Past Events
In 2021 Hay Music was ten years old
We celebrated Hay Music’s tenth anniversary at our annual Friends and Patrons party on 3 September 2021 with a toast and the cutting of a delicious lemon cake kindly donated by Olwen and Peter Roberts and cut with due ceremony and expertise by Hay Music’s founder John Stark and Gwen.
Prior to this, our August ‘Mini-Festival’ was designed to attract an audience from Hay’s summer visitors, and we did indeed see a number of new faces, as well as ‘regulars’. With its diverse programme of events, the festival aimed to provide something to attract everyone including 6 to 11 year olds.
From tentative beginnings Hay Music has grown into a flourishing and ambitious music society and has hosted many high profile musicians as well as exceptionally talented young performers in the early stages of their careers. Our philosophy has always been to bring high quality chamber music to Hay whilst keeping ticket prices as low as possible. During the pandemic we did our best to provide a substitute for live concerts with a programme of online concerts, talks and interactive chats with musicians but we are now returning, cautiously, to live concerts and appreciating more than ever the unique pleasure of sharing the same space with our performers and reflecting the joy they are experiencing in once again making music for live audiences.
………………..
In July 2019 Hay Music marked its One Hundredth Concert with three contrasting events
CoMA London Ensemble
A weekend’s ‘Celebration of Music in Hay’ to mark Hay Music’s One Hundredth Concert began on Saturday evening, 13 July, with a concert at Hay Primary School featuring the CoMA (Contemporary Music for All) London Ensemble and children from the school - the youngest performers to play in a Hay Music concert. The programme comprised a varied group of pieces, all by living composers - Kirsty Devaney, Gregory Rose, Philip Cashian, Piers Hellawell, Simon Speare, Peter McGarr and Dominic Murcott - chosen to illustrate the wide range of styles that have emerged over the years. All the pieces were Welsh premieres! Music director of CoMA London Ensemble since 1999, this was Gregory Rose’s last concert as conductor as he continues with many other projects including composition.
The CoMA London Ensemble
Rachel Podger and Kristian Bezuidenhout
In complete contrast, on Sunday afternoon, 14 July, Rachel Podger (baroque violin) and Kristian Bezuidenhout (harpsichord) gave a recital in a packed St Mary’s Church of music of the 18th century - pieces by J S Bach, C P E Bach and Handel. Their music making was completely enthralling and we were honoured to have these two world renowned musicians play for our one hundredth concert. It was particularly appropriate since Rachel has been most encouraging and supportive of Hay Music since its very beginnings.
Rachel podger and Kristian Bezuidenhout at St Mary’s Church, Hay
‘Private Passions’: a conversation with John Stark
The final event of this landmark celebration took place on Saturday afternoon, 20 July when a large audience of loyal Hay Music supporters gathered in the elegant music room at Dorstone House for a Hay Music version of ‘Private Passions’, a tribute to Radio 3’s popular Sunday midday programme in which Michael Berkeley talks to well known figures about the part music has played in their personal lives.
Nick Gethin, cellist with the London Symphony Orchestra for many years, talked to Hay Music’s founder, John Stark, with Michael Hession in his new role of DJ playing music extracts on his fine Hi-Fi system. John described his somewhat haphazard early introduction to classical music and, with many insights and humorous anecdotes, his later musical interests and influences.
Please go to PAST - MORE for a resumé of John and Nick’s conversation and for a list of music from which extracts were played.
