Diary of some Musical Events in Bristol and area for 2013

Issue No 73

The Longwell Green Eisteddfod is in urgent need of new volunteers to ensure its future.  No experience of the performing arts is necessary to participate in the running of the event – only an ability to deal with people, perform admin tasks and, ideally, have some home computer experience. The prospectus is due out this month (April). If you are interested in this event in any way, please contact the General Secretary, David Tiley on 0117 9322408 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sherbourne Abbey, Dorset – Afternoon Organ Concert – 2.30pm
A chance to hear a recital on the fairly large 3 manual Grey & Davidson organ of 1856 last rebuilt in 2004 by Kenneth Tickell & Co. It includes a 32' Pedal Reed Named Contra Batten! The organist will be Nicholas Sutton from Doncaster Minster.
Admission free, retiring collection.

All Saints Church, Pembroke Road - Matinée Concert – 4.00pm
The Three Oboes, comprising three of Bristol’s finest woodwind players – Charlie Bird, Barbara McConochie and Jennifer Mears – who will  present works by Beethoven including a Trio in C and Variations on a Theme by Mozart as well as pieces by Gordon Jacob and Elizabeth Faulkner - further info from John Davenport on 0117 9247421

The New Room, Broadmead, Bristol – Lunchtime Concert – 1.20pm
Mariette Davina - inspirational singer and composer, recently dubbed as the ‘Modern
Kate Bush - Admission Free – retiring collection

Central United Reformed Church, Argyle St, Bath – Lunchtime lecture 12.30pm
The Music of the Spheres – a Presentation by Dr Dominique Proust (Organist, Notre
Dame de l’Assomption, Paris), exploring the links between astronomy and music over 25
centuries. £2 - tickets on the door. Further info from
www.historyofbath.org.uk/FutureMeetings.aspx

Central United Reformed Church, Argyle St, Bath – Evening Organ Recital - 7.30pm
by Dr Dominique Proust (see above) - music by Raquet, Galilei, Buxtehude, Bach,
Herschel, Reger, Holst and Vierne.  £10 - tickets on the door and at the Herschel Museum
in Bath. Further info from www.historyofbath.org.uk/FutureMeetings.aspx

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
Cédric Burgelin, Saintes Cathedral, France - Carillons, berceuses and Toccatas
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The New Room, Broadmead, Bristol – Lunchtime Concert – 1.20pm
The Bromley Duo – Bob Bennett (violin and saxophone), Nick Breeze (piano)
Admission Free – retiring collection

Joint event with regional Organist Associations at:
Gillingham Methodist Church, High St, Gillingham SP8 4AG – 2 until 5pm
Cavaillé-Coll at GMC.  Introduction by Will Fraser from Fugue State Films followed by
screening of the DVD ‘The Organs of Cavaillé-Coll’.
This definitive documentary celebrates the 200th anniversary of the greatest organ builder of the nineteenth century and the music he inspired. It features organists
Gerard Brooks, Daniel Roth, Olivier Latry, Pierre Pincemaille amongst others playing seventeen
organs including St Sulpice, Notre Dame, St Ouen, Rouen and St Sernin, Toulouse.
The DVD will be shown on a large screen along with a high quality surround-sound system (to faithfully reproduce the sound of those wonderful instruments) and there will be the chance to purchase the DVD (and other Fugue State Films titles) at reduced rates.
At the end of the afternoon refreshments will be provided and there will also be an
opportunity to play GMC’s historic Sweetland organ.  Tickets: £7 (£10 if not an Organists’
Association member).  Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk
Car share to be arranged from Bristol – please register your interest to attend with Chris at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Staple Hill Methodist Church – Evening Choir Concert – 7.30pm
Cwmbach Male Choir – tickets £8 from 07836 692552 or at the door

St James’s Church and St Mary Magdalene Church - starting at 10am
Choirs Singing Day with Lindsay Gray and Lisa Tustian.  Taunton & Somerset Festival Centenary Celebrations.  Further info from 01278 434159

Cirencester Parish Church – International Organ Festival Eucharist - 10:00am

Cirencester Parish Church – Organ Festival lunchtime recital – 1.10pm
Anthony Pinel (Grimsby Minster) - For details see www.cirencesterorganfestival.co.uk

