Music & Art

8 October to 23 December British Art Show 9

The UK’s most influential contemporary art exhibition, British Art Show 9 (BAS 9), culminates in Plymouth this autumn after showings in Aberdeen, Wolverhampton and Manchester.

Oscar Murillo

Thirty-seven artists have been confirmed for this final stop on the national tour, which brings the work of some of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists to four cities every five years. British Art Show 9 is curated by Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar and highlights work that has been made since 2015. The exhibition is structured around three main themes – Healing, Care and Reparative History, Tactics for Togetherness and Imagining New Futures – and has evolved with every city, with a different combination of artworks and artists that respond to each location. In Plymouth, the exhibition will be centred on the migration of bodies, peoples, plants, objects, ideas and forms; taking inspiration from and referencing the role it has played in Britain’s colonial past, as well as the encounters between British and other cultures that have, and continue to enrich our society. The selected artists will present their work across four different venues: The Box, KARST, The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth and MIRROR at the Arts

Than Hussein Clark

University Plymouth. Their works include film, photography, multimedia, painting, sculpture and performance. British Art Show 9 also includes a programme of artist films and a dedicated website which enables artists to share works online. A programme of events and talks for people of all ages will take place in Plymouth, while outreach and Ambassador programmes will create further opportunities for people to engage with the exhibition and its themes. www.britishartshow9.co.uk

Get creative this autumn

Get creative this autumn with West Devon Art Workshops, who are offering a wide range of art and craft courses for beginners and improvers, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles and sculpture. The ever-popular Art for All courses run by West Devon Art Workshops at the Printworks, Tavistock are funded by the National Lottery, and provide an opportunity to try something new in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. There will be short courses on lino-printing, experimenting with paint, print and stitch on fabric and drawing people. Also at the Printworks, are classes in watercolours, drypoint and collagraph printing, abstract collage & paint, natural dyeing, textured seascapes & moorland and blockprinted Christmas cards. Alternatively, at the Tavistock Craft & Sculpture Studio you could explore modelling, casting, construction, wire and Modroc, mosaicing, metalwork and willow and tissue art. West Devon Art Workshops aims to make art and craft accessible to all adults, with the Art for All courses which are heavily subsidised, and other courses which are run as affordably as possible. Experienced tutors give lots of one-to-one support to help individuals of all abilities reach their potential. For more information visit the West Devon Art Workshops website: www.westdevonartworkshops.co.uk Andy Cairns, one of the tutors, said: “In our classes, participants learn new skills and build confidence, but also feel a part of a community, and make new friends. This is particularly important as we recover from the pandemic, which has made more people feel isolated and lonely.”

Plymouth Jazz Club

The gigs are held at The Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Crownhill, Plymouth PL6 5DH starting at 7.30pm. Doors open 7.00pm and tickets are available on the door only. For further information visit plymouth-jazz-club.org. uk or phone 01752 290758.

Sunday 16 October City Steam Jazz Band This West Country band was formed in Exeter in the mid-1980s and plays happy foot-tapping New Orleans and Dixieland tunes in the ‘Trad’ style. Admission £12 (members £9, full-time students £7) Sunday 6 November Greg Abate Internationally recognised and immensely popular saxophonist and flautist Greg Abate from Rhode Island USA, visits Plymouth on a UK tour to play 1960s and later style jazz standards, accompanied by the superb Craig Milverton Trio. Admission £15 (members £12, full-time students £7).

Sunday 20 November Two Counties Jazz Band Formed from some of the best jazz musicians in Devon & Cornwall and led by great personality Graham Trevarton, the band plays highly entertaining jazz in traditional style. Admission £12 (members £9, full-time students £7)

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DARTMOOR’S ART GALLERY

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Friday 28 to Saturday 29 October

Drawn to Make Festival

After the huge success of its inaugural event last year, the second Drawn to Make Festival of Contemporary Makers promises to be even more diverse, with makers from across the South West and further afield being invited to take part. The 2022 exhibition at Butchers’ Hall in Tavistock is organised by the Tamar Valley-based Drawn to the Valley group of artists and creatives, and showcases a range of skills including spinning, weaving, stitching, woodworking, ceramics, assemblage, jewellery making and printmaking. Visitors will be able to see some of the makers at work, and the event is a chance to purchase one-off hand-crafted items by some of the most skilled exponents in their field.

Many of the Drawn to Make exhibitors are part of the Green Maker Initiative, which supports South West creatives to reduce their environmental impact. Much of the work utilises up-cycled materials and raw materials which have been created naturally and sustainably. Among those taking part are a group of eight local makers who recently held their Drawn to the Valley Open Studio together at Tavistock Library. They will be exhibiting their innovative textiles, jewellery, linoprints, photography, illustrations, and ceramics (photos above by Laura Joint). Lyn Edwards, one of the event organisers said: “We are delighted to have around 40 talented creatives at the exhibition. We hope visitors will have a lot of different and unusual work to see and buy.” The exhibition is open 10am to 5pm on Friday 28 October, and 9am to 5pm on Saturday 29 October. www.drawntothevalley.com

Shelagh Brown (hand-woven scarves)

Gilly Spottiswoode (printmaking)

