Welcome to the Grange-over-Sands and District Concert Club
Due to the ongoing Covid 19 situation it is with regret that our remaining Concerts of the 2020 season have been cancelled. Although our venue the Victoria Hall, is reopening, the government social distancing restrictions mean that our concerts would not be viable.
We have a new season planned for 2021 with an increased number of concerts. We are hoping these will commence in February 2021.
We have the following updates regarding our planned concerts at the moment:
Xhosa cole Trio concert from 3rd July.
Postponed until 8th October 2021
The Wiltshire Piano Duo from 07 August.
Postponed to 2022 date tbc
The Gold String Ensemble from 04 Sept.
Unfortunately Cancelled
Friday 8th May Chetham’s School of Music.
Rescheduled for 2nd October 2020
We are working to arrange new dates for all postponed concerts and will post news when available.
Another season of concerts saw Grange music lovers treated to a series of the highest quality.
The standard was set at the April concert by JAMAL ALIEV (cello) and JAMS COLEMAN (piano) who presented a varied programme from Beethoven to Frank Bridge via the lesser-known Bloch (1880) and Ligeti (1923-20060. The complete compatibility of the two was immediately evident.
With the bi-annual visit of a group of post-graduate opera students of R.N.C.M. audience numbers soared and everyone was delighted by a wide variety of solos and ensembles from familiar operas and stage musicals. This is always a popular event and bodes well for future English Opera standards.
No less successful was the performance of the PRINCE BISHOPS BRASS ENSEMBLE, a Northern group of friends presenting items, well- known and new, from Renaissance to “West Side Story”. They believe that music should be exciting and entertaining and they certainly demonstrated that!
The July concert was a return visit from TRIO VOLANT which comprises the three main reed instruments of the woodwind. Again, the evening audience was treated to a variety of items, well-known and less-widely heard, from Rossini and Mozart to Cecilia Mcdowell to a Schulhoff Divertimento which was much appreciated as our discerning audiences are always open to new material.
However, perhaps of even greater importance to future music, is the fact that the group gave another wonderful experience to a group of local Primary School pupils in the afternoon. During this time they discussed the concert music and the instruments and gave the young people a real feel of being involved in the performance which greatly stimulated their interest. School concerts are now becoming a regular feature and will continue in the 2020 season.
The August concert was by JAN-SELIM ABDELMOULA, billed as “a fine pianist with a major talent in composition” which he proved to be true. His programme opened with” Two Interludes” of his own composition and moved on through Schumann and Schubert. This was another top quality performance and we hope to hear him again in the near future.
September saw the closing concert of the season, given by EBERLE STRING QUINTET presenting Mozart, V. Williams and the exciting Dvorak “ American Quintet” This popular North-West. group use the extra instrumentation to enhance the depth of tone with which each work is endowed. This concert was highly acclaimed by all and we hope for an early return.
So ended another successful season. The 2020 artists are already booked maintaining the high standard and even some artists are engaged for 2021. You have to move in early if you want the best, and we do!