&Piano Music Festival 2024 Brochure

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&Piano Music Festival 2024

Slaithwaite, Huddersfield

May 18th - 25th 2024 www.andpiano.co.uk

Jazzy. Quirky. Entertaining. ʻI often think, that if I ever do make a hit with something really good and classical Iʼll turn around and write a red-hot swing number, just because itʼs never been done before, it would shock all the Drʼs and Mus. Bachs, and it would show all the lowbrows that Iʼm not so far gone after all.

Besides! the Pure Joy of it!ʼ Madeleine Dring (1923-1977)

&Piano is here once again to fill the beautiful village of Slaithwaite with amazing live music. Everything we plan & programme is with a mind to providing anyone with the opportunity to discover & develop an understanding & appreciation for classical music.

Weʼre a classical music festival with a difference - our gigs aim to be relaxed, informal, and as welcoming to those who might be curious about classical as those who know their Bach from their Beethoven, celebrating some of the finest musicians connected to the North of England.

This year, weʼve decided to focus on the work of a British composer, to mark the recent centenary of her birth.

Madeleine Dring (1923-1977) was an extremely gifted & talented composer, pianist & singer, and typically enjoyed writing the kind of small-scale music that we programme at &Piano.

Inspired by popular music styles & idioms of the time from late romantic music to British & French music of the early 20th Century, to jazz & cabaret - she wrote dozens of fantastic songs & pieces that are quirky, fun, beautiful & moving to listen to. We think sheʼs a perfect entry into classical music and we canʼt wait to share & celebrate her music with you.

Inspired by some of Dringʼs songs, this year weʼre really excited to announce the festivalʼs first ever new music commission, and the world première of Five Armitage Songs, by emerging composer Alice Beckwith, from Halifax, setting five poems by Huddersfieldʼs very own Simon Armitage.

This new collection of songs from two Northern artists will be performed by three Northern artists, Sarah Fox, Joe Shovelton & Christopher Pulleyn. Itʼs a celebration of Northern creativity and creative identity, and we hope it helps to support a curiosity & appreciation for classical music in our community for years to come. I really hope you can join us to discover some or all of this wonderful, exciting music!

Christopher Pulleyn, Artistic Director

azz Song Contempo Opera Bar Romantic C Musical Th Classical S ((LISTEN))

Classical Night @

Saturday 27 April | 7:30pm | Holme Mills, Slaithwaite Molly Wrafter (Violin) | Armand Rabot (Baritone) Christopher Pulleyn (Piano)

What you’ll hear

Opera by Wagner, Irish folk tunes, powerful songs by Rachmaninoff, & beautiful melodies by Beethoven.

After the success of the first event last year, ((LISTEN)) returns for a relaxed and eclectic evening of classical music and chat in the intimate surroundings of Dark Woods Coffee Mill.

This evening weʼre welcoming Armand Rabot, an up-and-coming awardwinning baritone & Mollie Wrafter, a prize-winning Irish violinist based in Manchester, to share with you a bit of everything from Baroque to Opera, Song to Folk, Musical Theatre to Contemporary music.

g orary aroque Classical heatre Song The Mystery of the Missing Yorkshire Puddings

Saturday 18 May | 11am & 1:30pm | The Civic, Slaithwaite

An interactive accessible performance introducing children to classical music & song

Huddersfield Town's prized Golden Yorkshire Puddings have gone missing!

It looks like a job for Inspector Moors to help us discover where they are and who might have taken them...but we'll need some help as we embark on this adventure, to crack some musical clues and get them back!

Join Eleanor Mills playing the Bassoon and singer John Ieuan Jones as they perform all sorts of interesting music to help us tell our story and give children the opportunity to experience live music in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Generously supported by

Musical Theatre | Leading Ladies Saturday 18 May | 7:30pm | St Jamesʼ Church, Slaithwaite Marie Collins | Barbara Jaeson Rosalind Jones (Piano) What you’ll hear

Songs from Sunset Boulevard, Evita, Frozen the Musical, Company, Chicago, The Secret Garden, Mame & more For our annual celebration of Musical Theatre we welcome three fantastically talented performers to entertain you with an evening of songs celebrating women in musical theatre - from songs composed by female musical theatre composers, to songs written for iconic female roles.

