North Westmorland Arts 
Concerts in Appleby-in-Westmorland   TELEPHONE 017684 83777                           

Calendar of Concerts for the 2010-11 season

These are the forthcoming concerts for the 2010-11 season, all concerts taking place in the Market Hall in Appleby.  If you'd like your own copy of the concert dates to print off and put on your notice board at home, click HERE.

Highlights

• Three more new ensembles for this season
  We start and finish the season with returning faces, which neatly sandwich our tasty new fillings of Appleby debutants/es.  How about a string quartet that does not fit the usual pigeonholes?  But who engage their audiences so utterly that they are fast on the hook within a few opening bars of their crisp, highly original music.  Methera is their name. Their nature?  You'll have to come and find out for yourselves. Next are Consort 1700, who bring a programme of baroque music to our stage with soprano, baroque flute, harpsichord and violin all contributing to two hours of loveliness.  It is probable that at least half of their material may be unknown to at least half of the audience.  Last of the new flavours are the Deakin Trio with William 'Wib' Bennett (Flute) and Neil Black (Oboe) and we at the NWA feel fantastically privileged to have been able to persuade them to come along and play for us in February.  Both have recorded widely through their long professional careers.  Just try "Googling" them and you'll see what we mean!
• The returning favourites?  Opening the season on 10th October are guitar duo John Mills and his wife, Cobie Smit.  This could be John's 5th appearance in Appleby and everyone loves his warm playing with a touch of the Favourite Uncle in his manner of addressing his appreciative audiences.  Look out for his travelling standard-lamp (it hinges in the middle) and the slippers under the armchair.*   Finishing the season and by many, many popular requests are Mazaika.  For those who made it to their concert last season, you may want to book your subscription ticket now to be sure of a seat, if only to see Igor & Sarah again.  They received a standing ovation in November '09 and were not allowed to leave until utterly exhausted after three encores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At a glance

• John Mills & Cobie Smit - guitar duo
  Sunday 10th October 2010 - 7:30pm £8.50

 

• Methera - quirky trad. string quartet
  Sunday 14th November 2010 - 7:30pm £8.50

 

• Consort 1700 - Early / baroque ensemble
  Sunday 30th January 2011 - 7:30pm £8.50

 

• The Deakin Chamber Players with William Bennett (Flute) and Neil Black (Oboe)         Sunday 13th February 2011 - 7:30pm £10.00

 

• Mazaika - accordion & violin duo.     Sunday 27th March 2011 - 7:30pm  £8.50      

 

NOTE:  Programme information is often garnered well ahead of a concert and sometimes, as we all know, the best laid plans of mice and men oft gang agley...and so, whilst given in good faith, programmes sometimes do change for a variety of reasons.  If we have prior knowledge, we shall use this website to communicate any such change but the organisers are not able to accept liability for said change if it occurs.  By all means let us know if it might have been a serious disappointment - we like to listen to and learn from our concert-goers.

Who is playing?

John Mills and Cobie Smit 10th October 2010

The great classical guitarists might be said to have a relatively low profile in the music world - perhaps a reflection of the soft voice of their chosen instrument - but John Mills has studied with the three big names that might spring most readily to mind, namely the triumvirate of Andres Segovia, John Williams and Julian Bream.  That is quite a calling card and perhaps underlines why our Appleby concert-goers so look forward to one of John's concerts.  It might also be something to do with his gentle charm and a stage presence that puts his audience instantly at ease. 

He returns to our stage with his wife, Cobie Smit with a programme that spans the Atlantic Ocean and three centuries in a mere 2 hours.

Programme and further details

Methera 14th November 2010

Methera unites the rich texture of the string quartet with the depth and integrity of traditional music from England and beyond. Four fine young musicians with individual traditional styles weave old and contemporary tunes into the tapestry of the string quartet, exploring the power and diversity of sound it has to offer.

Steeped in the aural tradition of English music, Methera plays without manuscript, enabling the music to live and breathe in the moment. Audience, place and acoustic all play an active part as the story unfolds, creating music that respects tradition yet breaks convention.

