&Piano Music Festival 2024 Brochure

Jazzy.Quirky.Entertaining.

ʻIoftenthink,thatifIever do makeahitwithsomethingreallygoodand classicalIʼllturnaroundandwriteared-hotswingnumber,justbecause itʼsneverbeendonebefore,itwouldshockalltheDrʼsandMus.Bachs, anditwouldshowallthelowbrowsthatIʼmnotsofargoneafterall.

Besides!thePureJoyofit!ʼ

&PianoishereonceagaintofillthebeautifulvillageofSlaithwaitewith amazinglivemusic.Everythingweplan&programmeiswithamindto providing anyone withtheopportunitytodiscover&developan understanding&appreciationforclassicalmusic.

Weʼreaclassicalmusicfestivalwithadifference-ourgigsaimtobe relaxed,informal,andaswelcomingtothosewhomightbecurious aboutclassicalasthosewhoknowtheirBachfromtheirBeethoven, celebratingsomeofthefinestmusiciansconnectedtotheNorthof England.

MadeleineDring(1923-1977)

Thisyear,weʼvedecidedto focusontheworkofaBritish composer,tomarktherecent centenaryofherbirth.

MadeleineDring(1923-1977) wasanextremelygifted& talentedcomposer,pianist& singer,andtypicallyenjoyed writingthekindofsmall-scale musicthatweprogrammeat &Piano.

Inspiredbypopularmusic styles&idiomsofthetimefromlateromanticmusicto

British&Frenchmusicoftheearly20th Century,tojazz&cabaret-she wrotedozensoffantasticsongs&piecesthatarequirky,fun,beautiful& movingtolistento.Wethinksheʼsaperfectentryintoclassicalmusicand wecanʼtwaittoshare&celebratehermusicwithyou.

InspiredbysomeofDringʼssongs,thisyearweʼrereallyexcitedto announcethefestivalʼsfirstevernewmusiccommission,andtheworld premièreof FiveArmitageSongs, byemergingcomposerAlice Beckwith,fromHalifax,settingfivepoemsbyHuddersfieldʼsveryown SimonArmitage.

ThisnewcollectionofsongsfromtwoNorthernartistswillbeperformed bythreeNorthernartists,SarahFox,JoeShovelton&Christopher Pulleyn.ItʼsacelebrationofNortherncreativityandcreativeidentity,and wehopeithelpstosupportacuriosity&appreciationforclassicalmusic inourcommunityforyearstocome.Ireallyhopeyoucanjoinusto discoversomeorallofthiswonderful,excitingmusic!

ChristopherPulleyn,ArtisticDirector

((LISTEN))

ClassicalNight@

JazzSong Contemporary OperaBaroque RomanticClassical

Saturday27April|7:30pm|HolmeMills,Slaithwaite

MollyWrafter(Violin)|ArmandRabot(Baritone)

ChristopherPulleyn(Piano)

MusicalTheatre ClassicalSong FilmMusic

Whatyou’llhear

OperabyWagner,Irishfolktunes,powerfulsongsbyRachmaninoff,& beautifulmelodiesbyBeethoven.

Afterthesuccessofthefirsteventlastyear,((LISTEN))returnsfora relaxedandeclecticeveningofclassicalmusicandchatintheintimate surroundingsofDarkWoodsCoffeeMill.

ThiseveningweʼrewelcomingArmandRabot,anup-and-comingawardwinningbaritone&MollieWrafter,aprize-winningIrishviolinistbasedin Manchester,tosharewithyouabitofeverythingfromBaroqueto Opera,SongtoFolk,MusicalTheatretoContemporarymusic.

Contemporary OperaBaroque RomanticClassical MusicalTheatre ClassicalSong

TheMysteryof theMissingYorkshirePuddings

Saturday18May| 11am & 1:30pm |TheCivic,Slaithwaite

Aninteractiveaccessibleperformance introducingchildrentoclassicalmusic&song

HuddersfieldTown'sprizedGoldenYorkshirePuddingshavegone missing!

ItlookslikeajobforInspectorMoorstohelpusdiscoverwheretheyare andwhomighthavetakenthem...butwe'llneedsomehelpaswe embarkonthisadventure,tocracksomemusicalcluesandgetthem back!

JoinEleanorMillsplayingtheBassoonandsingerJohnIeuanJonesas theyperformallsortsofinterestingmusictohelpustellourstoryand givechildrentheopportunitytoexperiencelivemusicinarelaxedand welcomingenvironment.

Generouslysupportedby

MusicalTheatre|LeadingLadies

Saturday18May|7:30pm|StJamesʼChurch,Slaithwaite

MarieCollins|BarbaraJaeson RosalindJones(Piano)

Whatyou’llhear

Songsfrom SunsetBoulevard, Evita, FrozentheMusical, Company, Chicago,TheSecretGarden,Mame&more

ForourannualcelebrationofMusicalTheatrewewelcomethree fantasticallytalentedperformerstoentertainyouwithaneveningof songscelebratingwomeninmusicaltheatre-fromsongscomposedby femalemusicaltheatrecomposers,tosongswrittenforiconicfemale roles.