Marie & Barbara, both experienced singers, have performed all over the country in many of the UKʼs most prestigious concert halls and theatres, and our pianist Ros Jones, based in Liverpool, is in high demand as a Musical Director, pianist and vocal coach for productions around the country. Most recently she has just finished playing piano in the band for the recent production of Crazy for You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

Instrumental | French Connection Sunday 19 May | 3pm | The Civic, Slaithwaite

Musicians of Opera North Adam McKenzie (Bassoon) | Richard Hewitt (Oboe) Annette Saunders (Piano) What you’ll hear

Madeleine Dringʼs Italian Dance & Trio for Bassoon, Oboe & Piano, Francis Poulencʼs Trio for Bassoon, Oboe & Piano, & Saint-Saënsʼ Bassoon Sonata.

In our mission to showcase all the instruments of the classical world, and highlight some of the instruments that don't get quite as much attention - this year we're excited to showcase the Bassoon at this year's festival - an instrument very distinct in both look and sound! An important part of the orchestra's bass section, it doesn't often get much love as a solo instrument, despite some amazing music written for it.

As part of our focus on the British composer Madeleine Dring, youʼll hear some of her lively & entertaining music for both bassoon & oboe, and music by some of the composers who she was inspired by, including French composer Francis Poulenc performed by a brilliant & lovely group of musicians from the fantastic Opera North.

Performance Pub Tuesday 21 May | 7:30pm | Attic Theatre @ The LBT After the success of last year's event, our Performance Pub returns to the Attic Theatre at the LBT once again, offering musicians of any ability, experience & background to perform as part of our festival Classical singers & instrumentalists of all abilities, backgrounds and experiences are invited to perform 1-2 pieces of music, and a professional accompanist will be available to play for you.

Either sign up to perform by emailing jenny@andpiano.co.uk or come along to listen to, support & enjoy a group of passionate musicians share their passion for music & music-making. In a relaxed ʻpubʼ style, the bar will be open so you can enjoy a drink while you listen.

Young Musician Showcase 2024 Thursday 23 May | 7:30pm | St Jamesʼ Church, Slaithwaite

In our work to support & help develop the next generation of musicians, join us for our annual concert celebrating & showcasing some of the most talented young musicians across Kirklees & Calderdale.

Many of our past performers have gone on to study music further at some of the best music colleges across the country. If youʼre looking for a varied mix of singers & instrumentalists then this is the evening for you!

Join us to experience the next generation of musicians.

What you’ll hear

Eight young musicians, each performing a short programme of music, to make for a fantastic evening of varied music of different styles and genres - featuring singers, violin, cello and more!

Song | Shakespeare & Simon Armitage Saturday 25 May | 7:30pm | The Civic, Slaithwaite Sarah Fox (Soprano) | Joe Shovelton (Tenor) Christopher Pulleyn (Piano) What you’ll hear

Dringʼs Five Betjeman Songs, Seven Shakespeare Songs, music by some of her inspirations such as Cole Porter & George Gershwin, & Alice Beckwithʼs Five Armitage Songs (world première, &Piano commission) In our final performance of our 2024 festival, we celebrate some of the fantastic songs that Madeleine Dring wrote over her lifetime. Dring was a talented pianist and singer herself, and her songs have become some of her most familiar & well known of all her music - still performed by singers today. Inspired by popular music styles of the time, including jazz, cabaret & musical theatre, her songs are witty, highly listenable & entertaining.

Inspired by one of Dringʼs most popular song collections - her Five Betjeman Songs - setting music to five poems by former Poet Laureate John Betjeman, this evening weʼre incredibly excited to present the

Composer Alice Beckwith

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage (Photo credit: Peter James Millson)

world premiére of Five Armitage Songs, commissioned by &Piano as a

Northern counterpart to Dringʼs collection - composed by Halifax-born emerging composer Alice Beckwith, setting music to five poems by Huddersfield-born Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

And for this final event of the festival, weʼre delighted to welcome two acclaimed singers - Yorkshire soprano Sarah Fox & Lancashire tenor Joe Shovelton. Sarah, a former winner of the Kathleen Ferrier singing compeition, has performed internationally with many of the worldʼs leading orchestra & opera hourses. Joe was a tenor soloist with the famous DʼOyly Carte Opera Company, touring around the UK & US, and now regularly performs at Opera North. Accompanying them both will be &Pianoʼs Artistic Director, and one of the Northʼs leading collaborative pianists, Christopher Pulleyn.

