Leamington Music Festival
28 April – 2 May 2022 Royal Pump Rooms | Leamington Spa
Emma Abbate Lynn Arnold Maria Canyigueral Paul Cibis Christopher Cromar Nicholas Daniel Ensemble 360 James Gilchrist Andrey Gugnin Emma Johnson John Lenehan Leonore Piano Trio Rachel Mahon Charles Matthews Sacconi String Quartet Michael Seal Sinfonia of Birmingham Lana Trotovšek Raphael Wallfisch Roderick Williams and more
Celebrating Vaughan Williams at 150 with works by the great composer, his teachers, his pupils, and his inspirations
www.leamingtonmusic.org Registered Charity No 1117723
How to book Box Offices:
Leamington Visitor Information Centre, Royal Pump Rooms, Parade, CV32 4AA Visit Warwick, The Court House, Jury Street, Warwick CV34 4EW
Telephone:
01926 334418
Hours:
Daily: 10am - 3pm
Book online:
www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk
For the next generation of concert-goers Tickets for children and students are just £1 for all lunchtime and evening concerts
Special Ticket Offers Festival Weekend Saver Ticket: £160 in best available seats for all concerts and talk Saving of £45
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Available from the Box Office
Thanks The Leamington Music Festival is made possible by generous support from Michael and Halldóra Blair, Dr J Fenlon, Peter Glanfield, Mrs N Kohler, Dr Sara Liptai, Jennifer Lorch, Maurice Millward, and Paul and Jane Watts.
The Advanced Musicians concert forms an important part of our Education Programme which operates in partnership with Warwickshire Music, and is partly funded by Arts Council England. Leamington Town Council and Warwick District Council have supported the Festival with grant-aid.
The Leamington Music Festival is back at its usual time over the first May Bank Holiday weekend. Its starting point is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams. This prompts the programming of works by people he knew, composers he taught and composers with whom he studied.
Welcome
So we are talking about Benjamin, Bliss, Browne, Butterworth, Elgar, Howells, Maconchy, Orr, Parry, Ravel and Simpson. Of these, possibly the most surprising is Ravel with whom he studied for three months in 1907/8. This leads us on to enjoy some masterpieces by one of the greatest of French composers - and to speculate on how he inspired RVW. The Festival brings back some of our audiences’ favourite performers headed by Nicholas Daniel, James Gilchrist, Raphael Wallfisch, Roderick Williams, the Leonore Piano Trio, and Ensemble 360, and these are joined by artists from Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia, Slovenia and Spain to show once again the international face of the Festival. The Festival includes some works that were to have been given in the cancelled Festivals of 2020 and 2021, including Beethoven whose big year was the first to be hit by the pandemic. Leamington Music was forced to cancel or postpone well over forty concerts, but has gained plaudits all round for having put on over thirty concerts in the second half of last year and its Spring season is currently flourishing. There are some interesting ideas for the summer and the Phillips MBE Autumn season will open in early October. Richard Festival Director
Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on 12 October 1872 and died 26 August 1958. His anniversary is being celebrated throughout 2022 and Leamington Music will make a significant contribution both in the Festival and in concerts later in the year. For details of his life, compositions, and this year’s performances throughout the UK, the essential website to visit is that of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society: www.rvwsociety.com
Jane Williams
Leamington Music Artist-in-Residence
Recent Paintings
Details from socially-distanced concerts
based on drawings made at Leamington Music performances in the time of Covid Autumn 2020 to Summer 2021
www.janewilliamsartist.co.uk Our annual exhibition of Jane’s work returns this year and will be on display throughout the Festival Cards of Jane’s artwork are available on the Friends table at our concerts and are sold to help fund the Leamington Music Education Programme
Thursday 28 April 7.30pm
Sacconi Quartet Ben Hancox and Hannah Dawson violins Robin Ashwell viola Cara Berridge cello
with Emma Abbate piano Vaughan Williams String Quartet No 1 in G minor Ravel String Quartet in F Elgar Piano Quintet in A minor Op 84
We begin the 2022 Festival with a relatively rare gem from Ralph Vaughan Williams. RVW wrote his First String Quartet in 1908 after studying with Ravel for three months; it seems only natural, therefore, to pair this work with Ravel’s only Quartet which was completed in 1903. Both RVW and Ravel served in World War I in non-combative roles, as ambulance crew and lorry driver respectively. Elgar’s great period was also the years before and during the Great War, writing patriotic music and following with his three great chamber works including the Piano Quintet of 1918. The Sacconi Quartet return to Leamington after a superb opening concert of the Autumn Season and Emma Abbate, originally from Italy and now a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, makes her Leamington Music debut in this fine Festival opener.
Tickets: £25 reserved centre | £17 unreserved sides
Friday 29 April 12 noon
Leonore Piano Trio Benjamin Nabarro violin Gemma Rosefield cello Tim Horton piano
Parry Piano Trio No 1 in E minor Ravel Sonata for Violin and Cello Ravel Piano Trio in A minor
The Leonore Piano Trio have been firm Festival favourites since the ensemble was formed in 2012. They combine a comprehensive repertoire of works by the celebrated classical and romantic composers with an unrivalled exploration of lesser-known and forgotten pieces from the 19th century, such as Parry’s three wonderful Trios, which they have recorded for the Hyperion label. Joyfully received in the Leamington Music Festival Weekend last September, the Leonore Piano Trio return with the first of Parry’s Trios, who taught RVW. Our connection with another of RVW’s teachers, Ravel, continues with his sumptuous Trio of 1914 and magical Duo Sonata, completed in 1922 and dedicated to Debussy.
