Lunchtime Live concerts September 2010

Every Wednesday 1.10 – 2.00pm

1 Sep  Auriol Britton – Best of Betjeman
John Betjeman, one of the nation’s favourite poets with a strong West Country association is brought to life through a prize-winning recitalist (and soprano) who was the recent narrator with the Bristol Ecoshow.

8 Sep  Michael Loader – Story telling with improvised trumpet
Michael works as a story teller in education, with community groups and business. He has a particular interest in East European stories through a long association with Romania in the 1990s. He co-founded the Festival of Fools, a group which explores the Fool’s role in releasing creativity and imagination. He will be accompanied by David Mowat, playing trumpet in spontaneous response to the unfolding stories.

15 Sep  Jacques, a robin - Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter with a deep sonorous timbre and enchanting electro-classical guitar, Jacques, a robin, will be accompanied by singer, Sue Mara, singing some songs a cappella. “Jacques, a robin, is the first English heteronym of Signor Davide Ariasso. Jacques was born on the 11th of July, 2004, later baptized as Jacques, a robin, on the 11th of November 2007 – Jacques, a robin, lives on stage, on recordings, in a voice, in a quill, in dreams and in imagination.”

Jacques, a robin, replaces Mark Darkside, who due to unavoidable circumstances, could not perform today as advertised.

22  Sep  Rosafresca  Elizabethan Songs
Three musicians with a passion for Renaissance music came together in 2009 to form Rosafresca. Directed by Steve Walter, this Bristol-based group captures the excitement and spontaneity at the heart of the music whether Elizabethan love song or rhythmic Spanish dance. Rich
textures and sonorities are created by period instruments – lute, vihuela, viola da gamba, recorders, cornamuse and a range of percussion. With a flexible line up drawing on the talents of guest singers and instrumentalists, Rosafresca appeals to classical concert-goers as well as world and roots music enthusiasts. “A ravishing pure sound” says musical director, David Mowat. Featuring Jeremy King (tenor) as well as music for lute and viol. Enquiries: carolATrosafresca.co.uk

29 Sep  Will Hughes plays jazz giant, Bill Evans
Will Hughes honours a giant of modern jazz. Equally at home in the classical repertoire, jazz pianist, Will Hughes plays transcriptions of Bill Evans’s work.

Bill Evans – like his contemporary Miles Davies – was a jazz pioneer. His lyrical and impressionistic take on jazz paired down his chords to bring out maximum possibility for the improviser. He allowed a lot of space in his playing, in contrast to ‘hard bop’ players of his day.

Saint Stephen’s church is a fitting setting for these sonorities.