Our February concert in the Courtenay Centre will be on Sunday 15th February at 3.30pm, when we’ll be delighted to welcome Trish Clowes and Ross Stanley for their first visit to us at Newton Abbot. A saxophone and piano duo, they bring a wealth of experience in composing, performing, and in improvisation: not only will our jazz fans love this, but you will too, although if you’re looking for a sleepy afternoon this may not be for you!
Looking at their formal biographies, Trish Clowes was raised in Shrewsbury, Shropshire and moved to London in 2003 to study at the Royal Academy of Music, and was later honoured as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (2013). She also holds a PhD in Musical Composition, awarded by Birmingham City University (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) in 2020. Clowes is an ambassador for the charity forRefugees (formerly Donate4Refugees), and teaches for Guildhall School of Music and Drama (saxophone, composition, ensembles), Royal Academy of Music (ensembles, saxophone), and has guest tutored at the Royal College of Music (saxophone masterclasses, and MD of the jazz orchestra). To read more about Trish, look here Trish Clowes – Saxophonist & Composer where you can also hear some of her work.
Ross Stanley was born in Frimley and began having piano lessons at the age of 4. At the age of 13, he was awarded an organ scholarship to Marlborough College. Upon leaving Marlborough, Ross was invited to study for his music degree at several renowned institutions including Trinity College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in the USA. However, he decided to stay in London and completed a BMUS in classical and jazz piano at Guildhall in 2004. Since leaving, Ross’s musical skills have kept him in high demand, seeing him playing with jazz names such as Will Vinson, Dennis Rollins, Guy Barker, Ian Shaw, Liane Carroll, Stan Sulzman, SteveArguelles, John Paracelli, Bobby Wellins, Clark Tracey as well as being a regular member of the Jim Mullen Organ trio and the Jaqui Dankworth Band and performing in many small and large ensembles – including Nostalgia 77 Octet and The Heritage Orchestra. Read more of Ross here, and listen to his work: Ross Stanley | Pure Bliss Music
As a duo, they have been carefully crafting their unique sound world over a number of years, performing their own material, arrangements of music from jazz, folk and church organ traditions, and free improvisations. The duo’s appearances include Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall (with Stanley making use of the organ), Galway Jazz Festival, Symphony Hall (Birmingham), Buxton International Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, and St George’s Bristol. In March 2024 they released their album ‘Journey to Where’ to wide critical acclaim, on Stoney Lane Records. Read more about their partnership at Trish Clowes & Ross Stanley – Trish Clowes
Reviewers have said:
- “Two of the absolute masters we have in this country … so deeply devoted to their craft as improvisers.”
Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2 - “Blurring the lines between improvisation and composition, this intuitive duo artfully muddies the waters of jazz and classical, traditional and contemporary vocabulary.”
★★★★ from Ian Patterson, All About Jazz - “These two musicians are a formidable partnership… Both players are gifted with an extraordinary musical intelligence allied to a prodigious technical ability… It was a fascinating evening… There really was something for everybody.” – Andrew Petch, The Shropshire Star
Their programme for us will include
- Trish Clowes – For Pete & Decently Ripped
- Lili Boulanger – Pie Jesu
- Ross Stanley – Ashford Days
- Herbert Howells – Gloucester Service
- Antonio Carlos Jobim – Mdinha & Luisa
- Rogers & Hart – Spring is Here
Don’t forget to book your tickets at Trish Clowes and Ross Stanley – nadsa concerts , and bring some cash for CDs and for your interval tea or coffee!
We are grateful to Rathbones Investment Management
for their generous sponsorship of this concert.
What else is happening musically hereabouts? Well, it seems that everyone’s coming out of hibernation!
The Ambrosian Strings are at St Mary’s, St Marychurch with ‘A Spring Bouquet’ on 6th March; music by Vaughan Williams, Delius, Grieg, Vivaldi and Schubert – visit Concerts – Ambrosian Strings for details. They return with a different programme on 21st.
On March 8th Devon Baroque are at the Great Hall, Dartington, with a programme of music for strings by Bach, Vivaldi, Muffat and Handel – information at Concerts | Devon Baroque . Then on Palm Sunday, 29th, they accompany the Cathedral Choristers at Exeter in Bach’s ‘St John Passion’ – St John Passion with Exeter Cathedral Choir | Exeter Cathedral.
The Lord Mayor’s Concert in Exeter is on 14th March when Exeter Philharmonic choir will be at the Cathedral to sing Handel’s opera ‘Solomon’. Tickets & details at EPC Digital Programme 2526 v1.04(1).pdf
On 21st March Devon Philharmonic Orchestra are at Exeter Cathedral with Verdi (Force of Destiny), Vaughan Williams (Thomas Tallis variations) and Shostakovich (5th Symphony); tickets & details here: Devon Philharmonic Orchestra | Exeter
On the same evening at Abbotsbury Church in Newton Abbot the Torbay singers present Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Armed Man’, plus works by Part and Tippett: more information at Torbay Singers – 21/03/2026 7:00pm – The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace and music by Tippett and Pärt
The next day, 22nd March, the Devon Telemann Ensemble are giving a concert at St John’s Church, Bridgetown, Totnes at 3pm; their lively programme includes works by Telemenn, Vivaldi, Durante, Handel and Mozart. Tickets £15 on the door (cash preferred), with refreshments included, and under 18s go free.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra are at the Great Hall in Exeter on 26th March with ‘Triumph over Adversity’, music by Beethoven, Prokofiev and Sibelius – Triumph Over Adversity BSO Exeter | 26 March 2026 for more information.