Past Events
Key to venues:
B = Richard Booth's Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye
BC = Richard Booth's Bookshop Cinema, Hay-on-Wye
D = Dorstone House, Dorstone
St M = St Mary's Church, Hay-on-Wye
C = The Castle, Hay-on-Wye
HCPS = Hay County Primary School
S = The Swan Hotel, Hay-on-Wye
G = The Globe at Hay
L = Llanigon
T= The Mill, Talgarth
2024
January (St M) György Ligeti centenary. The Ligeti Quartet: Freya Goldmark - violin, Patrick Dawkins - violin, Richard Jones - viola, Val Welbanks - cello. Concert preceded by two introductory events: documentary film All Clouds are Clocks and discussion and screening of 2001 A Space Odyssey
February (St M) Emilie Capulet - piano
March (C and G) The Mikeleitz-Zucchi Duo: David Zucchi - saxophone, Iñigo Mikeleitz-Berrade, accordion
April (St M) The New Londn Chamber Ensemble: Robert Manasse - flute, Melanie Ragge - oboe, Neyire Ashworth - clarinet, Anna Douglass - horn, Meyrick Alexander - bassoon
May (St M) The Tippett Quartet: John Mills - violin, Jeremy Isaac - violin, Lydia Lowndes-Northcott - viola, Bozidar Vukotic - cello
May (St M) Hay Music at the Hay Festival evening concert: Hereford Chamber Choir
May (St M) Hay Music at the Hay Festival lunchtime concert: Clare Hammond - piano
June (St M) Hay Music at the Hay Festival lunchtime concert: The Fidelio Trio: Darragh Morgan - violin, Tim Gill - cello, Mary Dullea - piano
June (C) A4 Brass Quartet: Jamie Smith – cornet, Jonathan Bates - tenor horn, Mike Cavanagh - baritone horn, Chris Robertson - euphonium
July (C) Ensemble Bash Percussion Quartet: Richard Bejafield, Chris Brannick, Stephen Hiscock, Catherine Ring
August (G and C) ZRI Ensemble: Ben Harlan - clarinet, Max Baillie - violin, Matthew Sharp - cello, Jon Banks - accordion, Iris Pissaride - santouri
September (St M, C, G) 9th Hay Music Festival: The Fitzwilliam String Quartet: Lucy Russell - violin, Andrew Roberts - violin, Alan George - viola, Ursula Smith - cello; Sinfonia Cymru Quartet: Anna Tulchinskaya - violin, Haim Choi - violin, Isobel Neary-Adams - viola, William Clark-Maxwell - cello; Robin Michael - cello, Huw Watkins - piano; Sarah Nicolls - piano; discussion: Peter Florence, Stephen Johnson, Alan George; guided walk: Peter Ford
October (St M) Jayson Gillham - piano
November (St M) Charlotte Saluste-Bidoux - violin and Ben Tarlton - cello
2023
January (St M) Jayson Gillham - piano
February (St M) The Theorbo Today Project: Toby Carr - theorbo, May Robertson - baroque violin, Lucine Musaelian - bass viol, Michael Keen - harpsichord and recorder, Felicity Hayward - soprano, Janet Oates - soprano and director
March (St M) Thomas Bowes - violin and Verona Maier - piano
April (St M) The Solem Quartet - Amy Tress - violin, William Newell - violin, Stephen Upshaw - viola, Stephanie Tress - cello
May (St M) The National Opera Studio: Ffion Edwards - soprano (indisposed), Philip Clieve - tenor, Felix Gygli - baritone, Shakira Tsindos - mezzo-soprano, Elli Welsh - piano
June (C) Rozenn Le Trionnaire - clarinet and Jérémy Simon - accordion
July (C) The Amarylli Duo - Elizabeth Pallett - lute and Hannah Grove - soprano
July (St M) Rolf Hind - piano
August (C) The Albion Brass Consort - Peter Rudeforth - trumpet, John MacDomnic - trumpet, Jo Withers - French horn, Mark Easener - tuba, Andy Flaxman - trombone
August (C) Michael Poll - guitar
October (C) Trio Kurtág - Juliette Roos - violin, Yume Fujise - viola, Eliza Millett - cello
November (St M) The Sacconi Quartet - Ben Hancox - violin, Hannah Dawson - violin, Robin Ashwell - viola, Cara Berridge - cello with William Howard - piano.
