A summary of our 2023-24 season, which has been posted to all members and supporters, is available here.

An account of the society's activities through the pandemic and the season from October 2021 to March 2022 is given in the August 2022 Newsletter.

Jacqueline Thomas, cellist of the world famous Brodsky Quartet who came to East Bergholt in 2021, has published a book about how she founded the quartet aged ten.  Details on this link.

On Sunday 24 October 2021 the Maggini and Solem quartets came together for a performance of Mendelssohn's Octet in E flat in the beautiful surroundings of St Mary's Church, East Bergholt, as part of the society's delayed anniversary celebrations.

The newsletter outlining the Society's activities for the year to 30 April 2019 is available by clicking this link.

Newsletter 2018-19

Welcome to the 68th Season

SVAM is pleased to present a varied programme of chamber music recitals, as well as a jazz concert. Our annual lecture covers music and social history and is given by Peter Medhurst, who is well-known locally as an Arts Society lecturer. It is sure to be a popular event.

 Lecture as Extra Event

This year we are introducing separate ticketing for the lecture.  Tickets are free to season ticket holders (members) but must be booked separately. Members have priority until 20 September, and allocation to others will start on 21 September.

We have struggled with the limited capacity of the Constable Hall for popular events, especially as we never know how many members will attend. Paradoxically, this means that we have often failed to sell all the available seats.  Please book only if you can be there and do let us have any returns.

Ticket prices

As indicated last year, increasing costs have now led to a modest increase in ticket prices. Individual concert tickets are now £15, while single season tickets have increased to £47 and double seasons to £85.  This still leaves the season ticket /membership option as very good value.

Garden Party for Members

Invitations to the Members’ Party are included in the mailing to all 2017-18 season ticket holders.  Those who buy a season ticket for 2018-19 will also receive an invitation. The party will be held at Stour, East Bergholt (opposite the church) on 9 September at noon, and will be indoors if wet. 

AGM and Membership

The 67th annual general meeting of Stour Valley Arts & Music Society will be held on Sunday 7 October at 6 pm, after the concert, in St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt. All members are welcome to attend.  Under current rules you become a member by buying a season ticket.

Preview of next season

By Richard Evans

The 68th season of concerts and lectures promoted by Stour Valley Arts and Music begins on 7 October with a return visit of the ever-popular Henschel Quartet, highly acclaimed throughout Europe and America, playing works by Beethoven, Debussy and Mendelssohn. The distinguished musicologist Peter Medhurst will give a lecture at the Constable Hall on 28 October that will explore the notions of satire and parody in the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. There is a change of venue to St Mary’s Church in Dedham for the concert on 11 November, which will given by the highly versatile Merlin Ensemble, playing works by Brahms, Strauss and Liszt.

 The first concert of the New Year will be given by the Pelléas Ensemble at the Constable Hall on 13 January  in an intriguing programme for viola, flute and harp  of music by Bach, Bax and Ravel (among others.) There will be a jazz concert, Embraceable Ella, given by Joanna Eden and the Chris Ingham Trio at the Constable Hall on Saturday 23 February, and on 10 March  the  award-winning Rautio Piano Trio, joined by the violist Robin Ashwell, will play works by Mozart, Mahler and Brahms, a concert eagerly awaited by connoisseurs. The final concert of the season on 24 March features the Zelkova Quartet, winners of the St Martin’s chamber music competition, in works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Dvorak.

 Report on last Season

By Richard Evans

Last season’s concerts retained the remarkably high standards of accomplishment by which they are invariably distinguished, whilst introducing an unusual point of departure with an accordion recital. The Castalian Quartet opened the series with a recital whose undoubted highlight was Beethoven’s quartet opus 132 in A minor. The Trio con Brio Copenhagen made a welcome return visit and the architect, John Lyall, gave a lecture entitled Gold and Dirt.   Bartosz Glowicki played works and his own arrangements in his accordion recital and the violinist Savitri Grier with the pianist, Richard Uttley, confirmed their burgeoning reputations as chamber musicians of the first class, leaving aficionados hoping for a return visit.  The season ended with the Sacconi Quartet and the clarinettist, David Campbell, playing quintets by Brahms and Mozart. A young musicians’ concert at the Constable Hall was robustly supported and hugely entertaining.

