nadsa Newsletter - March 2024

By John Rockey
8 March 2024

For the two remaining concerts this season we return to our usual Friday evenings at 7.30pm at the Courtenay Centre.

On 15th March we’re pleased to welcome the Atéa Quintet, deputising for the London Myriad Ensemble in a change to our advertised concert. Atéa are five talented young wind players who make up the foremost British wind quintet of their generation. Double prize winners at the Danish Carl Nielsen chamber music competition, they have held residencies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Purcell School, as well as mentoring some of our finest next-generation musicians.

Formed in 2009 they have toured in Denmark, Japan, and the Czech Republic. Nearer to home they have held residencies at Dartington and at the Two Moors Festival, and individually have played with all the leading British orchestras. Read more about them here: https://ateaquintet.com

Their line-up for us differs slightly from that shown on their (and on the main nadsa) web page, comprising Ashley Myall (Bassoon), Chris Beagles (Horn), Philip Haworth (Oboe), Jordan Black (Clarinet), and Tom Hancox (Flute). No pictures this time; my web editing skills aren't up to combining five separate images into one!

This is their programme:

Gershwin - Summertime - arr. Hashimoto
Danzi - G minor Quintet
Anton Reicha - Quintet with Cor Anglais
Malcolm Arnold - Three shanties for wind quintet
Poulenc - Novelette
Frank Bridge - Divertimenti for wind quartet
Carl Nielsen - Quintet
Valarie Coleman – Umoja

A nicely varied programme that will delight our wind-band fans, and will surely please those who prefer bowed to blowed, so book your tickets now for another delightful evening of music-making, at https://nadsa.co.uk/event/atea-quintet/

This concert is kindly sponsored by local company Buyrite tyres,
https://www.newtonabbottyrescentre.co.uk
and we are grateful for their continued support.


Also coming up soon, just two days after our own concert there’s another wind band, this time the Wandle Trio at Plymouth. On Sunday, 17th March at 3 pm at Stoke Damerel Church, that brilliant clarinet player from Plymouth, Peter Cigleris, returns home bringing with him Jane Dixon-Wayne (flute) and Rachel Harwood-White (oboe). Their most unusual programme features the music of Malcolm Arnold and Carl Jenkins. More information at https://www.plymouthconcerts.com

Torbay Singers are here in Newton Abbot on Saturday 23rd March, bringing Brahms’ Ein Deutches Requiem to Abbotsbury Church ; details at https://www.torbaysingers.org/

Devon Philharmonic Orchestra are at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday 27th April with an evening of Elgar, Tchaikovsky and Ravel; more information here: https://www.devonphilharmonicorchestra.co.uk

On that same day, Shaldon Singers are holding a Come-and-sing workshop for the Verdi Requiem; https://shaldonsingers.weebly.com for more information.

Later, on Friday 9th April the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra are at the Great Hall of Exeter University with their programme of ‘Classic FM Hall of Fame’; as you might guess, an evening of easy-listening popular classics. https://bsolive.com/events/classic-fm-hall-of-fame-exeter/ will tell you more.

That's all for now; happy listening,
John R