17 days of Music, Performance, Circus, Literature and free Outdoor Arts in Norwich and Norfolk locations

This year is the 250th Anniversary of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, back in full strength after a couple of years of Covid disruption. We are very lucky to have the fourth largest multi-arts festival in the country right here in Norfolk. Originally started 250 years ago to support the work of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, it has been through many phases and styles but is now a colourful and varied programme of both classical and contemporary work which has full range of ticket prices. Some performers are inevitably expensive to bring to the Norwich stages but we have the privilege of them being here on our doorstep without having to travel to see world-class performers. Many events are free or subsidised so there is something for everyone

Check this link for the full programme https://nnfestival.org.uk/

Sunday 1 May 2022, 3.30pm
The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Aylsham 

Mendelssohn The Fair Melusine Overture, Op 32
Haydn Symphony No. 49 (La Passione)
Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Philip Hesketh conductor

Kathryn Parry, leader

The Fair Melusine is a concert overture of sweet rippling music loosely describing a confusing storyline including a water nymph. A good opener for what’s to follow. 

Haydn’s Passione must be truly one of the finest classical symphonies ever written – dark drama and turbulence, melancholy leading to rising passion. 

About Beethoven Symphony no 7. composer Antony Hopkins says: “The Seventh Symphony perhaps more than any of the others gives us a feeling of true spontaneity; Beethoven himself spoke of it fondly as “one of my best works”. Who are we to dispute his judgment?

Join us to celebrate two of the finest symphonies ever written. 

Tickets are £15 and £5 for under-18s, available from
J B Postle and Son, 32 Market Place, Aylsham, on the door and online at Ticketsource.co.uk/Ensemble-East

Ensemble East is a well-known chamber orchestra focusing on intensity, energy, and intimacy, producing interpretations of classical music that are always spontaneous. The orchestra produces dynamic and vital performances that develop freely and naturally, revealing an infectious love for the music.

Ensemble East will be conducted for the next three concerts by Philip Hesketh, a familiar and welcome face on the Norfolk music scene.

We are most grateful to Kathryn Parry, of the celebrated Brook Street Band, for agreeing to guest lead our May concert. 

Friday 22 April 2022, 7.30pm

St Andrew’s Hall, The Halls,
St Andrew’s Plain, Norwich NR3 1AU

мир / Peace

Alissa Firsova Stages (world premiére)
Shostakovich Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra 
Prokofiev arr. Barshai Visions Fugitives (alternating with solo piano originals)
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings

Mishka Rushdie Momen piano
Matilda Lloyd trumpet
Thomas Gould director/violin
Britten Sinfonia

A distinctly Russian evening with rising stars Mishka Rushdie Momen and Matilda Lloyd. 

Shostakovich’s virtuosic Concerto is paired with Prokofiev’s whimsical Visions Fugitives, the original solo piano version alternating with an arrangement with orchestra. 

Tchaikovsky’s glorious Serenade for Strings and a new work by Russian-British composer Alissa Firsova complete the programme.

Tickets: £35, £30, £35, £15

Just over 25 years ago, Britten Sinfonia was established as a bold re-imagining of the conventional image of a chamber orchestra. 

A flexible ensemble of some of the UK’s leading soloists and chamber musicians came together with a unique vision: to collapse the boundaries between old and new music, to collaborate with composers, performers and guest artists across artforms and genres; and to create involving, intelligent music events that both audiences and performers experience with an unusual intensity.