SVAM Education projects

The accordionist, Bartosz Glowacki, gave two very successful workshop at the primary schools in Dedham and East Bergholt. The children were intrigued by his instrument and his playing and asked lots of questions.

In the run-up to a Schools Prom at Snape, SVAM funded the young percussionist, George Pertwee to give a series of workshops at the primary school in East Bergholt. He helped the staff and the children to produce an outstanding programme to present at the Prom and went along on the day to support and lead them.

We also ran a very successful Young Musicians’ Concert and tea on Sunday 4 March 2018.

Plans for the 2018-19 season include further School Workshops.

Sponsorship

We are most grateful for the continuing support of our sponsors, whose financial assistance makes it possible to present concerts that would  otherwise be unaffordable. 

This year we have yet again a mix of private supporters and company sponsors.  The Henschel Quartet concert on 7 October is generously supported by Alan Swerdlow and Jeremy Greenwood.

The Merlin Ensemble concert at Dedham in November is  generously supported by Jane Jewell.  The January concert with the Pelléas Trio is part of our regular annual series of concerts supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.

The Rautio Trio concert on 10 March is held in memory of the late Mrs Sheila Grove-White and is supported by a generous legacy.

 Grier and Partners are long term sponsors and this year they have sponsored our publicity bookmark, and are also supporting the concert by Zelkova Quartet which concludes our season on 24 March 2019.

GDPR and updating our mailing list

As you will see in our enclosed brochure, we take our responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulations very seriously and will never share your data with others. 

All those who receive mailings from us will have asked us for information at some point.  However, if you want us to stop doing so, do let us know, by letter, e-mail or phone. 

Some people now prefer just to get information by e-mail and we are very happy to comply with this request wherever possible as it will save postage.  Please note that you can also collect  brochures and newsletters at our concerts.

If you are happy to, or prefer to, receive e-mail rather than post, do let Doreen Weatherall know: phone 01206 298426 or email:

svamtickets@btinternet.com

Helpers needed

Our new stage in the church is now up and running with a small team of volunteers to help set it up and take it down each time.  We are still looking for more helpers and would love to hear from anyone who has the time to help with this and other tasks. 

Thanks again

Finally, huge thanks are due to all our supporters; and all who help the committee in so many ways.

 Special thanks to Old Hall where we store our stage and, as always, to the Church, to Rodney Brundell and the Rector, Revd Canon Stephne van der Toorn. We are also grateful to the ladies who give up their Sunday afternoon to serve interval tea.

We would also like to thank all those who make donations to us when ordering their tickets.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday 7 October, or—in the case of members—on Sunday 9 September.

Birte Kelly

We are delighted that the Castalian Quartet, who performed for us in October 2017, have won the inaugural Merito String Quartet/Valentin Erben Prize.  They will receive their award on 23 April 2018 at the Vienna Konzerthaus, when they will perform works by Joseph Haydn and Robert Schumann.  In addition the Castalian, and Trio Isimsiz who performed for us in October 2015, have both been awarded Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowships for the advancement of their musical careers.

Trio Isimsiz, who visited us in October 2015. have just released their debut album on the Rubicon label.  As well as the Beethoven Piano Trio in D op 70 no 1 (Ghost) and Brahms C minor Trio no 3 op 101 featured in that concert, it includes Takemitsu 'Between Tides'.

The newsletter is also available as a download.

Welcome to the 67th Season

SVAM is pleased to present a varied programme of recitals, a lecture and a platform for young musicians during its 67th season.  To make it easy to remember this time, everyone of our events this year is at 4pm on a Sunday.

As always, we focus on the core chamber music repertoire.  This year, however, we have a fascinating novelty: a classical accordion recital.  The soloist, Bartosz Glowacki, comes with glowing endorsements, including selection by the Countess of Munster Trust.

AGM and Membership

The 66th Annual General Meeting of Stour Valley Arts & Music Society will be held on Sunday 22 October at 6pm, after the concert, in St Mary's Church, East Bergholt.  All members are welcome to attend.  Under current rules you become a member by buying a season ticket.

