Since last September, we have presented 11 concerts, including last month: one in Chepstow, one in Monmouth and the rest in St Briavels. The programme has included Dan Tong’s solo piano recital of Beethoven sonatas charting the composer’s journey from classical to romantic; two piano trios (the prize winning Astatine and the Odysseus with Rosie Biss & Co); a string quartet (the excellent Brompton); two violin and piano duos (Mary Hofman & Richard Ormrod, and then Fenella and Emma last month); a clarinet and piano duo (Sarah Williamson & Sam Heywood). The Swan Consort gave us a fairly intense experience of early and renaissance polyphonic Christmas music. We had an epic showcase from the RWCWD super stars with the amazing Charlotte Kwok leading the line.
The highlight of our “summer party” event in Monmouth was undoubtedly Vivaldi’s Four Seasons” with Simone Pirri and the seven-piece baroque chamber ensemble (we all fell instantly in love with the double bass player!). And in July, the inimitable Katya Gorrie and Jazz/cabaret band Moscow Drug Club lived up to their customary hype as they never fail to do.
In terms of musical periods, we have again tried to spread the net wide: early music by William Byrd and a selection of anonymous composers of early sacred music; repertoire from the baroque (Corelli; Tartini; Bonporti; Veracini; and, of course, Antonio Vivaldi). Core chamber works by Haydn; Mozart; Beethoven; Brahms; Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn; Chopin: Liszt; Gabriel Fauré; Bela Bartók; Lili Boulanger; Gerald Finzi; Francis Poulenc; John Ireland; Arvo Përt; and George Gershwin - not to mention Django Reinhardt; Eartha Kitt; Tom Waits; Leonard Cohen; and Jaques Brel.
To complement these, programmes have also introduced us to works by less familiar 20th century French composer André Messager; contemporary black American composer Jessie Montgomery; Colombian composer Arango-Prada; and Rebekah Clarke.
I think of our 35 performers, (not including the Royal Welsh contingent), 16 have been women and 14 men; six of our 30 featured composers have been women, so 20% as in the previous year – still a work in progress!
There is a lot to look forward to –not least tonight’s very special recital. Next month in Monmouth the UK’s top period instrument string quartet – and something special and festive being cooked up by the Solstice Choral Ensemble in December. 2025’s programme is taking shape as we speak! Concerts in Monmouth, Chepstow and Ross-on Wye. Think oboe, think cellos, think Flamenco, think more baroque fireworks, and much much more.
