MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE

CONCERT SERIES NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2012

King’s Singers Piano in the afternoon present music from with Joanna MacGregor

Tudor times to the Next January, internationally acclaimed MacGregor recorded 15 discs for 20th century pianist Joanna MacGregor will come to Collins Classics before launching her Marlborough for the fourth of five own label Sound Circus in 1998. The concerts in our new season. She will Collins discs feature mostly 20th century One of the most celebrated British perform works by Beethoven, Bartók composers such as Bartók, Debussy choral ensembles, The King’s Singers and Brahms in what is sure to be a and Ravel, along with Satie, Birtwistle, will next month open the new season musical journey of moods and emotions. Britten and . of the Marlborough College Concert Daughter of the piano teacher She is credited with dozens of record- Series. Angela (Hughes) MacGregor, Joanna ings and broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, as grew up in London during the 1960s and well as numerous television appearances 70s in a family with eclectic musical on British terrestrial channels. tastes. She learned to play the piano She has premièred works by mostly by ear and dabbled also with composers as diverse as Sir Harrison violin and guitar. Birtwistle, and James

The King's Singers (© Ben Ealovega)

The King’s Singers are countertenors David Hurley and Timothy Wayne-

Wright, tenor Paul Phoenix, baritones Christopher Bruerton and Christopher Gabbitas, and bass Jonathan Howard. Recently returned from a World Tour encompassing Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, Mexico, Korea, Singapore and China, as well as the

United Arab Emirates and most of Photo © Pal Hansen Europe, they will perform choral works in the College Chapel from 7:30pm on She studied music with Hugh Wood MacMillan. And she is renowned for Sunday, 16th September. at New Hall, Cambridge between 1978 collaborations with musicians, who like Highlights from their programme and 1981, and after graduating pursued herself defy categorisation. The multi- include – Good Companie (music from a Masters degree in performance at instrumentalist Django Bates composed King Henry VIII’s manuscript), Oriana the . the piano concerto “What it's like to be (Golden Age of English madrigals), and She has performed as soloist with alive,” both for her and the Royal Phil- Gloriana (Benjamin Britten). many of the world’s leading orchestras, harmonic Orchestra. Last year, we sold out on opening including the London Symphony, Berlin In 2001, she published Piano World, night and this year we are likely to Symphony, and a series of piano teaching books for again. We hope you can join us for Chicago Symphony orchestras. And she children with companion CDs featuring what promises to be a richly satisfying has worked with many of today’s most storytelling, cartoon narration and evening. Please take your seats from revered conductors, including Pierre musical accompaniment. Other writing 6:45pm.  Boulez, Sir , Sir credits include Memoirs of an Amnesiac, and . During the early 1990s, Joanna [Page 2, Column 2] www.marlboroughconcertseries.org

Previews MacGregor [from Page 1, Column 3] And it is for these reasons that French and Italian audiences have come to a radio play about the life of Eric Satie. know the sonata as L’Aurore /L'Aurora Read more Season 71 Previews in For the past six years, she has held the (The Dawn). back copies of the MCCS Newsletter. position of Artistic Director of the Bath The “Out of doors” suite is a set of The February 2012 edition profiles International Music Festival. solo piano pieces written around the Red Priest, while the May copy features Two years ago, she curated Deloitte time Bartók was composing the First the London Mozart Players. Ignite, a three day festival opening the Piano Concerto. It consists of five con- 2010 season at the . trasting and descriptive movements: Comprising a series of installations with . the first “With Drums and Pipes” an arboreal theme, open to the public emulating the sound of drums and during the day, Joanna also gave wind instruments, three evening performances of a Lying . the second “Barcarolla” a traditional Down Concert with Kiki Dale and Ilona folk meolody, Jantti. . the third “Musettes” representing MacGregor has received honorary the sound of a poorly tuned pair of Professorships and Fellowships from the bagpipes, Royal Academy of Music and Trinity . the fourth “The Night's Music” College of Music, as well as honorary depicting the sounds of night in a Doctorates from the Hungarian summer, and and the . She has served . the fifth “The Chase” which breath- as Artist-in-Residence at Liverpool Hope lessly conveys the spirit of pursuit. College, where she is now Professor of The Three Intermezzi, Opus 117 by Brahms Musical Performance. And last year, she are thought to have been inspired by a You can download previous editions assumed the role of Head of Keyboard Scottish poem from Herder's Volkslieder. from our website. Visit – at the Royal Academy of Music. They bear the inscription: www.marlboroughconcertseries.org This summer, Joanna returns to the “Schlaf sanft mein Kind, schlaf sanft Click on the ‘Newsletter’ tab and BBC Promenade series appearing as und Schön ! Mich dauert's sehr, dich select :: more >> to open the edition of soloist with the National Youth weinen sehn,” your choice. Save a copy in the usual Orchestra of Great Britain, and on a translated as way to read at your leisure.  separate occasion will perform Hugh “Sleep softly my child, sleep softly Wood’s Piano Concerto with the BBC and well ! It hurts my heart to see National Orchestra of Wales. you weeping.” Tender and introspective, Brahms Box Office For her recital in Marlborough, she will described them as "lullabies to my present four pieces – an early Beethoven sorrows." Written in 1892, they are some sonata followed by Bartók’s “Out of of his most popular late piano works. The Box Office is now open. doors” suite; then after the interval, Bringing the recital to a grand finale Three Intermezzi by Brahms and the is the Sonata in C major, Opus 53 To buy tickets for the 71st season Waldstein Sonata, also by Beethoven. “Waldstein” by Beethoven – which takes simply complete a booking form The Beethoven Opus 2 was composed its name from a dedication to his patron and send it with your payment to: in 1796 and published a year later in and close personal friend Count MCCS Box Office, Vienna. It comprises a triptych of piano Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein The Henry Hony Centre, sonatas, and the no. 3 which we will of Vienna. Marlborough College, SN8 1PA hear, is regarded as the most weighty Considered one of his finest piano of the set having been likened to a solo sonatas, it bears comparison with two Booking forms can be downloaded concerto in scope and style. others from his so called middle period from our website – Its three movements have been inter- (1803-1812) – the Appassionata (Sonata www.marlboroughconcertseries.org preted by some as moments in a day – No. 23) and Les Adieux (Sonata No. 26). Look for ‘booking form’ on the the first, a pleasant yet noisy bustling What better way to conclude a ‘Tickets’ webpage. day; the second, the calmness of night; diverse and varied programme of You can also request a booking form and the third, the dawn of a new day. virtuoso piano? I for one can’t wait!  by calling Box Office Information on – 01672 892566, or by emailing –

[email protected] Season 71 at a glance Discounts apply for customers booking for four or more concert King’s Singers 16-Sept-12 Music from Tudor times to the 20th century events. (Please refer to full Terms Red Priest 07-Oct-12 “Pirates of the baroque” and Conditions on the booking form). London Mozart Players 04-Nov-12 Songs from a Threepenny Opera (Kurt Weill) Mailing list subscribers should already plus music by Barber and Dvorak have received a booking form by Joanna MacGregor 13-Jan-13 Piano works by Beethoven, Bartók and Brahms post, but if not, please contact the Southbank Sinfonia 03-Feb-13 Mozart Clarinet Concerto (soloist: Julian Bliss) Box Office now and we’ll mail one plus Tchaikovsky – Capriccio Italien and Symphony no. 5 to you.

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Newsletter written and produced by Duncan Liddle (Marketing). Contact [email protected]