Tickets: £17 reserved centre | £12 unreserved sides
7.30pm
Ensemble 360
Robert Plane clarinet Benjamin Nabarro and Claudia Ajmone-Marsan violins Rachel Roberts viola Gemma Rosefield cello
with James Gilchrist tenor and Tim Horton piano Howard Skempton The Moon is Flashing Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte Op 98 Howard Skempton Piano Concerto Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge
We are delighted to be finally putting on this concert which has been twice postponed due to Covid. The music of Howard Skempton makes a recognizable feature in our Festival programmes, and what a delight to have two works that are new to Leamington audiences this year. Both are works originally scored for soloist and full orchestra, which have been re-scored by the composer for chamber ensemble. We are pleased to welcome James Gilchrist back to the area after a gap of some eight years. This concert was originally conceived to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday back in 2020 and we couldn’t lose the opportunity of having a tenor of this eminence perform the great composer’s only song cycle, An die ferne Geliebte, to complement RVW’s sublime On Wenlock Edge in his birthday celebrations. Generously supported by Maurice Millward
Tickets: £25 reserved centre | £17 unreserved sides
Saturday 30 April 12 noon Lana Trotovšek violin Maria Canyigueral piano Tartini Violin Sonata in G minor ‘Devil’s Trill’ Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Ravel Violin Sonata No 2 in G Prokofiev Five Pieces from ‘Cinderella’ We welcome Slovenian violinist Lana Trotovšek and Spanish pianist Maria Canyigueral to Leamington for the first time, delighted to be able to keep our European connections alive. Following our Festival themes, they bring RVW’s original 1914 version of The Lark Ascending for violin and piano, paired with Ravel’s astonishing later Violin Sonata. Tartini was born in Piran, on the coast of Slovenia, south of Trieste, and his explosive ‘Devil’s Trill’ Sonata is a treat. The addition of Prokofiev to the programme introduces a Russian flavour ahead of Monday night’s Festival finale.
Tickets: £17 reserved centre £12 unreserved sides
3pm
Vaughan Williams 150: Musical Connections
Talk by Dr Ceri Owen
University of Birmingham RVW expert Dr Ceri Owen discusses the works appearing in the Festival and RVW’s links to our other featured composers, interwoven with extracts from his letters to give a personal insight to the process of the great composer.
Tickets: £8 including tea and cake
All Saints Church | Leamington
7.30pm Sinfonia of Birmingham Michael Seal conductor Nicholas Daniel oboe Vaughan Williams The Wasps Overture Parry An English Suite Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto in A minor Vaughan Williams Symphony No 5 in D
No Festival celebrating RVW’s music could be complete without his Concerto for Oboe and Strings - written in 1944 and all too often woefully overlooked. We are delighted to welcome Nicholas Daniel, the UK’s premier oboist, to shine a muchdeserved light on this beautiful work in the central concert of our five-day Festival. Associate CBSO conductor Michael Seal directs the Sinfonia of Birmingham which last appeared in the area as part of the Warwick & Leamington Midsummer Music Festival last June and is quickly gaining a reputation with our audiences for its lively and exciting performances. A quintessential reminder of the influence on RVW’s music by his teacher, Hubert Parry, appears in the form of another rare gem - Parry’s English Suite for Strings - but it is RVW who occupies centre stage in this concert as we take advantage of having a full symphony orchestra in our Festival for one night only!
Unreserved Tickets: £25 front nave | £17 rear nave
Sunday 1 May 12 noon Lynn Arnold and Charles Matthews four hands one piano Vaughan Williams Suite Maconchy Preludio, Fugato and Finale Ravel Mother Goose Suite Tovey Waltzes Bliss Rout Howard Skempton Plain Sailing Howard Skempton Première of new work Benjamin Jamaican Rumba A concert of music for four hands on one piano is a first for Leamington Music, but who could resist such an eclectic but exciting programme? Howard Skempton celebrates his 75th birthday this year and commissioning a new work from him to mark the occasion was an absolute must! These two wonderful pianists have a mutual passion for English music and this is the perfect platform for them to share it with us as we celebrate RVW and his inspirations.
Tickets: £17 reserved centre | £12 unreserved sides
2.30pm
Warwickshire Music
Advanced Musicians Concert A platform to showcase the cream of Warwickshire Music’s students from across the county, performing works that complement the Festival’s programmes and themes.
Tickets: £3.50 students and children | £8 adults to include tea, squash and cake
4pm | All Saints Church, Leamington Organ Recital | Christopher Cromar With music by RVW, Howells and Simpson, this is a Festival feast of English music. See back page for full programme.
