MUSIC FOR GOOD FRIDAY
THE CHOIR AND INSTRUMENTALISTS OF THE CITY CHURCH
Directed by Adrian Boynton
An opportunity to reflect on the significance of Good Friday as the Choir and Instrumentalists offer a powerful and moving sequence of the finest extended settings of Holy Week texts. We will post full details of the music programme in early March. The reflection will conclude about 9pm.
Retiring collection
Monday 12th April 7.45pm
MUSICAL MILESTONES: Anniversary Tributes
JOSEF SUK (1874-1935) BOHUSLAV MARTINU (1890-1959)
A talk illustrated with fine CD recordings by Adrian Boynton
Suk's early works were influenced by Dvorak, and the Czech legend of Raduz and Mahulena with which he strongly identified – it drew from him his most radiant, tender, earnest and abundantly melodic music. He later developed a more complex harmonic and polyphonic style, articulated by his precise aural imagination and superb craftsmanship as an orchestrator. His pupil Martinu composed prolifically in all forms and travelled widely, becoming a figure of international standing. His symphonies, concertos, operas and ballet scores are full of rhythmical energy and evocative colour.
Admission £4 (student £1) at the door
Thursday 15th April 7.45pm
HIROAKI TAKENOUCHI (piano)
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in A flat, Op 110
RAVEL: Gaspard de la nuit
CHOPIN: Prelude in C# minor, Op 45
CHOPIN: Sonata in B minor
The exceptional young pianist Hiroaki Takenouchi came to London in 1997 to study at the Royal College of Music with Yonty Solomon. He was awarded the prestigious Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rosebowl presented by HRH The Prince of Wales and became a Constant and Kit Lambert Fellow of the RCM. In recent seasons he has appeared at Wigmore Hall, Fairfields Hall, South Bank, Hamburg Laeiszhalle and Steinway Halls in London, Hamburg and Tokyo. He has performed at Bath, Cheltenham and Salzburg Festivals, and given recitals across Europe and Japan. He has led masterclasses at the International Piano Academy, Greece and Banff Centre, Canada. His recordings include a world première of a work by James Dillon and an outstanding CD of music from his Japanese homeland. Hiroaki’s Milton Keynes programme features the incredible Gaspard de la Nuit of Ravel, a Beethoven masterpiece and, arguably, Chopin’s greatest work.
Admission £8.50 (conc £8, child £2) at the door
[This recital replaces the programme by Bobby Chen advertised in the first edition of our Annual Programme, which can now be heard at a later date.]
Sunday 18th April 6pm
CHORAL CELEBRATION OF EASTERTIDE
THE CHOIR OF THE CITY CHURCH directed by Adrian Boynton
Opportunities for both rejoicing and reflection as the wonderful Easter story is told in words and music.
Freewill offering
Saturday 24th April 12 noonIAN PRIESTLEY (tenor) ADRIAN BOYNTON (piano)
SCHUBERT: DIE SCHONE MULLERIN
Schubert's magnificent cycle of 20 songs tells, by symbolizing human emotion in terms of nature, a story in which the poet (i.e. the singer) is protagonist: he arrives at the mill, falls in love with the mill-girl, enjoys happiness with her, feels anger and jealousy when she turns to another man, and dies. The babbling of the brook is heard in many songs, and there is much other nature imagery, designed to reflect the emotions of the words. Ian Priestley returns to perform this great work with Adrian Boynton following his beautiful 'Winterreise' cycle two years ago. Priestley's versatility has brought him leading roles with Scottish Opera, Carl Rosa, Sadlers Wells and Buxton Festival as well as a host of oratorio and recital engagements.
Admission £5 (conc £4.50, child £1) at the door.
Thursday 29th April 7.45pm
EXPLORING MUSIC: 20th Century Masters
BARTOK (i) Formative Years to 1926
A talk illustrated with fine CD recordings by Adrian Boynton
“Those days I spent in the villages among the peasants were the happiest of my life. In order really to feel the vitality of this music one must, so to speak, have lived it.” [Bartok]
It was Bartok's mission to reconcile the folk melody of his native Hungary with the main currents of European music. In the process he created an entirely personal language and revealed himself as one of the major artists of the century. From his Piano Quintet, Op 1 and early Nationalistic tone-poem 'Kossuth', we trace his musical development through the Violin Concerto No 1, Romanian Dances, Dance Suite, Piano Concerto No 1,String Quartets Nos 1 & 2 and a remarkable cycle of theatre pieces: 'The Wooden Prince' (ballet), 'Duke Bluebeard's Castle' (opera) and 'the Miraculous Mandarin' (pantomime).
Admission £4 (student £1) at the door
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