Welcome to our thirty third newsletter – designed to keep you informed about our activities, as well as other local chamber music events.
2018/19 COFFEE CONCERT SEASON CONTINUES
The concert by the Jacquin Trio on 18 November was, for many of us, a revelation. The combination of clarinet, viola and piano is not exactly mainstream, but the quality of the playing and the marvellous, if challenging, works, made for a wonderful morning. See a review on https://www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk
The third concert in the series will be given on 9 December at 11 am in the Attenborough Centre by Philip Higham, solo cello. Regular visitors to the Lewes Chamber Music Festival in June each year will know Philip. Almost everyone who knows and cares about music will know the Bach Cello Suites. Philip will play No.s 1, 3 and 5 as well as two Ricercares by Gabrielli. There’s an excellent video of his playing and talking about the Suites on our website (as above).
Some may have reservations about a solo recital (which strictly speaking isn’t chamber music) but for us at Strings Attached the quality of these Suites trumps all other considerations. This writer has vivid memories of many concerts over 60 years and the one that stands out above all others is Rostropovich at the Edinburgh Festival in about 1966 playing these Suites. When it seemed the applause would never stop Rostropovich shook his head and held up a copy of the music to say “don’t clap for me, it’s Bach who’s the genius”.
The picture shows the cover of the Suites in the handwriting of Anna Magdalena, Bach’s second wife.
For those who like to prepare for a concert, programme notes are available on https://www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk
We look forward to seeing you there.
PRACTICALITIES
The Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) is at The University of Sussex at Falmer. We are still using ACCA while the refurbishment of the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange enters its final stages.
There is free parking at the Sports Centre near ACCA, and at other car parks on the campus nearby (it being Sunday). There are excellent public transport links:
- by train from Brighton and Lewes; or
- by bus: No. 25 from Hove or Brighton, No. 23 from Brighton Marina or No.s 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 like a lift, or if you would like to offer one, 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.
Ticket prices for the coffee concerts have been held at £18.50 (concessions £16). It’s too late to buy a season ticket for the whole season but a half-season ticket for the three concerts in 2019 is available for £49.50 (concessions £42).
Tickets for all concerts are available from the Brighton Dome box office (01273 709709) or https://www.brightondome.org or from ACCA on the day.Tickets for those aged 8 to 25 are free. The Cavatina Scheme usually funds these tickets but won’t do so for solo recitals. Strings Attached will use some of its funds to provide free tickets for young people for the December concert.
These tickets can only be booked by visiting the box office in person. The Brighton Dome box office can issue them 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 must show proof of age, e.g. a passport. Uner 14s must be accompanied to the concert by a paying adult.
MEMBERSHIP
Unless you have already done so, it is not too late to renew your membership of Strings Attached for the period 1 August 2018 to 31 July 2019. 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. You can also renew your membership at the membership stall at concerts. Paid-up members receive a membership card which, to save postage, will be given out at the next concert, and which can be used to obtain a glass of sherry or fruit juice during concert intervals.
We hope you will choose to renew your membership and support our work – and encourage like-minded people to join us too.
BUILD BRIGHTON DOME
As was pointed out at the November concert, Brighton Dome needs your help to create the more sustainable and dynamic centre for the arts envisaged for the city, including a totally refurbished and transformed Corn Exchange, the home to which we expect to return for the 2019/20 season. Over 90% of the funding is in place and The Roddick Foundation, co-founded by Anita and Gordon Roddick of The Body Shop fame, has agreed to a match fund grant of up to £250,000. If you are able to help Build Brighton Dome meet its target of £250,000 you can donate at https://our-future.brightondome.org . No amount is too small; and remember that every £1 you give will be matched by £1 from the Roddick Foundation.
OTHER CHAMBER MUSIC EVENTS
The series of chamber music concerts run by the Nicholas Yonge Society in Lewes continues. On Wednesday 23 January (NOT the usual Friday) Matt Hunt (clarinet), Alina Ibramigova (violin), Louise Hopkins (cello) and Alasdair Beatson (piano) will play a Debussy Rhapsodie, Ravel’s Piano Trio and Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. These are world-class players performing two of the greatest chamber works of the 20th century. Tickets are available on http://www.nyslewes.org.uk or on the door, unless already sold out (which is quite possible).
Details of concerts in Brighton and Hove churches and those organised by other music societies in Seaford, Steyning and Chichester can be accessed via the Strings Attached website. Go to https://www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk and choose “Calendar” from the menu.