Musica Viva Concert Series

Part of the University of Plymouth, Levinsky Hall announces its inaugural season as a new classical music venue bringing world-class musicians to the South West. Situated in the ground floor atrium of the Roland Levinsky Building and boasting a Steinway Model C grand piano, Levinsky Hall presents the Musica Viva Concert Series, starting with two concerts this autumn. plymouth.ac.uk/whats-on/autumn-2022

Saturday 15 October Romantic Piano Pre-concert talk: 7:00pm; performance: 7:30pm We enter the vivid, imaginative, even visionary, sometimes haunted realm of passionate piano music. Robert Taub will start with the stormy Pathétique Sonata in C minor of Beethoven, a proto-Romantic work that sold out of its first printing almost immediately. Next is a set of highly personalized musical characterisations of an imaginary society by Schumann, his Davidsbündlertänze; then the thundering sonorities of Chopin’s mighty Sonata in B minor. Saturday 12 November Virtuoso Violin Pre-concert talk: 7:00pm; performance: 7:30pm The brilliant young London-born violinist Mathilde Milwidsky draws her bow across the strings and brings them to life, creating dynamic, vibrant waves of sound. With pianist and composer Huw Watkins, Mathilde is performing the expressive, stirring and demanding works of Ravel, Bartok, Walton, and Watkins himself. And ever an adventurous virtuoso, she is also playing two solo violin works: Paganini’s 24th Caprice, a violin showstopper (so extraordinary was Paganini’s own playing that he was reputed to be in league with the Devil!) and Huw Watkins’ dramatic 2006 composition Partita for solo violin, commissioned by the BBC.

Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 November Elf The Musical

Tavistock Musical Theatre Company (TMTC) will be kicking off this year’s Christmas festivities in the town in late November when it stages the feel-good show Elf The Musical in Tavistock Town Hall - tickets are now on sale. Based on the well-loved film Elf, rehearsals are in full swing for the community production of this sparkly, jolly, twinkly, jingley show that will put a smile on the faces of young and old alike. Santa will be taking time out from his busy schedule to take part, along with some of his elves as they help to tell the story of Buddy and his journey to discover his true identity. With an awesome number of award-winning productions behind them, the company is thrilled to be able to perform such a cheerful show after Covid-19 has prevented them from staging a production since the near sellout production of The Sound of Music in 2019. With a cast of almost 40 people, including a dozen children, rehearsals for the production have been underway since the summer, led by director Julian Bennett. Taking the lead role of Buddy, is Ryan Procter and Anna Dunsford is Jovie. Anna took the lead role of Maria in the company’s The Sound of Music. Karen Batson, chair of TMTC, says that this will be one of the company’s most ambitious productions yet, with all sorts of novelties and surprises for the audience!

The show will open on the evening of Wednesday 23 November, with further evening performances on Thursday 24 November, Friday 25 November (one month before the big day!) and Saturday 26 November. Matinee performances are on Saturday 26 November and Sunday 27 November. Tickets are £16 for adults and £11 for children. Special VIP children’s tickets for youngsters who want to meet Father Christmas and Buddy before the show, which also include a small gift, cost £16 and must be booked in advance by phone. Tickets are available by booking online via Tavistock Musical Theatre Company’s website - tavimtc.co.uk - or by calling 01822 855030 or 07483 897648.

Sunday 27 November Sarah McQuaid

“One of the most instantly recognisable voices in current music … Shades of Joni Mitchell in a jam with Karen Carpenter and Lana Del Rey.” (Trust The Doc)

Born in Madrid, raised in Chicago and holding dual Irish and American citizenship, Sarah McQuaid has made England her permanent residence since 2007. Her sixth solo album The St Buryan Sessions was recorded and filmed live during lockdown in the beautiful medieval church of St Buryan, not far from Sarah’s home in rural West Cornwall. Released in October 2021 on CD and limited-edition double LP to widespread critical acclaim, it features stunning solo performances by Sarah on acoustic and electric guitars, piano and floor tom drum, with her lush, distinctive vocals echoing through the soaring space, which has striking similarities to St Leonard’s. Doors open at St Leonard’s Church Sheepstor at 6.45pm, with refreshments available; the concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 each, please contact drdartmoor@ doctors.org.uk and 01822 853186. For more details see sarahmcquaid.com; facebook.com/sarahmcquaidmusic; youtube.com/sarahmcquaid

Sunday 4 December Plymouth Philharmonic Choir blockbuster

There’s something special about the escapism provided by a good movie – the high emotion and intrigue, especially when an injustice is involved. Plymouth Philharmonic Choir are staging their own blockbuster at 7.30pm in Plymouth Guildhall with a performance of Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus, with four first class soloists: Natalie Montakhab (Soprano), Kate Symonds-Joy (Mezzo-Soprano), Greg Tassell (Tenor) and James Cleverton (Baritone). Based on fact both ancient and more recent, the plot and back story are as enthralling as anything on the big screen. Handel was inspired to write Judas Maccabaeus in honour of the victorious Duke of Cumberland who had crushed the Jacobite uprising led by Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden. In writing the text for the oratorio, Thomas Morell was making a comparison between the success of the duke and a second century BCE victory over the brutal Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Handel’s music depicts the changing moods of the Jewish people as their fortunes vary from dejection to jubilation. For more information and tickets see plymouthphilchoir.org. Mary Johnson

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