Nadsa News – September 2021

It’s a treat to be able to tell you about NADSA’s 75th Anniversary Season, which is just about to begin. Members will already have had a letter outlining new arrangements so this will already be known to many of you, but for those who have yet to join, here is a summary of the changes.

• Ticket sales will only be online, in advance: there will not be any ‘walk-in’ tickets available at the door. The adult price will be £15 (discounted to £12 for full members) or £5 for students, and there is no charge for accompanied children. Go to https://nadsa.co.uk/tickets/ and create an account to register and then to book for any concert. If regulations change and a concert has to be cancelled, you will be refunded.
  
• Numbers are limited, so some concerts may sell out quickly. There will be more seats set out than required, so that you can space yourselves in your preferred groups.
  
• Please bring a face-mask, to be worn when moving through the common areas including the hall, but once seated you may remove it. And don't forget to use the hand sanitiser provided at the door when you arrive.
  
• The interval will be minimal, to allow for essential toilet use, and there will be no refreshments available.
  
• Since the wheelchair lift will not be in service, disabled access can be made available by prior arrangement with Sue Collman on 01626 368318.
  

Right, that’s all the important official stuff out of the way; now let’s look at the programme, and what a season there is lined up for us! Write these dates in your diary now: they’re all at the Courtenay Centre and the Friday concerts start at 7.30pm, while the Sunday afternoon concerts in the darker months of November to February all start at 3pm.

The Katona Twins are no strangers to NADSA and many will recall their earlier concert of classical – but not necessarily guitar – music blended with jazz and other popular styles. Peter and Zoltán Katona studied in Budapest, Frankfurt and London, and have given recitals in major concert venues throughout the world including Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and the Philharmonie in Cologne. Their repertoire spans from Bach to Piazzolla’s tango music, plus their own arrangements of pop classics. To find our more and to hear examples of their work, look at their website: https://www.katonatwins.com/index.html and then book your tickets. Expect to hear works by Bach & Bartok, Bernstein & Beatles, Django Reinhardt and the twins themselves - this promises to be a cracking opening to the season!

There are a couple of concerts at Exeter Cathedral that might interest you: the first, on 25th September, takes the form of a ‘Come and sing’ day when Mathew Coleridge will lead a workshop culminating in a performance of his Requiem (which some may remember from Buckfast Abbey two years ago).

Then on 6th November Isca Ensemble’s concert features Yoshimatsu’s ethereal piece ‘And birds are still…..’ Op. 72 for strings followed by a performance of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto with the renowned Georgian pianist Luka Okros. Gustav Mahler’s epic First Symphony scored for a large orchestra completes this special programme.

To see more of these two events, look at https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/news-events/what-is-on/category/concerts/

Finally, although there’s not a great deal locally this month in the field of music, may I commend to you the annual county-wide festival of art which is ‘Devon Open Studios’. From 11th to 26th September over 300 artists will be opening their doors at 183 venues to show their work in all manner of disciplines, not just painters and potters. There are even a couple of us woodworkers! Pick up a brochure from the library or public building, or read more about the event here: https://devonopenstudios.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwm9yJBhDTARIsABKIcGYsQ4fq89fEbRx2jNxopBFNyE8OhNbJTfaKsUfudIgRlaqkgqCxZ0kaAm_7EALw_wcB and if you’re anywhere near Manaton Village Hall, drop by and say hello…

That’s all for now; stay safe...