Marie&Barbara,bothexperiencedsingers,haveperformedallover thecountryinmanyoftheUKʼsmostprestigiousconcerthallsand theatres,andourpianistRosJones,basedinLiverpool,isinhighdemand asaMusicalDirector,pianistandvocalcoachforproductionsaround thecountry.Mostrecentlyshehasjustfinishedplayingpianointheband fortherecentproductionof CrazyforYou attheGillianLynneTheatre.

Instrumental|FrenchConnection

Sunday19May|3pm|TheCivic,Slaithwaite

MusiciansofOperaNorth

AdamMcKenzie(Bassoon)|RichardHewitt(Oboe) AnnetteSaunders(Piano)

Whatyou’llhear

MadeleineDringʼs ItalianDance & TrioforBassoon,Oboe& Piano,FrancisPoulencʼs TrioforBassoon,Oboe&Piano,& Saint-Saënsʼ BassoonSonata.

Inourmissiontoshowcasealltheinstrumentsoftheclassical world,andhighlightsomeoftheinstrumentsthatdon'tget quiteasmuchattention-thisyearwe'reexcitedto showcasetheBassoonatthisyear'sfestival-aninstrumentvery distinctinbothlookandsound!Animportantpartofthe orchestra'sbasssection,itdoesn'toftengetmuchloveasasolo instrument,despitesomeamazingmusicwrittenforit.

AspartofourfocusontheBritishcomposerMadeleineDring, youʼllhearsomeofherlively&entertainingmusicforboth bassoon&oboe,andmusicbysomeofthecomposerswhoshe wasinspiredby,includingFrenchcomposerFrancisPoulencperformedbyabrilliant&lovelygroupofmusiciansfromthe fantasticOperaNorth.

Performance Pub

Tuesday21May|7:30pm|AtticTheatre@TheLBT

Afterthesuccessoflastyear'sevent,ourPerformancePubreturnstothe AtticTheatreattheLBTonceagain,offeringmusiciansofanyability, experience&backgroundtoperformaspartofourfestival

Classicalsingers&instrumentalistsofallabilities,backgroundsand experiencesareinvitedtoperform1-2piecesofmusic,anda professionalaccompanistwillbeavailabletoplayforyou.

Eithersignuptoperformbyemailing jenny@andpiano.co.uk orcome alongtolistento,support&enjoyagroupofpassionatemusiciansshare theirpassionformusic&music-making.Inarelaxedʻpubʼstyle,thebar willbeopensoyoucanenjoyadrinkwhileyoulisten.

YoungMusicianShowcase2024

Thursday23May|7:30pm|StJamesʼChurch,Slaithwaite

Inourworktosupport&helpdevelopthenextgenerationofmusicians, joinusforourannualconcertcelebrating&showcasingsomeofthemost talentedyoungmusiciansacrossKirklees&Calderdale.

Manyofourpastperformershavegoneontostudymusicfurtherat someofthebestmusiccollegesacrossthecountry.Ifyouʼrelookingfora variedmixofsingers&instrumentaliststhenthisistheeveningforyou! Joinustoexperiencethenextgenerationofmusicians.

Whatyou’llhear

Eightyoungmusicians,eachperformingashortprogrammeofmusic,to makeforafantasticeveningofvariedmusicofdifferentstylesand genres-featuringsingers,violin,celloandmore!

Song| Shakespeare&SimonArmitage

Saturday25May|7:30pm|TheCivic,Slaithwaite

SarahFox(Soprano)|JoeShovelton(Tenor)

ChristopherPulleyn(Piano)

Whatyou’llhear

Dringʼs FiveBetjemanSongs, SevenShakespeareSongs,musicbysome ofherinspirationssuchasColePorter&GeorgeGershwin,&Alice Beckwithʼs FiveArmitageSongs(worldpremière,&Pianocommission)

Inourfinalperformanceofour2024festival,wecelebratesomeofthe fantasticsongsthatMadeleineDringwroteoverherlifetime.Dringwasa talentedpianistandsingerherself,andhersongshavebecomesomeof hermostfamiliar&wellknownofallhermusic-stillperformedbysingers today.Inspiredbypopularmusicstylesofthetime,includingjazz, cabaret&musicaltheatre,hersongsarewitty,highlylistenable& entertaining.

InspiredbyoneofDringʼsmostpopularsongcollections-her Five BetjemanSongs -settingmusictofivepoemsbyformerPoetLaureate JohnBetjeman,thiseveningweʼreincrediblyexcitedtopresentthe

worldpremiére of FiveArmitageSongs,commissionedby&Pianoasa NortherncounterparttoDringʼscollection-composedby Halifax-born emergingcomposer AliceBeckwith, settingmusictofivepoemsby Huddersfield-bornPoetLaureate SimonArmitage.