December (St M) The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Director Graham Ross
2022
April (St M) The Sirinu Ensemble - Sara Stowe - high voice/percussion, Lewis Spring - alto voice/medieval fiddle/citole, Matthew Spring - medieval lute/hurdy-gurdy/percussion, Kira Thomas - recorders/shawm/early wind, Jon Banks - medieval harp. ‘Music for a Medieval Castle’ celebrating the reopening of Hay Castle.
April (St M) Tom Poster - piano. In associaton with St Mary’s Church, Hay-on-Wye
May (St M) Maki Sekiya and Ilya Chetverikov: Music for Two Pianos - a Hay Festival lunchtime recital
May (St M) The Mavron String Quartet - Christiana Mavron - violin, Rachel Briton - violin, Niamh Aston - viola, Beatrice Newman - cello - a Hay Festival lunchtime recital
June (St M) The Tippett Quartet - Thomas Bowes (in place of John Mills) - violin, Jeremy Isaac – violin, Lydia Lowndes-Northcott - viola, Bozidar Vukotic - cello with Emma Abbatte - piano
July (St M) Llŷr Williams - piano.
August (D) Daniel Norman - Tenor and Huw Watkins - piano
August (C) A4 Brass Quartet - Jamie Smith - cornet, Jonathan Bates - tenor horn, Mike Cavenagh - baritone horn, Chris Robertson - euphonium
October (St M) Ruth Wall - harp and composer Graham Fitkin
November (St M) Akkordeon Baroque - Loré Lixenberg - mezzo-soprano and Bartosz Glowacki - accordion
December (C) HEXAD - Betty Makharinsky - soprano, Anna Semple - mezzo-soprano, Jonathan Darbourne - countertenor, Daniel Gethin - countertenor/director, Gopal Kambo - tenor, Christopher Fitzgerald-Lombard - tenor, Simon Grant - baritone, Piers Connor Kennedy - bass
2021
January (Online) Adam Busiakiewicz - Lute/Lecture - ’Queen of Instruments: The Lute within the Old Masters’
January (Online) Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music, in conversation with Mick Peake
March - April (Online) ‘Coping with Change: Two Views of the Professional Classical Music World’. A discussion with Nick Gethin and Paul Keene
March - April (Online) The Flora Brass Quintet: Gregor Spence - Tuba, Bethany Peck - Trombone, Cerys Mair Hughes - Flugel Horn/Cornet, Josie Allen - Cornet/Trumpet, Charley Green - Tenor Horn (including online chat with the musicians). Presented in association with Wye Valley Music
April (Online) ‘Self-accompanied Singing in Classical Music: Reviving a Lost Tradition’: an illustrated talk by Lucy Green, Emerita Professor of Music Education, University College London
April - May (Online) Max Baillie - violin and Robin Michael - cello. Discussion and performance of Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello (including online chat with the musicians). Presented in association with Wye Valley Music, Evesham and District Music Club and Allcomers Music
May - June (Online) Lucy Russell and Alan George of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet in conversation with John Stark
May - June (Online) Darragh Morgan - Violin and Mary Dullea - Piano (including online chat with the musicians). Presented in association with Wye Valley Music
June - July (Online) Amy Norrington - Cello and Piet Kuijken - Piano
June (St M) The Choir of Clare College Cambridge
July (G) ‘A Passage from India’ - Barrie Gavin’s film on composer Brian Elias
July (St M) The Rautio Piano Trio with composer Brian Elias