Cirencester Parish Church – Organ Festival lunchtime recital – 1.10pm
Laurence Lyndon-Jones (Coventry Cathedral) - For details see www.cirencesterorganfestival.co.uk

St James-the Great, Dursley - Celebration of the 125th anniversary of the installation of       the organ by William Hill - a re-creation of one of the three Dedication Services

Cirencester Parish Church – International Organ Festival Gala Concert - 8.00pm
Gala Silent Movie Concert: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Anthony Hammond, Concert Organist) - £12 (or a Passport Ticket all three headline concerts 20th, 26th and 27th costs £30) - For details see www.cirencesterorganfestival.co.uk

The New Room, Broadmead, Bristol – Afternoon Concert – 4.00pm
Called to be Saints – The West Gallery Singers, in concert – further details from www.newroombristol.org.uk

St James-the-Great, Dursley - Coffee, Cake and Music – 11.00am
James Scott (Bath Abbey) - Coffee and Cake served from 10.30am and Organ Music       from 11.00 – c.11.40am - Marking the 125th Anniversary of the installation of the organ            by William Hill

St Mary Magdalene Church, Taunton – New Music Workshop - 2-4.30 pm
with John Barnard. RSCM event. Further info from 01278 434159

Bristol Organ Festival – look out for details to follow about this special week of organ events in Bristol – more details from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bristol Cathedral – Bristol Organ Festival Event – 1.15pm
More details to follow

The New Room, Broadmead, Bristol – Bristol Organ Festival Event – 1.20pm
‘Samuel Wesley and the Great Bach Revival’ - Talk and Concert by Philip Wilby
(organ) and Gordon Pullin (tenor) - Admission Free – retiring collection

Bristol Cathedral – Organ Festival Gala Concert – 7.00pm
with Bristol Cathedral Concert Choir, The Woodfalls Brass Band and the   Cathedral Organists.  Programme to include selections from Carmina Burana with brass band accompaniment, Parry's 'I was Glad' plus much        more – details to follow.  If you would like to sing in this concert, a ‘Come and Sing’ choir rehearsal will be held on 2nd May (evening), and a full rehearsal on the afternoon of 4th May.  Tickets £10 (includes a glass of wine).  Watch this space for further details of this special event – not to be missed.

All Saints Church, Pembroke Road - Matinée Concert – 4.00pm
A Britten Centenary Celebration by the Canadian tenor, John Bacon and Helen Mills (piano). The programme will include Fish in the Unruffled Lakes, a selection of songs from The Red Cockatoo and folk song arrangements.
Further info from John Davenport on 0117 9247421

St Stephen’s Church, Bournemouth – May Festival
Mon 6 May          with Malcolm Riley, Colin Walsh, Exeter Cathedral Choir, St Stephen’s
Choir.  Full details available from www.btcp.org.uk or contact Ian Harrison at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

St Andrew’s Church, Chippenham - Lunchtime recital – 1 until 2pm
World Organ Day - David Dewar (Chippenham) - Part of a series of global events    
to mark the 850th Anniversary of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.  Music
by Buxtehude, Walther, Vierne, and others.   Admission free, retiring collection
for renovation of the organ at this church.

Colston Hall – Beethoven Symphony 9 ‘Choral’ – 7.30pm
Bristol Choral Society (Adrian Partington) and Bristol Ensemble (Jonathan James, Con) - Tickets available from the Colston Hall - www.colstonhall.org

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
Joshua Hales (Organ Scholar, Salisbury Cathedral) - The Jenkinson Recital
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Melksham - St Michael’s Church, ‘In the footsteps of J S Bach’ - 2.30pm.
David Chandler will be taking an afternoon ‘Bach Pilgrimage' to Germany!
In 2011 David was fortunate enough to be part of the Bach Pilgrimage group led by Gordon Stewart.  His talk will be illustrated with photographs (on the large B&DOA screen) and CD and DVD clips.  Don't miss this interesting and entertaining afternoon - all welcome – open to all - free admission - no ticket required - see you there!
Further details from Penelope Cowman on 01225 469588 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

St Mary’s Church, Wedmore – The Somerset Singers Concert – 7.00pm
Bernstein: Chichester Psalms, Janáèek: Otèená¹, Rutter: Requiem
Further info from Sue Mathias at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Staple Hill Methodist Church – Evening Gospel Choir Concert – 7.30pm
Tickets £8 from 07836 692552 or at the door