Ticket prices

Ticket prices are unchanged this year including season tickets, which remain extremely good value.  For a couple wishing to attend just three of our concerts, there is a saving of £4 when buying a Double Season ticket.  Despite this, the uptake on season tickets is declining while purchases of tickets for individual concerts are rising.  Apparently other societies and venues are seeing similar trends.

Our concert costs are also rising, with fees for performers in particular increasing, and our tickets are now rather cheaper than most concerts in our area.  We will keep an eye on the situation and there may have to be a modest increase next year.

Preview of next season by Richard Evans

The 67th season of concerts promoted by the Stour Valley Arts & Music Society begins on 22 October with a recital given by the award-winning CASTALIAN QUARTET, who have gained prizes at several international competitions and pursued a concert career throughout Europe, besides appearances at Aldeburgh and Cheltenham and recitals in the Purcell Room, London.

We are particularly pleased to welcome a return visit by the TRIO CON BRIO COPENHAGEN on 12 November, who will be playing works by Haydn, Smetana and Schubert.  Originally founded in Vienna, this piano trio has forged an impressive reputation since winning the ARD competition and subsequently giving complete Beethoven trio cycles to widespread critical acclaim.

On 21 January, the classical accordionist BARTOSZ GLOWACKI will give a varied programme of works, including by Scarlatti, Piazolla and Marcello-Bach, among others.  Bartosz won the Polish Young Musician of the Year in 2009 and subsequently studied at the Royal Academy of Music where he graduated with distinction.  He has appearances at an impressive number of concert halls in Britain and Europe to his credit.

On 18 February, SAVITRI GRIER and RICHARD UTTLEY will give a recital of works for violin and piano, featuring compositions by Schubert, Messiaen, Poulenc, Beethoven and Bartok.  Savitri read music at Oxford before continuing her studies with David Takeno.  Richard Uttley is both a soloist and an accompanist, having the accolade of being the first artist to record at the Milton Court concert hall in London.

The season ends on 18 March with a concert given by the SACCONI QUARTET with MICHAEL COLLINS, when they will play the clarinet quintets of Brahms and Mozart.  The Sacconi Quartet originated at the Royal College of Music and has since gained huge recognition in Britain and Europe.  Michael Collins won the BBC Young Musician of the Year at the age of sixteen and has appeared with leading orchestras and chamber groups ever since.  He was appointed conductor of the City of London Sinfonia in 2010.

The Annual Lecture

After lectures on fine art, music, and literature, we return to architecture this season.  We are fortunate to have a distinguished architect with an award-winning London practice who lives very close to the Constable Hall.  JOHN LYALL FRIBA FRSA will talk about his work and career in a lecture with the intriguing title, Gold and Dirt: Reflections on an architectural journey.

Report on last season by Richard Evans

The undoubted highlight of last season was the visit of the CALDER QUARTET, who showed during the course of an outstanding conert, why they presently have neither peers nor rivals in the world of chamber music.  We hope to organise a return visit in due course.  ALISON ROSE and JAMES CHEUNG gave a varied recital of works for soprano and piano in November and the New Year got off to a splendid start with a concert by the much sought after pianist CLARE HAMMOND.

DR LOIS OLIVER gave an illustrated lecture entitled Love and Loss: The story of Orpheus and Eurydice in Art and Music, which was much admired.  The return to the Constable Hall after its technical make-over was a vast improvement.

The popular VANBRUGH QUARTET, on the verge of retirement, made one last appearance at St Mary's and a concert devoted to the younger generation of performers was given in March at the Constable Hall.

The season ended with nine musicians of the KAMMERPHILHARMONIE EUROPA giving a concert of favourites that included Grieg's Holberg Suite.

Sponsorship

We are most grateful for the continuing support of our sponsors, whose financial assistance makes it possible to present concerts that would otherwise be unaffordable.

This year we have yet again a mix of private supporters and company sponsors.  The CASTALIAN QUARTET concert on 22 October is supported by a legacy from Michael Brown, who was chairman of the Society until 1998.  We are delighted that his widow, Joan, and members of her family will be with us for this special concert in memory of Michael.