Andforthisfinaleventofthefestival,weʼredelightedtowelcometwo acclaimedsingers-YorkshiresopranoSarahFox&LancashiretenorJoe Shovelton.Sarah,aformerwinneroftheKathleenFerriersinging compeition,hasperformedinternationallywithmanyoftheworldʼs leadingorchestra&operahourses.Joewasatenorsoloistwiththe famousDʼOylyCarteOperaCompany,touringaroundtheUK&US, andnowregularlyperformsatOperaNorth.Accompanyingthemboth willbe&PianoʼsArtisticDirector,andoneoftheNorthʼsleading collaborativepianists,ChristopherPulleyn.

ComposerAliceBeckwith PoetLaureateSimonArmitage (Photocredit:PeterJamesMillson)

&PianoSchoolTour

Inourefforttoencourage&promotethecontinuedappreciationof classicalmusic,twoyearsago&Pianoestablishedanannualschools recitaltour,deliveringclassicalmusicperformancestosecondaryschools aroundKirklees&Calderdale.Thisgivesstudentstheopportunityto experienceandinteractfirst-handwithprofessionalclassicalmusicians performingawiderangeofmusicfromJSBachtoJohnWilliams.

Lastyearweperformedtoapproximately1500studentsacrossKirklees &CalderdalefromDewsburytoElland.Thefeedbackandengagement wehadfromstudentswasamazing-listeningintentlytosongsperformed inforeignlanguages,askingquestionsaboutthemusic,andaboutthe professionandtheindustry.

ThankstosupportfromArtsCouncilEngland&theFoyleFoundation, onceagainweʼllbevisitingschoolsaroundtheregionbetween25-28th Junetoshare&promoteclassicalmusic,encouragingstudentstoexplore &discoverthegenreamongsttheirothermusicaltastes.

Ifyouwouldliketoknowmoreinformationaboutourschoolsrecitaltour, orifyouʼreasecondaryschoolteacherinKirkleesorCalderdale& wouldliketoenquireaboutavisittoyourschool,email info@andpiano.co.uk

SupportUs

&Pianoisasmallcharityrunbyasmallgroupofvolunteersandtrustees, workingtonurture&developtherichmusicalheritageofKirklees& Calderdale,supporting&showcasingtalentedmusiciansbasedaround thearea,andencouragingpeopletocometogethertolistento& discoverclassicalmusic.

Thereareanumberofwaysyoucansupportus-thebestwayisby comingalongtooneormoreofourevents-audiencesareessentialto ourwork!Ourgoalisalwaystopresentaccessible,relaxed& welcomingconcerts-whetheryouʼrefamiliarwiththemusicornot-we alwaysofferexplanations&introductionsthatprovidecontext& backgroundtohelpyouonyourlisteningjourney.Westrivetomakeour ticketpricesaffordablewhileofferingexcellentmusicalquality&wepay ourartistsfairlyfortheirwork&craft.

Ifyouwouldliketoofferyourhelpasavolunteertohelpsupportthe runningandorganisationofthefestival,pleaseemail info@andpiano.co.uk toenquirehowyoumightbeabletohelp.

Ifyouʼdliketosupportusbeyondattendingoneofourconcerts,then youcanmakeaone-offdonationtosupportourwork,oryoucansign uptoour 88KeysFriendsScheme andpledgetomakeanannual donationfromjust£10/year.Weʼreincrediblygratefultoourwonderful groupofsupporters-anydonationwereceiveisahugehelptowards therunningofthefestival-artistfees,venuehire,marketingcosts,and ourparticipationeventslikeourcelebratedYoungMusicianShowcase, Familyevent&ourschoolstour.

Youcansignuptoour 88FriendsScheme ormakeadonationby visiting: www.andpiano.co.uk/support-us (orscantheQRcode below)

Ifyouareabusinessthatisinterestedinsupportingthefestival,please getintouchwithustofindouthowbyemailing info@andpiano.co.uk

Tickets

Attendmorethanoneofourthreecorefestivalevents- MusicalTheatre, Instrumental or Song -andreceiveadiscountonyourticketperevent. Youcanupgradeyourticketatanytimeoverthefestivalandyouʼllonly paythecheaperdiscountedprice.

MusicalTheatre/Instrumental/Song

OneEvent

Visit www.andpiano.co.uk/whats-on orscantheQRcodeabovefor furtherdetailsonticketsandhowtobuythem.

Weofferalimitednumberofticketsavailableforfreeforanyonewho wouldliketoattendaneventbutfeelsfinanciallyunableto.Email info@andpiano.co.uk formoreinformation.