&Piano School Tour In our effort to encourage & promote the continued appreciation of classical music, two years ago &Piano established an annual schools recital tour, delivering classical music performances to secondary schools around Kirklees & Calderdale. This gives students the opportunity to experience and interact first-hand with professional classical musicians performing a wide range of music from JS Bach to John Williams.

Last year we performed to approximately 1500 students across Kirklees & Calderdale from Dewsbury to Elland. The feedback and engagement we had from students was amazing - listening intently to songs performed in foreign languages, asking questions about the music, and about the profession and the industry.

Thanks to support from Arts Council England & the Foyle Foundation, once again weʼll be visiting schools around the region between 25-28th June to share & promote classical music, encouraging students to explore & discover the genre amongst their other musical tastes.

If you would like to know more information about our schools recital tour, or if youʼre a secondary school teacher in Kirklees or Calderdale & would like to enquire about a visit to your school, email info@andpiano.co.uk

Support Us &Piano is a small charity run by a small group of volunteers and trustees, working to nurture & develop the rich musical heritage of Kirklees & Calderdale, supporting & showcasing talented musicians based around the area, and encouraging people to come together to listen to & discover classical music.

There are a number of ways you can support us - the best way is by coming along to one or more of our events - audiences are essential to our work! Our goal is always to present accessible, relaxed & welcoming concerts - whether youʼre familiar with the music or not - we always offer explanations & introductions that provide context & background to help you on your listening journey. We strive to make our ticket prices affordable while offering excellent musical quality & we pay our artists fairly for their work & craft.

If you would like to offer your help as a volunteer to help support the running and organisation of the festival, please email info@andpiano.co.uk to enquire how you might be able to help.

If youʼd like to support us beyond attending one of our concerts, then you can make a one-off donation to support our work, or you can sign up to our 88 Keys Friends Scheme and pledge to make an annual donation from just £10/year. Weʼre incredibly grateful to our wonderful group of supporters - any donation we receive is a huge help towards the running of the festival - artist fees, venue hire, marketing costs, and our participation events like our celebrated Young Musician Showcase, Family event & our schools tour.

You can sign up to our 88 Friends Scheme or make a donation by visiting: www.andpiano.co.uk/support-us (or scan the QR code below) If you are a business that is interested in supporting the festival, please get in touch with us to find out how by emailing info@andpiano.co.uk

&Piano 2024 Festival Overview Date

Event

Start time

Venue

Sat 27 April

((Listen)) Classical Night

7:30pm

Dark Woods Coffee, Slaithwaite

11am & The Civic, Slaithwaite 1:30pm

Sat 18 May

Family&Piano: The Mystery of the Missing Yorkshire Puddings

Musical Theatre | Leading Ladies 7:30pm Sun 19 May

St Jamesʼ Church, Slaithwaite

Instrumental | Bassoon, Oboe & 7:30pm The Civic, Slaithwaite Piano

Tue 21 May

Performance Pub

7:30pm

Attic Theatre, LBT

Thu 23 May

Young Musician Showcase

7:30pm

St Jamesʼ Church, Slaithwaite

Sat 25 May

Song | Shakespeare & Simon Armitage

7:30pm The Civic, Slaithwaite

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Or visit our website www.andpiano.co.uk

Tickets Attend more than one of our three core festival events - Musical Theatre, Instrumental or Song - and receive a discount on your ticket per event.

You can upgrade your ticket at any time over the festival and youʼll only pay the cheaper discounted price.

Musical Theatre/Instrumental/Song

One Event

£15

Two Events

£25

Three Events

£35

((LISTEN)) Classical Night

£15 £5 (1 Adult & 1 Child)

Family&Piano

£5 (Additional adult / additional child)

Performance Pub

£5

Young Musician Showcase

£5

Under 35s/Students/Children

£5

Visit www.andpiano.co.uk/whats-on or scan the QR code above for further details on tickets and how to buy them.

We offer a limited number of tickets available for free for anyone who would like to attend an event but feels financially unable to. Email info@andpiano.co.uk for more information.