The TRIO CON BRIO concert in November is generously supported by Jane Jewell, who is also a committee member.  The January concert with BARTOSZ GLOWACKI is part of our regular annual series of concerts supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.

Grier and Partners are long-term sponsors and this year they have sponsored our publicity bookmark, and are also supporting the concert by SAVITRI GRIER (no relation) and RICHARD UTTLEY.

The final concert of the season with one of our favourite ensembles is generously supported by Martin and Alicia Herbert.

We would also like to thank the many who make donations to us when ordering their tickets.

SVAM Education projects

The pianist Clare Hammond gave workshops at East Bergholt and Dedham Primary Schools on Monday 23 January.  Last season's Platform for Young Musicans was, again, a great success, enjoyed by performers and audience.

This season's Young Musicians' Concert will be held on Sunday 4 March at the Constable Hall.  Please let us know if you have any suggestions for possible performers.

Website and Ticket Sales

We have been very pleased with the ticket sales from our website, www.svam.org.uk which links to TicketSource.  It is very convenient for customers as well as for our booking secretary.

Apart from season tickets, which double as membership, all other tickets can be purchased in this way until a few hours before the concert and printed or downloaded.

Do make use of this facility and do tell your friends.  There is also detailed information about concerts and performers on the website.

Helpers needed

We finally got our new stage for the start of last season and it has worked wll and supported the weight of a grand piano without being as heavy and cumbersome as the old stage.

However, it would be wonderful to have more help to put it up and take it down.  We start at about 11.30 on a concert Sunday, and the stage gets dismantled and stacked on its trolley on Monday.  At the beginning it took a good half hour, but it should get quicker with practice.

If you are able to help with this or other tasks, or if you know others who might, we would love to hear from you.  We would also be happy to pay for regular help with the stage.

Thanks again

Finally, huge thanks are due to all our supporters; and all who help the committee in so many ways, and to the committee itself.

Special thanks to Old Hall where we store our stage and, as always, to the Church, to Rodney Brundell and the Rector, Canon Stephne van der Toorn.  We are also grateful to the ladies who give up their Sunday afternoon to serve interval tea.

We look forward to seeing you on 22 October.

Sunday 22 October 4 pm at East Bergholt Church  Castalian Quartet 

Sunday 12 November 4 pm at East Bergholt Church  Trio con Brio Copenhagen (violin, cello, piano)

Sunday 3 December 4 pm at the Constable Hall  LECTURE: John Lyall on Architecture – Gold and Dirt: Reflections on an architectural journey

Sunday 21 January 4 pm at the Constable Hall  Bartosz Glowacki Accordion  Supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust

Sunday 18 February 4 pm at East Bergholt Church  Savitri Grier violin & Richard Uttley piano

Sunday 18 March 4 pm at East Bergholt Church  Sacconi Quartet

Full details will be available in the summer on the Events page

Soprano Alison Rose, who will appear in our second concert of the season, featured as one of the sixteen rising stars performing Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music at the 2016 Last Night of the Proms.

We are delighted that pianist Clare Hammond, who will be performing for us on 22 January 2017, has just received the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Young Artists, the judges praising her commitment to new repertoire and compelling presence as a performer.

Photo:  Phoebe Pimlott waiting in the wings

Young  Musicians’ Platform at the Constable Hall on 1 November

Review by Richard Evans

A concert to encourage the ambitions and develop the experience of young musicians was given at the Constable Hall on Sunday afternoon before a large, appreciative audience.

Matthew Hilton revealed himself to be a cellist of imagination and musicianship in the andante from Klengel’s C major concertino and followed this by an unaccompanied piece entitled ‘The Train Whistle’, an intriguing novelty characterised by speed and propulsion, which was managed with aplomb. Milly Norman sang ‘When She Loved Me’ from Toy Story with a confident line and fine enunciation that showed great promise.

Alexa Lechner, violin, played Elgar’s Chanson de Matin, a brave choice considering the work’s notoriety, which she played with understanding and secure intonation. Yvonne Gao (Piano) gave an authoritative reading of the prelude from Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque.

