Musical Medley: Concerts and what's on in the Doncaster music scene this May

Tickhill Music Society

Benjamin Frith & Heidi Rolfe

Piano music for four hands

Benjamin Frith has entertained and enthused audiences in various settings such as lunchtime recitals, music festivals and societies for many years.

He has performed worldwide and toured the USA many times with the renowned Gould Trio.

Heidi has also fostered a brilliant solo piano career, and is much in demand as a champion of female composers and contemporary music, combining this with teaching and examining for the Royal Society of Musicians board. A concert of rewarding music for both performer and audience, not to be missed.

Thursday 2 May, 7pm

St. Mary’s Primary School, Tickhill, DN11 9LZ

Tickets: £15 at the door or www.tickhillmusicsociety.org

Accompanied children and students - free

Bawtry Phoenix Theatre Presents

Music Live at the Phoenix

“Mambo Jambo”

Musical sunshine from a multi-instrumental duo!

Acoustic roots duo Mambo Jambo might just be the biggest acoustic duo you’ll ever see – a truly unique two-piece performing their lively, joyous mash up of roots, world, folk and jazz, plus their own compositions.

With Frankie on sax, vocals, clarinet, flute, guitar and percussion and Pete on guitar, vocal, ukulele, tres (traditional Cuban guitar), banjo, accordion and between them all kinds of percussion including suitcase and spoons, Pete and Frankie have been gathering admirers at shows and festivals the length and breadth of the country. A fabulous uplifting musical treat is in store wherever they roll up, their tour bus packed to the brim!

Friday 10 May

7.30 pm

Hosted by Change for Two Tenors

Station Road

Bawtry, Doncaster, DN10 6PT

Tickets £10 Tel: Barrie 07449715431

www.bawtrytheatre.co.uk

Sprotbrough Music Society

Madeline Mitchell (violin) and Nigel Clayton (piano)

Madeline Mitchell has been described by The Times as ‘one of Britain’s liveliest musical forces and foremost violinists’.

She has performed in over 50 countries both as a soloist and chamber musician in a wide repertoire. Frequent broadcasts include appearances at the BBC Proms.

A highly creative personality, Madeline devised the Red Violin Festival under Lord Menuhin’s patronage.

Nigel Clayton studied at the Royal College of Music where he has recently been appointed Professor of Piano. Nigel performs in chamber music groups, and as an accompanist in additional solo

appearances.

Both these artists appeared in Sprotbrough in 2013 with great success in a programme of jazz orientated music.

This concert they are bound to delight the audience but with a very different programme to include: Brahms D minor Violin Sonata, some Bartok Rumanian Dances and extracts from John Williams score for the film Schindler’s List. There is something for everyone in this concert.

Thursday 16 May, 7pm

St. Mary’s Church Hall, Sprotbrough, DN5 7RH

Tickets available on the door - £15

Doncaster Choral Society

Pergolesi: Stabat Mater

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Soprano – Jane Burnell

Contralto – Alison Hudson

Organ and harpsichord – Alan Horsey

Conductor – Matt Beckingham

With members of the National Festival Orchestra

Saturday 18 May, 7.30pm

St. Jude’s Church, Hexthorpe, DN4 0BT

Entry £14 paid in advance, £16 on the door

Students £5, school pupils FREE

Please contact ticket sales: Roy Daley – 01302 840728

Or buy online: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/614656

All enquiries email: [email protected]

The Minster organ recital series

Showcasing the ‘mighty Schultze organ’, everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy these lunchtime recitals by gifted musicians. A truly wonderful way to pass an hour in the beautiful setting of Doncaster Minster.

This month the recitalist is:

Friday 24 May – Martin Brown, Bangor

Doncaster Minster, DN1 1RD

1.10pm, free entry with retiring collection

The Wednesday lunchtime recital series has sadly ended until the autumn after several successful concerts which delighted the audience each week.

Gary O’Shea (13 March) performed a varied programme including Prokofiev’s Sonata no. 5 in C major op.38 an interesting work of depth, revised by Prokofiev (op. 135) which was the version presented here and showing Prokofiev in his experimental stage with dissonant harmonies and zigzagging melodies.

Following on from Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C minor, book II Well-Tempered Clavier, was Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in C major, op.87 and the influence of Bach was clearly shown through the counterpoint and exploration of the variety of then modern ‘architectural’ structures.

The recital ended with Beethoven’s Six Bagatelles, op.126 dedicated to his brother Nikolaus Johann van Beethoven and played, as originally intended, in order as a single work. Beethoven he said that the Bagatelles ‘are the best I’ve probably written.’

They were certainly a highlight of the concert and very well received.

Heidi Rolfe and Benjamin Frith, piano duet, delighted the audience on 20 March, with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade’.

A brilliant performance of the complete suite transcribed for four hands by the composer and very well received.

The recital on 10 April was given by Kirin Howat, viola, with Julia Leszczynska accompanying on the piano, both students of the Royal Northern College of Music.

A lively and varied programme of pieces such as Forsyth’s Chanson Celtique, written in 1908 a captivating work that takes the listener on a journey though lush, emotional harmonies and enchanting melodies; Louise Farrenc’s Cello Sonata arranged by Kalinowsky for viola, a beautiful work written in 1858, one of her last compositions and one of her most heartfelt, all played with flair which was greatly appreciated by the audience.

We hope to welcome all of these artistes and many more in our forthcoming season starting up again in the autumn.

Tickhill Music Society marked the start of its summer season, 28 March, with some unseasonal weather and an unusual trio of trumpet, horn and trombone.

Fortunately the audience was not put off by the weather, and the concert started in fine fashion with the unfamiliar treatment of some familiar pieces by Pergolesi and Poulenc.

The first half then made an uncompromising shift into the twenty-first century, with music that was more patterns than melodies, all skilfully executed by the trio. The second half commenced in similar fashion, with one piece influenced by jazz and another (commissioned by the trio) comprising both words and music.

The trio then moved into more familiar territory, with one of Brahms’ Hungarian dances and then a trio by Beethoven. As an encore the audience was treated to a suite from Bizet’s opera Carmen, and despite the weather all were able to go home with smiles on their faces.