Midlands Classical Music Making

 MARK BEBBINGTON Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon ***** There was plenty of ‘entente cordiale’ on show in this piano recital featuring local star Mark Bebbington: the first two thirds of this thoughtfully selected programme included two French and two English composers, but every note was imbued with French musical influence. A late work by Cesar Franck, ‘Prelude, Chorale and Fugue’, was built on a clever development of repeating fragments over flowing embellishments involving much hand-crossing, and a sombre fugue employing a distinctive descending motif that had echoes of JS Bach. The first of two works by the enigmatic Francis Poulenc was an ‘homage’ to Edith Piaf, its improvisations conjuring up a lazy summer’s evening in Paris being serenaded by this great French entertainer. The second work, ‘Napoli – Suite for Piano’, included a ‘Barcarolle’ inspired by a Venetian gondolier song, a dark-toned ‘Nocturne’, and a highly energetic ‘Caprice Italien’ which was a feast for ...

  Norman Stinchcombe reviews the latest classical disc releases Donizetti ‘Songs’ Volumes 1 & 2: Brownlee, Alaimo, Rizzi (Op era Rara   2  CD s available separately )  ★★★★★ Opera Rara has won the award for outstanding classical record label of the year which is a just reward for its unstinting devotion to rare repertoire, especially the music of Donizetti. Their latest ambitious project is an eight volume survey of Donizetti’s songs, around 200 of them, many of which have never been heard in living memory. It was a labour of love for Opera Rara’s Repertoire Consultant Roger Parker who began it as a Covid lockdown project in 2020 and eventually found him researching archives and collections at home and in Italy, France, Austria, Sweden and Australia. It has resulted in a new edition of the Donizetti solo songs, a collaboration with Ian Schofield, and will be published by Casa Ricordi and made publicly available. We can hear the first two selections now; the first...

   🎶 A Month of Music, Magic, and Partnership! 🎶 by ABC of Opera Over the past month, we’ve had the absolute joy of delivering workshops to over 1,000 children across Wales. This incredible journey has been made possible by the generous support of Powys and Pembrokeshire Music Services, Castell Howell, and the legendary Welsh National Opera (WNO). Together, we’ve sparked creativity, built confidence, and brought the transformative magic of opera and storytelling to life for young learners. The story of Welsh National Opera is rooted in resilience and community. Founded in 1943, WNO was born from the passion of ordinary Welsh people—miners, teachers, and bakers—who believed opera should be for everyone. Over the years, WNO has grown to become a world-renowned company, blending tradition with innovation and bringing its powerful storytelling and unforgettable music to audiences across the globe. For Mark Llewelyn Evans, CEO of ABC – Any Body Can, this partnership is personal. ...