Imogen Lever (Soprano) and Zoe Arowoloju (Mezzo) gave promising individual accounts of ‘Vedrai carino‘ from Mozart’s  Don Giovanni,  and ‘Dove Sei?’ from Handel’s  Rodelinda before joining  forces to sing the duet ‘O Lovely Peace’  by Handel, which received an enthusiastic reception from an attentive audience. Oliver Pigram (Clarinet) fearlessly took on the rigours of Poulenc’s Sonata and showed himself to be equal to any of the work’s myriad rhythmical and technical snares.

The concert ended with Phoebe Pimlott (Soprano) singing a selection of songs by Pergolesi, Debussy, Britten and Sondheim that showed her to be promising artist of great expressiveness, versatility and accomplishment.

This was an enjoyable afternoon in which the performers were undaunted by their surroundings and sufficiently relaxed to give assured and confident accounts of themselves. A debt of gratitude is owed to all who helped to make the occasion possible, not least to the tireless accompanists, Inga Goldsmith, Gillian Shave and Christina Sherriff.

Newsletter 2015-16

Number 17—August 2015

You may also view or download this Newsletter as a PDF

Welcome to the 65th Season

Our 65th anniversary season will feature celebratory recitals and an expansion of our Education and Outreach programme, which encourages young people to take an interest in classical music and to learn to play an instrument themselves. This idea is made possible through a substantial grant from a charitable trust, allowing us to promote a series of workshops and a platform for talented young musicians. 

Timing, prices and dates

Our ticket prices, unchanged since 2010, no longer cover the cost of promoting concerts, so it has been decided to increase ticket prices from £12.50 to £14.00. As a special anniversary concession to our members, the previous price of a season ticket will remain for one more year.

Concerts at the Constable Hall this season will start at 4 pm to allow recovery from lunchtime excess.  Last year we tried a 3  pm start.

This season’s lecture will take place on Thursday 3 December at East Bergholt High School, which boasts excellent facilities and a spacious car-park.

The 65th Season
This season features contrasting piano trios, a string quintet recital and a flute and harp duo who will be giving the annual Countess of Munster concert. The season closes with a programme given by Red Priest, ‘”An unorthodox quartet of Baroque stars”.

Trio Isimsiz open the season with a programme of works by Schubert, Beethoven and Brahms, with their pianist, Ipswich-born Erdem Misirlioglu, playing a solo piece.

The Eeden Quartet with Graham Oppenheimer (Viola) will play quintets by Mozart and Brahms and a quartet by Haydn, following the custom of inviting a young quartet to take the stage with a seasoned colleague.

Our lecture this season will be given by Professor John Deathridge on Thursday 3 December on the subject of “Historic buildings, magnificent performances: evoking the lives of great classical composers”.

The annual Countess of Munster recital will be given by the Antara duo of Thomas Hancox (flute) and Rachel Wick (harp). Their programme includes works by Piazolla, Bax, Debussy and Fauré.
The second piano trio concert of the season will be given by the distinguished pianist and broadcaster David Owen Norris, with his 1828 Broadwood piano, together with Camilla Scarlett (violin) and Jonathan Byers (cello); they will play works by Schubert and Beethoven.

The season’s final concert will be given by Red Priest, a group renowned for their unusual Baroque programmes, characterised by virtuosity and consummate musicianship and certain to appeal to all generations of music-lovers, in an original presentation of familiar pieces.

Highlights of last Season

Thanks to Coral McEwen’s excellent publicity campaign, we attracted many new faces to what was a highly successful and well supported series of concerts.

 The Jubilee Quartet opened the season with a recital of youthful élan and energy, followed by the eagerly-awaited return of the renowned Henschel Quartet, celebrating their twentieth anniversary with a tour in which we were included and a live broadcast on Radio 3 the following week from St John’s Smith Square.

The Countess of Munster recital in December was given by Jesse Ann Richardson (cello)  with Jan Rautio replacing her regular duo partner to great acclaim. 

Ensemble Ste Geneviève gave a recital of early music to a  packed  and appreciative Constable Hall at the end of January.