The New Room, Broadmead, Bristol – Concert - tbc
The Kentucky Wesleyan University Choir – further details from www.newroombristol.org.uk

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Folk Concert – 7.30pm
Folk Concert with Jenna Witts – Tickets £8 - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

St Mary Magdalene Church, Taunton – Thanksgiving Service - 6.30 pm
(with afternoon rehearsal) for 100 years of the Taunton & Somerset Festival, with Choir and Orchestra.  Preacher: Rt Rev Peter Price (Bishop of Bath and Wells).
Taunton & Somerset Festival Centenary Celebrations.  Further details on RSCM and Taunton & Somerset Festival website.  Further info from 01278 434159

St James-the-Great, Dursley - Coffee, Cake and Music – 11.00am
Ian Ball (Worcester) - Coffee and Cake served from 10.30am and Organ Music from 11.00 – c.11.40am - Marking the 125th Anniversary of the installation of the organ   by
William Hill

Keyberry Park Methodist Church, nr Pen Inn, Newton Abbot TQ12 1BX – 2.30pm
Nigel Ogden, celebrity concert with Nigel from The Organist Entertains (BBC Radio 2) at the Four Manual Allen Theatre Organ (GW4).  Tickets £8. Contact Mark: 01761         439934 or 07906 431918.

Organ Tour in and around Luxembourg led by the president of Les Amis de L'Orgues de Luxembourg - for details contact Philip Carter on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bristol & District Organists’ Association - AGM - 4pm
to be held at St Paul’s Church, Coronation Road, Southville.

Edgar Joyce Memorial Fund Organ Concert at St Paul’s Church, Corontaion Road, Southville - 6pm - With guest organist and young student organists - admission by programme at the door - £6.00 towards the EJMF – refreshments to follow – do   come along to this annual organ concert - always a good occasion.
More details from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

All Saints Church, Pembroke Road - Matinée Concert – 4.00pm
The brilliant young soprano Josephine Goddard returns to All Saints with another regular visitor, Jennifer Carter as accompanist. These two artists work regularly together in London and this recital is expected to be a highlight.
Further info from John Davenport on 0117 9247421

All Saints Church, Pembroke Road – A Bach Pilgrimage - 7.30pm
Thurs 6 June        Tom Bowes performs Bach’s entire solo violin music.  This will be a rare privilege to hear all this great music performed live in the fine acoustics of All Saints Church. Tom Bowes is a player with an international reputation. In a wide and varied career, he was leader of the Maggini String Quartet and then leader of the Academy of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, but it is as a recitalist and soloist that he has made the greatest impression. For details of ticket prices and availability contact Andrew Morgan, All Saints Arts, c/o Hollis Morgan Estate Agents, telephone 0117 9736565

Bristol Cathedral - Belshazzar's Feast - 7.30pm
A joint concert with Bristol Cathedral Concert Choir and Bristol Phoenix Choir accompanied by the Bristol New Sinfonia. As well as Belshazzar's Feast the concert will include music selected to celebrate the 60th anniversary of HM the Queens Coronation.
Tickets £15. Full details from www.concertchoir.co.uk

Folly Farm Theme Park, Pembrokshire – Evening Concert – 7.00pm
Phil Kelsall plays the recently installed and restored theatre organ - Tickets from Folly Farm on 01834 812731 or more details from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Weston-super-Mare Odeon Cinema – Organ Concert – 2pm
The West of England Theatre Organ Society presents Phil Kelsall (Tower Ballroom, Blackpool) in this afternoon concert - Tickets on the door or from the Odeon Box Office. Further details from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bristol Cathedral - Vivaldi Gloria, Kyrie, Dixit Dominus, summer from Four Seasons - 7.30pm - Bristol Choral Society, Bristol Ensemble, Roger Huckle (Violin), Llio Evans (soprano), Eleanor Stowe (soprano), Olivia Gomez (alto), Peter Harris (tenor), Alex Jones (bass), conductor Adrian Partington.  Tickets £10 - £22 from www.bristolchoral.co.uk or     Colston Hall: 0117 922 3686

