieg (1843-1907)
I. Praeludium
II. Sarabande
III. Gavotte
IV. Air
V. Rigaudon
Liebeslied ‘Widmung, von Robert Schumann’ S566 by F. Liszt (1811-1866)
Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2 by S. Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Piano Sonata ‘Moonlight’ No. 14 in C-sharp minor by L. van Beethoven (1770-1827)
I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegretto
III. Presto agitato
~ INTERVAL ~
Movements from Suite Bergamasque by C. Debussy (1862-1918)
I. Prelude
II. Clair de Lune
III. Menuet
Chanson de Nuit & Chanson de Matin by E. Elgar (1857-1934)
Romanian Folk Dances by B. Bartok (1881-1945)
I. Stick Game
II. Peasant Costume
III. Standing Still
IV. Mountain Horn Song
V. Romanian Polka
VI. Fast Dance
Tango by I. Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Libertango by A. Piazzolla (1921-1992)
A Jazz Suite of Songs by G. Gershwin (1898-1937) arranged by G. Drott (b. 1986)
I. A Foggy Day
II. Embraceable You
III. It Ain’t Necessarily So
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONCERT TO BE GIVEN BY GEORGE ELSON, BASS AND TAMMY SEE, PIANO ON 20 JANUARY 2026 HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 21 APRIL 2026
REVIEW OF CONCERT GIVEN BY THE AABEN DUO on 18th November 2025 at Boston Grammar School.
The Aaben Duo are Nathan Holroyd Saxophone and Jess Hughes Harp and they appeared at our second concert of the season by kind permission of the Royal Northern College of Music. Saxophone and Harp is an unusual combination of instruments and an effective one.
The concert began with a Nocturne by Lili Boulanger and arranged by Nathan – it was originally scored for viola and piano but it does work very well with the harp and saxophone and was a wonderful beginning to the concert. This was followed by “Eolienne” by Ida Gotkovsky, who was a pupil of Lili Boulanger’s sister, Nadia. This piece was in five movements and I particularly liked the mellow sound that the saxophone made in the third movement. Nathan also showed great skill and verve in the fourth movement Perpetuum Mobile.
The third piece of the evening was Debussy’s “La fille aux cheveux de lin” (The Girl with Flaxen Hair” as I know it best!) This was played beautifully and, although the saxophone appeared to dominate, Jess’s superlative playing of the harp was a joy to listen to.
Then we heard Joseph Bologne’s Sonata for Flute and Harp in E flat major. The harp seemed to be dominant in the first movement, playing a lovely, lilting melody and this was echoed by the saxophone turn and turn about and then as a duo. Both instruments were in harmony during the second movement and the third movement had a lovely tune played turn and turn about by both instruments.
Next, we had Andy Scott’s Sonata for Saxophone and Harp, Nathan told us that Mr Scott is a tutor of Saxophone. This piece was originally written for flute and harp and is in three movements. Keith Osborne’s splendid programme notes says that this music shows influences of Eastern European music and jazz. Which it does. I liked the second movement with a harp solo to begin with – very quiet and then the saxophone joined in the same gentle theme. The third movement was very jazz oriented on both saxophone and harp with the addition of percussion on the harp.
This was followed by a topical piece of music, Jenni Watson’s “Dowpour”, beautifully played on the saxophone by Nathan.
Then Jess played a solo on the harp, this music was a lullaby written by Caroline Lizotte whilst the composer was pregnant. It was a wonderful piece of music superlatively played. But first, Jess told us a little about her harp. It is a pedal harp and the pedals change the pitch of the strings. The harp is made of Canadian maple and the sound board is made of spruce. The strings are made with a mixture of gut, nylon and brass. The red string is C and the blue string is F. Other colours represent other notes. Our Chairman said that this was the best description of a pedal harp that he had heard.
The concert ended with Jess’s arrangement of Sain-Saën’s “Le Cygne” from the Carnival of the Animals. The saxophone is well suited to play the Swan and the harp sounded like running water.
This was a most enjoyable concert and the audience was most appreciative and enthusiastic.
CM