August (St M/G) Hay Music Mini-Festival 2021: Children’s Percussion Workshop with Chris Brannick; The Oriole Quartet - Henry Chandler - Violin, Tim Lowe - Cello, John Paul Ekins - Piano, Poppy Beddoe - Clarinet with composer Andrew Morris; The Flora Brass Quintet: Gregor Spence - Tuba, Bethany Peck - Trombone, Cerys Mair Hughes - Flugel Horn/Cornet, Josie Allen - Cornet/Trumpet, Charley Green - Tenor Horn; ‘The Bloody Brothers’ - percussion, keyboad, voice - with Chris and Antony Brannick; The Odora Piano Trio - Sophine Hinson - Violin, Harriet Butterworth - Cello and Songeun Choi - Piano
September (H) The Wisteria Saxophone Quartet - Jessica Taylor - Soprano Sax, Meg Glover - Alto Sax, Olivia Madaffari - Tenor Sax, Hannah Garnett Baritone Sax
October (St M) Maki Seiya - Piano
November (St M) The Ligeti Quartet - Christopher Jones - Guest Violin I, Patrick Dawkins - Violin II, Richrard Jones - Viola, Val Welbanks - Cello
December (St M) HEXAD - Anna Semple - mezzo-soprano, Daniel Gethin - countertenor/director, Gopal Kambo - tenor, Jack Granby - tenor, Simon Grant - baritone, Piers Connor Kennedy - bass
2020
January (B) Laura Snowden - Guitar
February (HCPS) ensemblebash - Percussion Quartet - Richard Banjafield, Chris Brannick, Stephen Hiscock, Catherine Ring
March (S) The Solem Quartet: Amy Tress - Violin, William Newell - Violin, Stephen Upshaw - Viola, Stephanie Tress - Cello
July (Online) Tom Service - A virtual ‘Hay Music Cocktail Hour’ - Zoom talk and questions and answers with Tom for Friends and Patrons
September (Online) Ruth Wall - Harp and Graham Fitkin - Composer (including online chat with the musicians)
September - October (Online) Loré Lixenberg - Mezzo-soprano, Bartosz Glowacki - Accordion (including online chat with the musicians)
December - June 2021 (Online) Jayson Gillham - piano. Presented in association with Evesham and District Music Club
2019
January (St M) Patrick Hemmerlé - Piano
February (B) Robin Michael - Cello
March (St M) Milly Forrest - Soprano, Jo Ramadan - Piano
April (BC) Alice Earll - Violin
May (St M) The Crayford, Clemmow, Welsh Piano Trio (in association with St Mary’s Church)
May (St M) William Howard - Piano (a Hay Literary Festival event)
June (BC) Tippett Book Event
June (D) Raphael Wallfisch - Cello, John York - Piano
July (HCPS) CoMA London Ensemble
July (St M) Rachel Podger - Violin, Kristian Bezuidenhout - Harpsichord
July (D) John Stark in ‘Private Passions’
August (D) Ilya Kondratiev - Piano
September (St M) String Trio Plus - Max Baillie - Violin, Ruth Gibson - Viola, Robin Michael - Cello, William Conway - Cello
October (St M) National Opera Studio: Ana-Maria Bacanu - Soprano, Ann Taylor - Mezzo-soprano’, John Pierce - Tenor, Jake Muffett - Baritone and Emily Hooker - Piano
November (B) The Eusebius String Quartet: Beatrice Philips - Violin, Venetia Jollands - Violin, Hannah Shaw - Viola, Hannah Sloane - Cello
December (St M) The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
2018
January (B) The Consone Quartet
February (B) 'Oriental Miscellay' Jane Chapman - Harpsichord, Yu-Wei Hu - Flute
March (HCPS) Sirinu with composer Howard Skempton
April - Festival (St M/S/B/St M) Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Dragonfly String Trio, Anna Tilbrook - Piano
June (B) Zoe Martlew - Cello, Finnegan Downie-Dear - Piano
July (B) Alena Baeva - Violin, Lilli Maijala - Viola, Amy Norrington - Cello
July (B) The Solem Quartet
August (D) Clare Hammond - Piano
September (D) Fidelio Piano Trio
October (St M) Voskresenije Choir of St Petersburg
November (St M) Amyas Duo (Emily Baines and Arngeir Hauksson), Duo Maddalena (Janet Oates and Lucy Green)
