Viva Lewes Issue 117 June 2016

IN TOWN THIS MONTH: MUSIC
Classical Round-up
Celebrating Shakespeare... and Sussex
June promises to be a powerhouse for music in
Lewes with more than enough for everyone,
including a Shakespearian salute, a poolside
orchestral serenade, and a full three-day chamber
music festival.
The very excellent Kantanti Ensemble starts
things off with Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2,
a huge and important work given a new orchestration
here for Kantanti by Iain Farrington.
Glazunov managed to destroy the premiere of
Rachmaninoff’s (pictured) first symphony by conducting
it while in a drunken stupor, but we expect
a more sober, if no less flamboyant interpretation
from conductor Lee Reynolds. For the uninitiated,
listen out for the themes used in Birdman and also
Eric Carmen’s Never Gonna Fall in Love Again. Sat
4th, 5.30pm, St John sub Castro
Clarinetist Nick Carpenter and pianist Nicholas
Houghton play an all-French recital, featuring
sonatas by Saint-Saens and Poulenc, as well as
Debussy’s Petite Pièce. Sun 5th, 3pm, St Michael’s
Church, free
An evening of Scandinavian works fills the
Corelli Ensemble’s programme, including Grieg’s
Holberg Suite and Elegaic Melody No. 2, a Sibelius
Impromptu, and Swedish composer Dag Wirén’s
Serenade for Strings. Sun 12th, 4pm, Cross Way
Church, Seaford, £10
Musicians of All Saints present two chamber music
concerts this month - a quintet and a quartet, both
comprised of MAS members. The first concert
offers French composer Anton Reicha’s Grand
Quintetto (1826) and also contemporary American
composer Robert G. Patterson’s Bassoon in the Box.
The quartet will play Haydn’s String Quartet No.
1, Frank Bridge’s String Quartet No. 4 and will
give the second ever performance of Sussex-based
composer Guy Richardson’s Houriya.
Sun 12th and 19th, 6pm, Hamsey Old Church, £10
(u18 free)
There are musical delights to be savoured at the
fifth annual Lewes Chamber Music Festival, which
this year serves up eight concerts over a period
of three days. Further details can be found in my
article on p37.
Fri 17th to Sun 19th, various times and venues
A Shakespearian Celebration is the title of East Sussex
Bach Choir’s event this month. On the menu:
extracts from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Michael
Tippett’s Songs for Ariel, Thomas Linley’s Ode on
the Spirits of Shakespeare and Vaughan Williams’
ethereal Serenade to Music. There will also be appropriate
Shakespearian readings interspersed by
Jonathan Cullen and Niamh Cusack, and a special
cameo appearance by the Wallands Choir. The
conductor is John Hancorn, with pianist Nancy
Cooley and organist Nicholas Houghton.
Sat 18th, 7pm, St Anne’s Church, £12
Finally, the Lewes Concert Orchestra will give an
evening poolside performance at the Pells. The
fare will be light and popular, and will of course
include the crowd pleaser, Sussex by the Sea. Bring a
towel. Fri 24th, 7.30pm, Pells Pool, £8
Paul Austin Kelly
41