Free entry | Retiring collection
7.30pm Emma Johnson clarinet Raphael Wallfisch cello John Lenehan piano
Beethoven Trio in B flat Op 11 ‘Gassenhauer’ Beethoven Cello Sonata in C Op 102 No 1 Vaughan Williams Six Studies in English Folksong for Clarinet Simpson Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
We welcome three of the UK’s most distinguished musicians back to Leamington for a little bit more of Ludwig who was so short-changed in 2020 thanks to the pandemic. A sprinkling of RVW from the clarinet leads us on to Leamington-born composer Robert Simpson’s Trio which should have been played in last year’s Festival celebrating his centenary year. Raphael Wallfisch champions Simpson’s music and his father, Peter, played the piano in the Trio’s première in 1968. Generously supported by Jennifer Lorch and Paul & Jane Watts
Tickets: £25 reserved centre | £17 unreserved sides
Monday 2 May 11am | All Saints Church, Leamington Organ Recital | Rachel Mahon Director of Music - Coventry Cathedral
A whirlwind programme for our annual Bank Holiday organ recital of music spanning five centuries, which features Preludes, Fugues, and Toccatas from the very greatest composers for the instrument. See back page for full details.
Free entry | Retiring collection
12.30pm Roderick Williams baritone Paul Cibis piano
When I was One and Twenty We simply couldn’t mark RVW’s 150th year without including a performance from Roderick Williams, the current master of English Song. This superb programme has something special for everyone with music by Chopin, Schubert and Schumann, alongside RVW, Rebecca Clarke, CW Orr, and Leamington-born composer William Denis Browne who was at Cambridge with RVW and was killed at Gallipoli. Generously supported by Michael & Halldóra Blair
Tickets: £17 reserved centre | £12 unreserved sides
7.30pm
Andrey Gugnin piano
Scarlatti Sonatas K380 and K24 Debussy Suite Bergamasque Stravinsky Three Movements from ‘Petrushka’ Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
A powerful piano recital ends the 2022 Festival. Winner of the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition and introduced to us in 2019 by Tasmin Little, Andrey Gugnin is now deservedly making his name in the UK. His recently released CD of works by Shostakovich achieved universal critical acclaim - “Gugnin possesses an extraordinarily versatile and agile technique, which serves an often inspired musical imagination.” (Gramophone). Andrey achieved a standing ovation with his astonishing performance of Pictures at an Exhibition back in 2019 - a work originally written for piano and famously best orchestrated by Ravel - and so it seemed the only natural choice to give those who missed it a second chance to experience Mussorgsky’s epic work in the hands of this extraordinary Russian pianist. Generously supported by Peter Glanfield
Tickets: £25 reserved centre | £17 unreserved sides
Join the Friends! The Friends of Leamington Music play an invaluable role in helping to sustain the leading music promoter in the area. If you are not already a Friend, please think about joining up to enjoy a very sociable group of music lovers. Your support helps to pay for the annual Leamington Music Prize and the Leamington Music Education Programme. The Friends of Leamington Music benefit by being the first to receive publicity about future events, have priority booking for the Leamington Music Festival and the Winter Season and, throughout the year, there are a number of special events unique to the Friends. There are also many ways in which Friends can be involved in voluntary capacities. The Friends' year runs from 1 April to 31 March and the annual subscription is £25 for a single person or £40 for a couple. Visit www.leamingtonmusic.org or call the Leamington Music office for an application from.
Leamington Music | Northgate Warwick | CV34 4JL www.leamingtonmusic.org | 01926 497000 Registered Charity No 1117723 Leamington Music reserves the right to change artists and programmes if necessary
Leamington Music Festival Organ recitals All Saints Church, Leamington Free entry | Retiring collection
Sunday 1 May | 4pm
Christopher Cromar Vaughan Williams Prelude & Fugue in C minor Howells Psalm Prelude Op 32 No 1 Howells Sonata for Organ (1st mvt): Vivo, energico ed agitato Simpson Eppur si muove Generously supported by Dr J Fenlon, Dr Sara Liptai and Mrs N Kohler
Monday 2 May | 11am
Rachel Mahon Director of Music Coventry Cathedral
Rachel Laurin Toccata from Symphony No 1 Parry Chorale Prelude on “Martyrdom” JS Bach Prelude & Fugue in C minor BWV546 Whitlock Scherzo & Paean from Five Short Pieces Vaughan Williams Prelude on ‘Greensleeves’ Bales Petite Suite Widor Adagio & Toccata from Symphony No 5 Generously supported by the Friends of All Saints Music
Leamington Music Festival
28 April – 2 May 2022 Royal Pump Rooms | Leamington Spa
Emma Abbate Lynn Arnold Maria Canyigueral Paul Cibis Christopher Cromar Nicholas Daniel Ensemble 360 James Gilchrist Andrey Gugnin Emma Johnson John Lenehan Leonore Piano Trio Rachel Mahon Charles Matthews Sacconi String Quartet Michael Seal Sinfonia of Birmingham Lana Trotovšek Raphael Wallfisch Roderick Williams and more
Celebrating Vaughan Williams at 150 with works by the great composer, his teachers, his pupils, and his inspirations
www.leamingtonmusic.org Registered Charity No 1117723