The final concert of the season was given in March by nine members of the Kammerphilharmonie Europa, a chamber ensemble based in Cologne with recruits drawn from all over Europe, which was a resounding success and it is hoped that this group will return for a second concert.

Professor John Mullan’s lecture on What Matters in Jane Austen? was in the format of an entertaining, interactive seminar.  It divided opinion between those who loved it and others who would have preferred a more traditional lecture about the Life and Works of Jane Austen.

Extra Events

Last season we had just one extra event, a concert by promising young musicians most of whom were off to music college this September.  It was great to hear them before they left and we look forward to hearing more news from them as their careers advance.

Our next Platform for Young Musicians on 1 November at the Constable Hall will present some slightly younger advanced performers, selected through auditions and recommendations.  Tickets are £8 and include afternoon tea in the interval.

Our Jazz Concert on 20 February features the  jazz vocalist Georgia Mancio together with the jazz pianist Chris Ingham as well as guitar, bass and drums.  It should be a great evening and, as always, we expect to attract a new audience as well as those of our regulars who enjoy jazz. Tickets are £14 including light refreshments in the interval.

Sponsorship

We are most grateful for the continuing support of our sponsors, whose financial assistance makes it possible to promote concerts that would be otherwise unaffordable. Last season the Henschel Quartet’s concert was sponsored by Roger Balmer Design of East Bergholt. Kammer-philharmonie Europa was sponsored by Grier and Partners, to whom we are particularly indebted for their contributions throughout many seasons. During the current season they are also supporting the Jazz Concert, featuring the singer Georgia Mancio, on 20 February 2016. 

Other valuable support this season comes from  following: Scrutton Bland, accountants and tax advisers (Trio Isimsiz on 18 October); Jane Adams (Eeden Quartet on 22 November); and Birkett Long Solicitors (the piano trio concert with David Owen Norris on 31 January).

We are most fortunate to have the benefit of the support of the  Countess of Munster Musical Trust for a recital once a year.  Through their recital scheme which offers subsidised fees, they support societies like ours and ensure that promising young musicians are given valuable concert experience early in their careers.

Education and Outreach

With the help of the major grant mentioned above, we are able to offer a substantial education programme this season.

The grant is funding piano hire and other costs for the  Afternoon Tea Concert given by talented young musicians  on 1 November.

Thomas Hancox (flute) and Rachel Wick (harp) will give a workshop to children at Dedham Primary School on Monday 11 December, the day after their concert as the Antara Duo in East Bergholt.

The Washington Post calls Piers Adams  (of Red Priest):
'Superhuman, the reigning recorder virtuoso in the world today'. 

With his Recorder Roadshow he is also a pioneer of music education, inspiring children all over the country.  We are very fortunate that he has agreed to run a series of school workshops for us in February 2016. One of them will be held jointly with Ipswich School in their Music School.   Piers will also give master classes to advanced recorder students at the school.

Last season, jointly with Dedham Primary School, we presented a workshop with Jessie Anne Richardson (cello) and David Wigram (viola) on 1 December.  The concert by young musicians on 18 April was also part of our educational work.

AGM and Committee

The AGM will be held  on 22 November 2015 at 6 pm, following the second concert. All members are most welcome to the meeting and the cheese and wine afterwards.  2014-15 members will receive AGM papers with their mailing.  All members of the committee, who work hard to support our activities, are happy to stand for
re-election, and we are pleased that Richard Evans, who now writes our programme notes,  has agreed to stand for election, having previously been co-opted.

Thanks

Finally, huge thanks are due to all our supporters;  to all those who make generous and kind donations with their ticket orders and to all those help in so many practical ways.   John Gamlin has directed  operations to put up a stage in the church between the morning service in the church and the and concert for many years. Last year he was helped by Don Robinson to whom we are also most grateful, If anyone else is able to help from time to time, just let John or one of us on the committee know.

We look forward to seeing you on 18 October and through the season. Do let us know if you would like us to send  programme details to friends.

 Richard Evans and Birte Kelly

Young Musicians Concert 18 April 2015

As part of our education outreach programme we organised a Concert for Young Musicians from local Colleges and Schools on 18 April 2015.  The concert was a great success with many fine performances and, despite many competing local events, we raised £240 for the church.

