St Mary’s Church, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5EB. Doors open 6.30pm. Refreshments.

A magic combination of four hands on one keyboard, this extraordinary piano duo brings us a monumental arrangement of Holst’s The Planets in the first half with a delightful selection of pieces after the interval. We welcome Imma for the first time but Nigel is not a stranger to Hay Music and we look forward to his return.

Tickets: £20 (under 25s - £10)

Please note: we are offering a limited number of free tickets to under 25s on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets are also available from the Hay Tourist Bureau and at the door if still available.

Programme

Gustav Holst:  The Planets, Op. 32

Emmanuel Chabrier/André Messager:  España

Philip Wilby:  Diptych

Sergei Rachmaninoff/Philip G Anderson:  Vocalise

Sergei Rachmaninoff:  Italian Polka

Sergei Rachmaninoff:  Slava, Op. 11 No. 6

Claude Debussy:  Dialogue du vent et de la mer

For Nigel and Imma, bringing Classical Music to a wider audience in an engaging way has always been at the heart of their work together. Recently they have been touring the complete Planets by Holst in his anniversary year across the country and abroad. They have also been engaged in a number of cross-arts projects, one of the most significant ones has been Debussy La Mer working with visual art and dancers at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, for Trinity Laban Arts Festival and the Deal Festival. Together they have performed recitals at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, St John’s Smith Square in London, Cowdray Hall in Scotland, various music clubs and festivals across the UK, as well as in collaboration with a choir (Joyful Company of Singers), with the Musical Rainbow Ensemble for a programme based on Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, Kings’ Chamber Orchestra in Jersey, and supporting charities such as Everyone Matters, The Hunger Project and Aid to the Church in Need. Extremely keen to expand repertoire for piano duet, they have commissioned and premiered pieces by Philip Wilby, Paul Robinson, Jean-Francois Michel, and in conjunction with Celebrating Australian Music, premiered a piece by Wendy Hiscocks. Both share a love of teaching and have designed several courses/workshops in piano duet, chamber music, solo piano and Art of Teaching for aspiring musicians.

The Castle, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5DG. Doors open 6.30pm.

Experience the rare magic of a harp quintet. Former Royal Harpist and Classic FM Rising Star Alis Huws returns to Sinfonia Cymru to lead an ensemble of harp, flute, violin, viola and cello in a programme featuring French and Belgian gems from the golden age of harp music. Alis has paired the beautiful romanticism of these quintets with pieces from Wales and the USA inspired by the natural world, showcasing the exciting ways composers are writing for harp today. A unique opportunity to hear Alis alongside some of the UK's finest musicians under 30.

Tickets: tba

Programme

‘Discovering Music’ – an illustrated introduction to the pieces by Alis and the Quartet.

Charles Rochester Young:  Song of the Lark

Guy Ropartz:  Quintet

Eloise Gynn:  Song for an Ancient Tree

Joseph Jongen:  Concert a cinq, Op. 71

Former Official Royal Harpist, Alis Huws is a freelance soloist, orchestral and chamber musician. Named on Classic FM's 30 under 30 Rising Stars list for 2024 she regularly gives recitals across the UK and internationally, having toured to Japan, Europe, the US, Hong Kong and the Middle East.

​At His Majesty King Charles III's Coronation at Westminster Abbey, Alis performed Sir Karl Jenkins' arrangement of Tros y Garreg (Crossing the Stone) for solo harp and strings, as well as being a part of the prestigious Coronation Orchestra, formed specially for the occasion. Other high-profile engagements include the Welsh National Service of Prayer and Reflection for HM Queen Elizabeth II, The Royal Opening of the Senedd 2016 and 2021, The Welsh National Thanksgiving Service for VJ Day and the opening of the Welsh Government’s offices in Berlin. She has performed at a number of prestigious venues including Sony Hall (NYC), 10 Downing Street, Windsor Castle, St James’ Palace and St David’s Hall and has been broadcast on radio and television.  Alis is a keen orchestral musician and enjoys working with orchestras across the UK including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra and Sinfonia Cymru. In 2020-22 she was part of the LPO’s Foyle Future Firsts development scheme.

ABOUT SINFONIA CYMRU

The Castle, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5DG. Doors open 7.00. Bar.

International recorder player and Red Priest frontman Piers Adams - described in the Washington Post as “the leading recorder virtuoso in the world today” - joins forces with multi-talented keyboardist Lyndy Mayle in this extraordinary ‘electro-baroque fusion’ duo. 

Tickets: tba

Programme

By replacing the familiar sound of the harpsichord with the universe of possibilities offered by the modern-day keyboard, Piers and Lyndy expand upon the dreams of composers of the past, re-imagining music from mediaeval and baroque masters to modern day tango and jazz.   The wizardry of the keyboard - a plethora of instruments in one - is balanced by the natural expressive power of Piers' recorders, creating a perfect blend of ancient and modern in a dazzling and moving performance.  

The programme will include:

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Suite from the Goldberg Variations

Tomaso Albinoni:  Adagio from Concerto in D minor

Georg Philipp Telemann:  Andante and Danse Rustique

Jean-Baptiste Forqueray:  La Boisson

Giovani Antonio Pandolfi Mealli:  La Biancuccia

Ian Clarke:  Hypnosis

Isaac Albeniz:  Asturias

Astor Piazzolla:  Café 1930

Piers Adams is widely regarded as one of the greatest recorder players of our time.  Over his 40-year career he has recorded numerous CDs and given thousands of concerts and broadcasts across the world with his iconic baroque ensemble Red Priest and as soloist in many other contexts, attracting the highest acclaim for his bold and creative musicianship.  He has long held a dream to combine the simplicity of the recorder with the universe of possibilities offered by modern-day synth technology, and this led to the release of his ground-breaking album Bach Side of the Moon in 2018 (which reached no. 5 in the international New Age charts) and - since fortuitously crossing paths with Lyndy - to the formation of Baroque Alchemy.

Lyndy Mayle studied piano and harpsichord at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal College of Music, where she was a multiple prizewinning student.  On graduating, she worked as the music director of several productions at the National Theatre in London and as a recording artist on film and TV soundtracks.  Moving away from the performing world she practised for many years as a music therapist before developing her reputation as a highly respected piano teacher.  Baroque Alchemy marks her return to the concert platform - and to her early music roots - and she brings a wealth of musical experience, passion and spirit to this joyful musical collaboration.

Baroque Alchemy gave its debut concert in the Lewes Baroquefest in July 2022, and since that time has given several sellout performances for festivals, music clubs and theatres throughout the UK.  In 2023 the duo travelled to Germany to give the closing concert at the Blockflöten Festtage, the world's premier recorder festival, to high critical acclaim.  Their London debut took place at the World Heart Beat concert hall in March 2024, at which they launched their groundbreaking album Breaking Free.  Baroque Alchemy's reputation as a truly unique concert experience continues to grow amongst audience and promoters, resulting in a burgeoning schedule for 2025.