December (St M) Elin Manahan Thomas - Soprano, Elizabeth Kenny - Lute and Theorbo
2017
January (B) Rhiannon Llewellyn - Soprano, Laura Snowden - Guitar
February (B) André Pereira - Violin, Josh Salter - Cello
March - Festival (St M/B/St M) Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Dragonfly String Trio, Members of Sinfonia Cymru
April (St M) Chris Brannick - Percussion, Sara Stowe - Soprano
June (St M) The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
July (St M) The Solem Quartet
August (B) The Camilli String Quartet
September (D) Emma Abbate, Julian Perkins - Piano Duo
October (D) Jayson Gillham - Piano
October (St M) Marsyas Trio
November (St M) The Schubert Ensemble
2016
January (St M) Rachel Podger - Baroque Violin, Chad Kelly - Harpsichord
February (St M) Duo Concertante (Nancy Dahn - Violin, Timothy Steeves - Piano)
April - Festival (St M/B/St M) Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Dragonfly String Trio, Tom Wilkinson - Organ, Members of Sinfonia Cymru
June (D) The Rautio Piano Trio
July (D) Clare Hammond - Piano
August (C) Enigma Duo (Katherine Thomas - Harp, Laurence Kempton - Violin)
September (D) James Gilchrist - Tenor, Anna Tilbrook - Piano
October (St M) Voskesrenije Choir of St Petersburg
November (B) Dragonfly String Trio
December (B) Ligeti String Quartet with Peter Florence
2015
January (B) Maciek/James - Clarinet/Piano Duo
February (B) Newbold/Thomas - Flute/Harp Duo
March (B) Welsh National Opera Chorus Members
April - Festival (St M/B/D) Fitzwilliam String Quartet with Dragonfly and Friends
July (D) Lee/Baek - Violin/Piano Duo
August (C) Scherzo Brass Quintet
August (C) Flourish Wind Quintet
October (St M) St Petersburg Chamber Choir
October (St M) Edgar Speyer Concert - Jeremy Fisher - Piano, John Hymas - Violin, Hannah Grove - Soprano, Olivia Gomez - Mezzo-soprano
November (B) Zoltan String Trio
December (St M) Choir of Clare College Cambridge
2014
February (B) Sterling Trio - Flute, Clarinet and Keyboard
March (B) Fitzwilliam String Quartet
April (B) Dragonfly Ensemble
May (B) Tre Voci - Cello Trio
July (C) Flourish Wind Quintet
August (B) Jones/Maruri - Cello/Guitar Duo
September (B) Kiel Baroque Ensemble
September (D) Jayson Gillham - Piano
November (B) Dragonfly (Crayford, Meszaros,Welsh)
December (B) Tom Guthrie - Baritone, Johan Löfving - Guitar
2013
February (B) Harmonie Musik - Wind Quintet
March (B) Michael Jones - Cello
April (T) Julian Boyce - Baritone
May (St M) Choir of Hereford Cathedral School
June (B) Wingate Ensemble - Flute and Strings
July (D) Tianhong Yang - Piano
September (B) Sian Winstanley - Soprano, Stephen Gordon - Guitar
October (B) Janacek Film with Castalia Quartet
November (D) Jayson Gillham - Piano
December (B) Mavron String Quartet
2012
January (B) Cambrian String Quartet
February (B) Caird Oboe Quartet
March (B) Catherine Hughes - Welsh Folk Songs
April (L) Ivan Ilic - Piano
May (B) Fitzwilliam String Quartet
July (B) SILD - Estonian and Welsh Folk Music
August (B) Downes/Jefferis - Violin/Cello Duo
September (D) Gagliano Piano Quartet
October (B) Castalia String Quartet
November (B) Moray Welsh - Cello
December (B) Music for Viols and Voice
2011
April (B) Sterling Wind and Keyboard Trio
May (B) Aquarelle Guitar Quartet
July (B) Castalia String Quartet
July (B) Thomas/Kempton - Harp/Violin Duo
August (B) Louise Thomson - Harp
September (B) Rory Russell - Guitar
October (B) Alexander/Newbold - Bassoon/Flute duo
November (B) Handel German Songs
December (B) Gagliano String Trio