During 2015-2016 we will be expanding our education programmes with a nothr special concert for and by young musicians on 1 November, a flute and harp workshop at Dedham Primary School on 11 January, and a series of school workshops with the recorder vituoso Piers Adams.  We are finishing the season with a family concert by the exciting early music ensemble, Red Priest led by Piers Adams. All these projects are bing supported  by a generous donation from a Charitable Trust.

See further details on our Education page

Time for a change

I have been on the committee since 1995 and Chairman since 1998.  Birte has my warmest support and will be as excellent a Chairman as she has been Concert Secretary.
 

I have had a very interesting and enjoyable time as your Chairman. I have learned a lot about chamber music and made some excellent friendships through SVAM. It has been a pleasure to work with the committee and a delight to see you all at our events.

I am sure you will all continue to give Birte the wonderful support that I have enjoyed during my tenure.

Alicia Herbert

Changes to timings

We have had to make major changes to our concert schedule for the forthcoming season.  Friday evening concerts at the Constable Hall no longer work as there is now a weekly ballet class on Friday afternoon until 7 pm.  This means that our artists cannot come in to rehearse and we also have only a very short time to set up chairs in the hall.

Instead, we are trying out Sunday afternoon concerts in the Constable Hall in December and January only, when the church would be too cold.  We have chosen the earlier time of 3 pm as a start for these concerts to avoid going into the evening letting slot and to enable the audience to get home earlier. We hope this will work well. For the spring and autumn concerts in the church we are keeping the 4 pm slot to fit in with gardening and other day time pursuits in the lighter months.

The 64th Season

We are looking forward to an exciting season.  Our first two concerts are with string quartets which are  alumni of the Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme at Aldeburgh.  The Jubilee Quartet, whose members are just embarking on their careers were there last winter and gave a fine lunch time concert in the Jubilee Hall.  They have done very well in various competitions and were winners of the St Martin’s Chamber Music Competition 2013, for which the prize is a series of recital engagements, supported by Making Music. Their programme includes works by Beethoven, Haydn, Webern and Szymanowski.  They assure us that the Webern is an early (melodic) work and very beautiful.

The Henschel Quartet (resident at Aldeburgh in 1994) are celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year.  They were last here to help us celebrate our 60th season, and this will be their 6th visit to East Bergholt.  We are very fortunate to have this long-standing friendship with one of the finest quartets in the world.  In addition to quartets by Beethoven and Dvořák, the quartet is  playing Schulhoff’s 1st Quartet. Erwin Schulhoff was a Czech composer of Jewish ancestry and a one-time student of Dvořák; he was one of many musicians who were named as ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis, and he perished in a concentration camp in 1942.  The Henschel Quartet has been reviving and recording his music in recent years.  This should be a very special concert.

Our Countess of Munster artist this year is the cellist Jessie Ann Richardson, whom we have heard twice as the cellist of the Piatti Quartet.  Recently, she has given a number of very well received solo/duo recitals and has selected some lovely pieces for her recital with pianist Lynn Carter, which will be held quite close to Christmas on Sunday 14 December.

Our other winter concert on 18 January 2015 is with the Ensemble Ste Geneviève,  an early music ensemble playing a programme which might have the title Entente Cordiale with its repertoire of French and English baroque music.  Mary Pells and Martin Knizia played for us (at very short notice) at our supper concert in January 2010.  We enjoyed their performance very much and are delighted to have an opportunity to hear them again with the baroque violinist Ben Sansom.

Our final concert of the season will feature a chamber orchestra of ten players, a bigger group of musicians than we usually have.  Kammerphil-harmonie Europa is based in Cologne and consists of a group of young soloists drawn from 18 countries.  They will perform a varied programme of chamber music from Vivaldi and Mozart to Borodin and Holst.

Lecture

The annual lecture on Friday 6 February at Dedham Assembly Rooms will be given by Professor John Mullan, whose  talk on What Matters in Jane Austen was recommended by a number of people who heard it at Aldeburgh.  It is some years since we have had a literary as distinct from visual arts lecture and it will be different in that there are no slides or illustrations.  However, judging from the book from which the lecture is drawn we are in for a treat.