Methera’s recent appearances include a double bill with Northern Sinfonia at The Sage Gateshead’s ‘Fiddles on Fire’ Festival. The quartet was also featured in BBC Radio 3’s Sony Award nominated programme ‘England in Ribbons’, and has performed in venues across England. Their eponymous album was released on 6 May 2008, with their second one nearly in the can with a  release date of 1st November.  It is hoped that early copies will be available at Appleby.

To see a review of this concert, click Link to Methera concert review

Programme and further details. - TBA

Consort 1700 30th January 2011 

We first became aware of this fine ensemble at a private recital that was christening a newly commissioned harpsichord.  The "machine" itself was a fabulous piece of work by Lancastrian craftsman, Robert Deegan and had a gorgeous voice in the hands of harpsichordist Charlotte Wilson.  Graduating with distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music - where she now teaches - she now plays regularly with the New English Orchestra and has appeared with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Nichola Benedetti, Ensemble 360 and many other local orchestras, including the Manchester Camerata. 

Martyn Shaw (Baroque Flute) studied at Chetham's School in Manchester and later with Trevor Wye before The Guildhall and a double entrance scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where he completed his Masters.  As a performer Martyn has freelanced with several leading ensembles including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Touring Opera, London Symphony Orchestra, Welsh Baroque, the Eighteenth Century Concert Orchestra, Armonico Consort and London Handel Orchestra.

Emma Dixon (Baroque Cello) is another graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music where she completed her Masters.  As a chamber musician and orchestral player she has performed across the country and abroad.

 

Soprano Jennifer France was a founder member of the National Children's Choir of Great Britain at the age of 11, graduating into the National Youth Choir of GB.  Full time study came with places first at the Arts Education School and latterly the Royal Northern College of Music from where she graduated last year.

Programme and further details - Click here

The Deakin Chamber Players with William Bennett and Neil Black.  13th February 2011
Let's start with the Deakins.  Richard Deakin and his wife Emma Ferrand have taught for many years at the Royal Northern College of Music, where they each held Professorships in their respective instruments (violin & 'cello).  Richard now holds a Professorship at the Royal Academy and also has long been involved with the National Youth Orchestra, with whom he has toured the world.  Closer to home, a privileged few have attended concerts at their Berrier home, often accompanying fellow musicians from the world stage, such as tonight's performers, William Bennett and Neil Black.

Flautist 'Wib' Bennett studied under - amongst others - the great Marcel Moyse in Paris and has had a long career appearing around the world with all the great orchestras on all the great stages.  Or perhaps that should be most of the world's great stages.  For, until 13th February 2011, he has not played Appleby.  His list of recorded works is of biblical length - check it out on his 'Wibsite' via the link, above.  

Oboist Neil Black first came to the public eye as Principal Oboe with the National Youth Orchestra at the tender age of 16, later taking the same seat with the London Philharmonic.  Departing to develop a career as a soloist, he worked with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra for many years and recorded and toured extensively with both.

Deakin, Bennett & Black Programme details

Mazaika Duo is a perfect, yet totally unconventional marriage of violin, accordion and voice, with performances full of fun, excitement and virtuosity, with emotional depth and musical subtlety. Their twinkling humour, rapport with the audience and with each other gives the audience an intoxicating experience which they will not easily forget. Accordionist Igor Outkine will tackle (it would seem) absolutely anything on his instrument and accompanies it with a fine tenor voice that doesn't often stay in the tenor 'box'.  Partnering on the violin, Sarah Harrison steals the show again and again with her vivacious playing only, for Igor to steal it back.  She moves swiftly from Grappelli-esque jazzy syncopation to Hungarian gypsy fizz to subtle, sensitive Baroque style with total conviction and command.  Heady stuff.  Miss them at your peril.  Oh, and bring some spare cash, because you will have one or more of their CD's on permanent repeat afterwards.  If you bought one.

Mazaika programme and further details