Concert on 4th June

On 4th June I'll be doing a concert with soprano Bianca Phillips at Emmanuel Church Plymouth.  I thought I'd give you a sneak preview of what we are planning for the programme (subject to change when we've rehearsed at the church!).

I'll be starting on piano with two pieces from the Romantic Period - firstly La fille aux cheveux de lin by Debussy and then April by Ireland.  Ireland's piano music isn't particularly well-known but he wrote some beautiful pieces of music that are well worth hearing.  Emmanuel has a superb 3 manual pipe organ which was rebuilt only a few years ago so Bianca will then be joining me in Panis Angelicus by Cesar Franck and Pie Jesu by Faure with an organ accompaniment.  To close the first half I'm going to try to show off some of the various sounds and colours of the organ by playing the Prince of Denmark's March by Jeremiah Clarke, Prelude on Rhosymedre by Vaughan Williams, Elegy by Thalben-Ball and the famous Toccata from Symphony no. 5 by Widor.

The church always lay on a superb spread of canapes and drinks in the interval included in the ticket price.  Following the interval Bianca will join me in The Prayer and Ich will dir mien herze shanken by J S Bach.  Two jazz numbers will follow this on piano - Time Remembered by Bill Evans and Prelude (melody no. 17) by Gershwin.  The rest of the programme will then be with Bianca - Tell me the truth about love by Benjamin Britten, Jabberwocky by Lee Hoiby, Somewhere over the Rainbow, Summertime by Gershwin and the Rubber Duck song.

Hopefully Bianca and myself have managed to put together a varied and entertaining programme.  Cameras and a screen are used at Emmanuel so you should be able to get a good view from any seat in the church.  Tickets are £8 in advance or £10 on the door (students half price) and are available from Barbican Tourist Office on 01752 306330 or from Ron Wheeler on 01752 227003.  It would be great to see some of you there!