SRS Chris Gibbons
By Tyler Ody
The 2022/23 Swindon Recital Series opens on Sunday, 11 September at the Arts Centre in Devizes Road.
Recital series founder and artistic director Paul Turner will combine with the Ward Quartet - Nicholas Ward on violin, Kathryn Parry on violin, Wendy Gudgin on viola and Harriet Bennet on cello - in a programme including two compositions by Dvorák.
The ‘American’ String Quartet Op.96 was written whilst he was in the USA and incorporates the repeated call of a ‘red bird with black wings’ (Scarlet Tanager), which formed the basis of his third movement. His Piano Quintet in A major Op.81 No. 2 is a cornerstone in the chamber music repertory and opens with a serene and lyrical theme.
The Recital Series is committed to providing world-class chamber music in the Swindon area by presenting regular concerts of chamber music given by professional musicians.
Tickets for the performance, which will start at 3pm, are priced at £16 for adults and £13 for seniors and unwaged people. There is also a theatre administration fee of £1.50.
Student tickets are priced at £3 and accompanied children aged 14 and under are admitted without charge.
On Wednesday, 28 September at 1.05pm, the first lunchtime concert of the series will feature Martinu’s Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano H.356, played by clarinettist Chris Gibbons and Paul Turner piano.
The sonatina was written in New York and contains unexpected syncopation.
The performance will also feature Lutoslawski’s Dance Preludes, which are based on folk songs from North Poland, and Bartok’s Romanian Dances.
Paul Turner is an Honours graduate and an elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, where his many prizes and awards culminated in the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence and the Peter Pears Accompaniment Prize.
An experienced recitalist, he has appeared at London’s leading venues and major UK festivals. He has given concerts in Europe and South America and worked with eminent singers and instrumentalists.
Swindon Recital Series takes place between September and April at various venues in and around Swindon, including the Wyvern Theatre and the Arts Centre.
SRS Kathryn Parry
SRS Nicholas Ward