St Paul’s Hall, University of Huddersfield

Stories in Song – Voices of the People

Programme to include:

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Linden Lea

Maurice Ravel: Cinq melodies populaires grecues

Ivor Gurney: Down by the Salley Gardens

Manuel Da Falla: Siete canciones populares espaňolas

Interval

Benjamin Britten: Cabaret Songs

Eric Satie: La Diva de l’Empire

Cole Porter: Tale of the Oyster

Noel Coward: A Bar on the Piccola Marina

Join the RNCM Songsters for a colourful programme of songs inspired by the rich tapestry of folk music and cabaret, celebrating the ways great composers have drawn on the voices of ordinary people — whether in tales of the countryside or the songs and stories of the town. The first half journeys across Europe’s folk traditions, from Vaughan Williams’s tender English pastoral Linden Lea and Gurney’s wistful Down by the Salley Gardens, to Ravel’s vivid Greek folk melodies and de Falla’s fiery, colourful Spanish popular songs.

After the interval, the mood shifts into the smoky glamour of the cabaret and music hall, with Britten’s witty Cabaret Songs setting the tone, followed by Satie’s sly La Diva de l’Empire, Cole Porter’s cheeky Tale of the Oyster, and Noël Coward’s sharply comic A Bar on the Piccola Marina. It’s a programme full of charm, humour and heart — moving effortlessly from folk simplicity to theatrical wit.

A wonderfully varied evening celebrating the power of song to tell the stories of everyday life, performed by the talented young voices of the RNCM Songsters in the intimate surroundings of St Paul’s Hall.

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Beethoven Violin Sonata in G major, Op 96
Debussy Violin Sonata in G minor
Elgar Violin Sonata in E minor, Op 82

Join violinist Madeleine Mitchell and pianist Nigel Clayton for an evening exploring three great violin sonatas, each written at a pivotal moment in its composer’s life. The programme opens with Beethoven’s Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 96 — his final work in the form, serene and pastoral, marking his turn from the heroic middle period towards a more introspective late style.

The evening continues with Debussy’s Violin Sonata in G minor, his last completed work, written while terminally ill amid the hardship of the First World War, yet full of restless colour and quiet defiance. It closes with Elgar’s Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, written in 1918 at his Sussex cottage Brinkwells during a late-life creative flowering — a warm, personal work described by the composer himself as “full of golden sounds.”

Together these three sonatas trace a fascinating journey across a century of music, each capturing its composer at a moment of transition — a fitting reflection on where a season of music has taken us. As we bring this year’s season to a close, we’d love for you to join us for one final evening together before we look ahead to next season.

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Grieg Andante con moto
Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, Op 34
Schumann Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op 44

Join Ensemble 360 for a Sunday afternoon of glorious Romantic chamber music, built around two of the finest piano quintets in the repertoire. The programme opens with Grieg’s Andante con moto, a lyrical and lesser-heard gem, before moving into the passionate, autumnal world of Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor — a work of towering ambition and emotional depth, often considered one of the great masterpieces of the chamber repertoire.

The afternoon closes with Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E flat major, a work bursting with warmth, drama and youthful energy, and one of the pieces that helped establish the piano quintet as a serious and beloved chamber form. Together, these two quintets showcase the full expressive range of piano and strings in dialogue — by turns turbulent, tender and triumphant.

With Ensemble 360’s celebrated musicianship and the intimate acoustic of St Paul’s Hall, this promises to be a richly rewarding way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Please note this concert takes place on a Sunday at 3.00pm, rather than our usual evening slot.

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Get into the festive spirit with Rosamund Brass, bringing an exciting programme of seasonal favourites to the beautifully decorated surroundings of Huddersfield Parish Church, in a concert designed for music lovers of all ages. Expect the warmth, energy and unmistakable sound of brass at its finest, as the ensemble brings festive classics vividly to life beneath the church’s soaring architecture, dressed for the season.

Whether you’re a lifelong concert-goer or bringing the family along for their very first live music experience, this is a joyful, welcoming afternoon out — full of festive cheer, brilliant musicianship, and the warm glow of the church at Christmastime. A perfect way to celebrate the season together.

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Mozart   String Quartet in B flat major, K589 ‘Prussian’
Elgar   String Quartet in E minor, Op 83
Schulhoff   Five Pieces for String Quartet
Mendelssohn   String Quartet No 2 in A minor, Op 13

We’re delighted to welcome the award-winning Kyan Quartet to St Paul’s Hall for an evening that spans a century of chamber music, from classical poise to late-Romantic passion and 20th-century wit. The programme opens with Mozart’s Prussian Quartet, one of his final and most songful chamber works, before turning to Elgar’s only string quartet — a piece of restless intensity composed in the shadow of the First World War.

After the interval, Schulhoff’s Five Pieces for String Quartet bring a striking change of mood, sharp and satirical with the jazz-infused energy of 1920s Europe, before the evening closes with Mendelssohn’s youthful, turbulent Quartet No. 2 — written when the composer was just eighteen, yet already showing remarkable emotional depth.

Having performed at venues including Wigmore Hall and the Shanghai Opera House, and fresh from prizes at the Salzburg DYNAMIKfest and Royal Over-Seas League competitions, the Kyan Quartet bring real international pedigree to this programme of contrast and character. We’d love to see you there.

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