St George’s, Brandon Hill – Bristol Concert Orchestra – 7.30pm
Last Night of the Proms to include: Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending,
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde Prelude, Parry: Jerusalem, Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance
No 1 - Further details from www.bristolconcertorchestra.org.uk

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
Martin Setchell (Christchurch New Zealand) - The Alcock Recital
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

St Mary Redcliffe Church - Bristol Bach Choir - 7:30pm
Ancient & Modern – A contrasting programme of works by British composers
For further info and tickets see www.bristolbach.org,uk

Staple Hill Methodist Church – Evening Concert – 7.30pm
Mariette Davina - inspirational singer and composer, recently dubbed as the ‘Modern Kate Bush,’ – tickets £8 from 07836 692552 or at the door

St James-the-Great, Dursley - Coffee, Cake and Music – 11.00am
David Collins (Dursley Parish Church) - Coffee and Cake served from 10.30am and Organ Music from 11.00 – c.11.40am - Marking the 125th Anniversary of the installation   of the organ by William Hill

Clevedon – Curzon Cinema – Cinema organ concert with John Mann - 2.30pm
Originally installed in the Regent Cinema, Poole in 1931, and then later at Sandford Park, this organ was donated to the Curzon on condition that it be restored and cared for. A dedicated team of organ enthusiasts have given up their time over the past year to install the 3 manual console at the front of the auditorium and the 723 pipes in an enclosure behind the screen. Further details from www.curzon.org.uk

t John the Baptist Church, Glastonbury – Celebrity Organ Concert - 7.30pm
with Thomas Heywood – International Australian Celebrity recitalist with Big Screen presentation – Tickets £10 - Details from St John’s Parish Office on 01458 830894 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it – (includes wine and nibbles).

Christ Church (City) Broad Street, Bristol – Anniversary Organ Recital – 7.30pm
By Anthony Pinel (Grimsby) – with Big Screen presentation - more details to follow.

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Celebrity Organ Concert – 7.30pm
Organ Concert and Talk by David Briggs (USA) – Tickets £12 - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
Martin Bacot (Lyons, France) - to conclude with an improvisation
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Afternoon Organ Concert – 3.00pm
By Peter Lattimer (Sturminster Newton PC) - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
Robert Munns  (International recitalist) - The Emery Recital
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Afternoon Organ Concert – 3.00pm
By John White - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

St James-the-Great, Dursley - Coffee, Cake and Music – 11.00am
The Rev’d Canon Graham Holcombe (Precentor, Llandaff Cathedral)
Coffee and Cake served from 10.30am and Organ Music from 11.00 – c.11.40am - Marking the 125th Anniversary of the installation of the organ by William Hill

Organ Tour to the North of Romania - led by Prof Lorin Dragan
For details contact Philip Carter on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Afternoon Organ Concert – 3.00pm
By Gordon Amery (GMC) - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
Timothy Hone (Salisbury) - to include Barber’s Adagio for Strings
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Afternoon Concert – 3.00pm
By Jeffrey Williams & Jenna Gover (organ & flute) - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Folly Farm Theme Park, Pembrokshire – Evening Concert – 7.00pm
Nigel Ogden plays the recently installed and restored theatre organ - Tickets from Folly    Farm on 01834 812731 or more details from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

St James-the-Great, Dursley - Coffee, Cake and Music – 11.00am
Paul Walton (Bristol Cathedral) - Coffee and Cake served from 10.30am and Organ Music from 11.00 – c.11.40am - Marking the 125th Anniversary of the installation of the organ   by William Hill

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Afternoon Organ Concert – 3.00pm
By Anthony Burns-Cox - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Celebrity Organ Concert – 7.30pm
By Prof. Ian Tracey (Liverpool Cathedral) – Tickets £10 - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Salisbury Cathedral – Evening Organ Recital – 7.30pm
John Challenger  (Salisbury Cathedral) - The Emery Recital
For tickets and further information please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bristol and District Organists’ Association - Tewkesbury Abbey – 10.30am
IAO Regional Organ Day - The day will include talks on organ related subjects and music from the Abbey organs - please book this date in your diary now - more details to follow, or from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Concert – 7.30pm
Last Night of the Organ Proms concert - Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk

Gillingham Methodist Church, Dorset – Christmas Extravaganza – 7.30pm
Further details from www.musicatgmc.org.uk