Welcome to our thirtieth newsletter – designed to keep you informed about our activities, as well as other local chamber music events.
2018/19 COFFEE CONCERT SEASON
The Sunday morning coffee concerts will resume in October, all starting at 11.00 am. They will again be held at The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (formerly the Gardner Centre) at the University of Sussex at Falmer. The Corn Exchange is still not ready for us.
The programmes for the Marmen and Castalian Quartets have changed slightly from those previously announced:
21 October 2018 Marmen Quartet
Haydn String Quartet Op.74 No.1
Janacek String Quartet No.1 Kreutzer Sonata
Beethoven String Quartet Op.131
18 November 2018 Jacquin Trio (clarinet, viola/violin, piano)
Schumann Fairy Tale Narrations Op.132
Charlotte Bray Blaze and Fall and Chant
Colin Matthews new work
Mozart Trio in E flat K498 Kegelstatt
Stravinsky The Soldier’s Tale Suite
Bartok Contrasts BB116
9 December 2018 Philip Higham
Bach Cello Suites Nos. 1, 3 and 5
Gabrielli Ricercare Nos. 7 and 5
27 January 2019 Doric String Quartet
Haydn String Quartet Op.33 No.4
Bartok String Quartet No.5
Mendelssohn String Quartet Op.44 No.2
24 February 2019 Castalian Quartet with Daniel Lebhardt (piano)
Haydn String Quartet Op.20 No.2
Elgar String Quartet in E minor Op.83
Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor Op.34
24 March 2019 Aquinas Piano Trio
Haydn Piano Trio in E major Hob. XV:28
Mendelssohn Piano Trio No.1 Op.49
Schumann Piano Trio No.2 Op.80
PRACTICALITIES
The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA), formerly the Gardner Centre, is at the University of Sussex at Falmer. The move to ACCA, as you will recall, is temporary during the extensive refurbishment of the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange.
There is free parking at the Sports Centre close to the Attenborough Centre and at other car parks on the campus nearby. There are also excellent public transport links:
- by train from Brighton or Lewes, or
- by bus: No. 25 from Hove and Brighton, No. 23 from Brighton Marina or Nos 28 and 29 from Brighton, or, coming the other way, from Tunbridge Wells via Uckfield and Lewes.
Help with transport A happy tradition is established whereby Strings Attached members offer lifts to others who would otherwise have difficulty with transport. If a lift has not already been arranged for you and you would either like a lift, or would like to offer one, please email the secretary Margaret Polmear on m.polmear@btinternet.com It will only be possible to find a lift for you if there happens to be someone in your area who is offering one.
Tickets prices for the coffee concerts have again been held at £18.50 (concessions £16). A season ticket for the whole season (six concerts) is £99 (concessions £84). A half-season ticket (either the three concerts in 2018 or the three in 2019) is £49.50 (concessions £42).
Individual tickets for all concerts are available from the Brighton Dome Box Office (01273 709709) or www.brightondome.org . For the moment season tickets can only be booked in person or by telephone.
Tickets for those aged 8 – 25 are free as part of the Cavatina Scheme or through Strings Attached. They can only be booked by visiting the box office in person. The Brighton Dome box office can issue tickets in advance; the ACCA box office will be open on the morning of the concert. Either the young person should be present at the time of booking, or the person booking for him or her must show proof of age, e.g. a passport. Under 14s must be accompanied to the concert by a paying adult. The December cello recital is supported by Strings Attached as the Cavatina Scheme does not cover single instrument recitals.
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Now is the time to renew your membership of Strings Attached for the period 1 August 2018 to 31 July 2019 if you have not already done so or you have only recently joined. Membership renewal forms can be downloaded from https://www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk/friends/ . Payment can be made by bank transfer or by cheque, but the form still needs to be sent by post. For Gift Aid reasons please complete one form per person. Paid-up members will receive a membership card which, to save postage, we plan to distribute initially at the October concert, and which can be used to obtain a free glass of sherry or fruit juice during coffee concert intervals.
We hope you will choose to renew your membership and support our work – and encourage like-minded people to join us too.
THE STRINGS ATTACHED WEBSITE
It has been further improved. You will notice that links to it now begin with https:// . The calendar (see below) is an especial joy to use.
FEEDBACK ON THE 2017/18 SEASON
Your feedback would still be welcome. Send your comments to info@stringsattachedmusic.org.uk .
OTHER CHAMBER MUSIC EVENTS
The Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) starts on 26 October and runs until 11 November. Details are available on www.bremf.org.uk . Tickets are not yet on sale but a provisional programme has been announced.
Don’t forget to check the Strings Attached chamber music calendar. It lists other chamber music concerts in Sussex, featuring both professional and amateur performers, and can be found at https://www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk/calendar/ .
You will see that lunchtime and evening concerts at various churches in Brighton, Hove and Lewes continue through August and September while local music societies in Lewes, Seaford, Eastbourne and Steyning restart their programmes in September and October.
The Nicholas Yonge Society, Lewes begins its season on 19 October with the Shaham Erez Wallfisch Trio, playing not just Beethoven and Dvorak but also Bloch. See www.nyslewes.org.uk .
The most unusual of all these events must be the Lapwing Music Festival at Cuckmere Haven from 31 August to 2 September. It’s held in the vicinity of the Coastguard Cottages in aid of the Cuckmere Haven SOS Campaign. Details are on https://lapwingfestival.com