All of Britten Sinfonia’s performances in Norwich can be booked via the Theatre Royal box office, in person or via 01603 6300000 or online athttp://www.brittensinfonia.com

The Chapel, 64 Park Lane, Norwich

The distinguished pianist JAMES LISNEY has kindly agree to donate his fee to the UKRAINIAN DISASTER FUND – details below. Tickets are £30 each and the whole sum together with any other donations will be handed over to the Fund. There are still seats available and I would naturally  like to welcome support from as many as possible, so hope that you can make it, Roger

JAMES LISNEY piano

Beethoven Recital

Bagatelle No.25 in A min (Für Elise) 
​Diabelli Variations  Op.120

Tickets £30 each

Reservations rrowe@paston.co.uk or www.norwichchapelconcerts.org.uk

The distinguished pianist James Lisney is giving his services free for this recital and all receipts will go to the Relief Fund. Many Ukrainian musicians have been deeply affected by recent events including the pianist Anna Federova who has given recitals in Norwich in recent years.

Unfortunately the NEAVE TRIO have had to postpone their European tour due to travel difficulties. This means that their Chapel concert this coming Friday 15 April has been postponed until early July (date to be confirmed).

 It also means that they will not be here for their  Assembly House lunchtime concert on Thursday 14th. However we are fortunate that, with the help of YCAT (Young Concert Artists Trust), we have managed to secure a brilliant young Trio led by pianist ARIEL LANE who won 3rd Prize at last years’ Leeds Piano Competition. It has been necessary to change the programme which will now be: 

ASSEMBLY HOUSE, THEATRE STREET NORWICH

ARIEL LANYI PIANO TRIO
Thursday 14 April at 1pm  
Charlie Lovell-Jones – violin  
Yoanna Prodanova – cello        
Ariel Lanyi   – piano

PROGRAMME
Beethoven; Piano Trio in E flat Op 70 No 2
Schumann; Piano Trio No 3 in G minor Op 110

All previously booked tickets for the Neave Trio will remain valid.

Tickets on the door or online via website

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/assembly-house-classical-106819

A celebration of early music inspired by musicians associated with King’s Lynn, including former organist at St Margaret’s Church Dr Charles Burney, composer John Jenkins, and Sir Robert L’Estrange.

Friday 1 April 2022, 7.30pm
All Saints Church, Hillington Square, Church Lane, King’s Lynn PE30 5HF 

VIRTUOSO VARIATIONS

Ibrahim Aziz viola da gamba
Petra Hajduchova harpsichord

Saturday 2 April 2022, 12noon
All Saints Church, Hillington Square, Church Lane, King’s Lynn PE30 5HF 

THE TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS of ORIANA
With Fair Oriana

Saturday 2 April 2022, 3pm
Walk: The Brilliant Burney’s & Georgian King’s Lynn
Explore the wonderful historic buildings associated with Dr Charles Burney

Saturday 2 April 2022, 7.30pm
King’s Lynn Minster, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn PE30 5DQ

ALL IN A GARDEN GREEN
With the Rose Consort of Viols

Sunday 3 April 2022, 3pm
All Saints Church, Hillington Square, Church Lane, King’s Lynn PE30 5HF

A Teatime Concert for Dr Burney

With Dominika Feher violin
Jack Gonzalez-Harding harpsichord

For details and booking visit www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk
Sponsored by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk

The Marian Consort, a vocal ensemble which has recently performed at the BBC Proms, Wigmore Hall and Snape Maltings will be performing next Thursday evening (31 March, 7pm) at St Peter Mancroft Church, in a beautiful programme of motets by Heinrich Schütz, and JS Bach and family.

This will be The Marian Consort’s first visit to Norwich, but hopefully not the last and that Norwich will become a regular stop on the Consort’s touring map. We specialise in performing Renaissance polyphonic music, alongside a full programme of commissioning, outreach and education work, recording, broadcasting and other projects. Read all about us here: https://www.marianconsort.co.uk/about.

You can find all the details and book tickets here: https://www.marianconsort.co.uk/concerts/bach-and-schtz-norwich. If you can’t make it along next week, do look out for us on BBC Two’s upcoming documentary series, Art That Made Us (from 7 April).

A new edition of Music in Norwich offers you a roundup of concerts and other information about classical music and jazz in the county of Norfolk.

You can flip through an ISSUU version here or download a pdf version here