Education and Outreach

Last season we had two piano master classes at Colchester Institute, both very inspiring for the students:  in June with Gottlieb Wallisch from Vienna, postponed from January, and in December with Clare Hammond.

Our plans for the upcoming season include a workshop at Dedham Primary School with Jessie Anne Richardson (cello) and  Lynn Carter (piano), sponsored by Jane Adams, one of our committee members.  We are also planning a concert to provide a platform for talented young musicians later in the season.  This will include refreshments and replace the supper concert as well as being part of our outreach programme.

AGM and Committee

The AGM will be held  on 19 October 2014 at 6 pm, following the first concert and all members are most welcome to the meeting and the cheese and wine afterwards.  The committee is standing for re-election except that Alicia Herbert is retiring as chairman and Birte Kelly, who has been Hon Secretary since 1998 and Concert Secretary from 2003,  is being proposed as her successor, while Doreen Weatherall is nominated as Hon Secretary.

Sponsorship

We are very grateful  to all our  generous sponsors.  Concerts last season were sponsored by Courteney and Dianne Willett (Clare Hammond), and  by accountants and tax advisors Scrutton Bland (Trio con Brio). Our supper concerts  have received generous support from Grier and Partners for many years. During the forthcoming season without a supper concert, they have generously  agreed to sponsor  our final concert (with Kammerphilharmonie Europa).  We are also very grateful to Roger Balmer Design of East Bergholt for their wonderful support of the special concert by the Henschel Quartet on  9 November 2014.

Highlights of last Season

The 2013-14 season was very success-ful with  exceptionally high audience figures as well as much appreciation for the concerts. From the organisers’ point of view, there were rather more last minute changes to programmes and personnel than we like, but none of this affected the quality.

The Badke Quartet returned with a new first violin, formerly of the Piatti Quartet, who presented our second concert with a new first violinist.  Both of these young  ensembles had visited before and both were excellent.  One of the high points  of the season was the Schubert Quintet played by the Piatti with guest artist Moray Welsh (cello).  The pianist Clare Hammondwas a wonderful find, thanks to the Willett family who also sponsored her recital. The Countess of Munster recital was given by the outstanding young oboist, Peter Facer with pianist Simon Lane.  They had problems with a late flight and an accident on the A 12, but their performance was unaffected. Our final  concert, with a huge audience, was the return of the brilliant Trio con Brio Copenhagen.  Their first violin was on maternity leave but they had managed to find a replacement who is one of Denmark’s top violinists.

Our lecture on Gainsborough’s Suffolk connections  with Hugh Belsey was very well attended and popular .

Extra events

In addition to the Supper concert with the Tallis Ensemble, we also held a Jazz Concert with a fish & chip supper featuring the Watson-Miles Jazz Quartet.  This took place at Dedham Assembly Rooms on Saturday 29 April, just before the end of our season.  Both events were enjoyed by those who attended and raised much needed funds for SVAM. Interestingly. the audience for the jazz evening was mostly very different from our classical events, just as lectures also attract a number of people who don’t usually attend classical concerts.

Plans for 2015-16

The season after this will see a substantial widening of our education projects thanks to a grant we have received for this purpose.  News of the planned events will be announced later this season.

Birte Kelly

NOTICES

Peter Shave

We are sorry to announce that Peter Shave is no longer able to continue writing Programme Notes for SVAM due to his declining health. Peter has provided us with Notes for the last 15 years. They have enhanced our concerts and enabled audiences to learn much about the music, the background and context and the composer. The number of occasions when the performers have conceded they could not improve on Peter’s Notes has been many. He has been an enormous asset for SVAM and a very supportive member of the team. We wish him well and hope that he will continue to enjoy listening to music. His knowledge and ability to communicate have been much appreciated by us all. We have been very lucky.

Alicia Herbert

Helpers needed to set up the stage in the church

Until now this has all been managed by volunteers, but some of them are finding it quite hard.  We would love to recruit new volunteers, but would also be prepared to pay for this service, so if you know of any ‘muscle’ for hire, please contact Birte (01206 298954 ) or  Coral (077 93 198280)