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Leamington music is bouncing back in business

Leamington Music is bouncing back in business with over twenty concerts lined up before Christmas. The Leamington Music Festival Weekend takes place 23 to 26 September in the Royal Pump Rooms and marks the centenary of the Leamington born composer Robert Simpson. Alongside five of his major works, there is music by the composers he most admired and championed, with Beethoven heading the list. There are six top pianists playing in the seven concerts in the Royal Pump Rooms with Peter Donohoe bringing a very special concert of Schubert and Beethoven on Saturday 25 September.

The opening concert is given by the Coull Quartet, well known locally after many years in residence at the University of Warwick. The Quartet commissioned and premiered works by Simpson and will play his String Quintet No1.

The Leamington Music Autumn season starts on 5 October when the vocal group Stile Antico returns to St Mary’s Church Warwick. The Tuesday early music series continues with the Binchois Consort on 9 November and Joglaresa celebrating Christmas on 7 December. The investec International String Quartet series in the Royal Pump Rooms starts with the Sacconi Quartet on 8 October to be followed by the Marmen and Carducci Quartets. The Kineton based baritone Roderick Williams will give a recital in King’s Hall of English Song on 15 October to mark the opening of the new music building for King’s High School and Warwick Prep.

A new departure for Leamington Music is a concert of brass band music at the Royal Spa Centre on 31 October. This will feature two bands, from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Shirley and will climax with Simpson’s iconic work Volcano and a world premiere of a work by Stephen Roberts.

Full details of the Festival Weekend, the Autumn season and the Christmas Festival are on www.leamingtonmusic.org and bookings on that site are open now. For further contact call 01926 497000. n

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Warwick Arts Centre’s re-opening Orchestral Series 2021-2022 features blockbuster orchestras, returning favourites, and a World Premiere.

The series begins with a special Re-Opening Concert hosted by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Fri 8 Oct 2021), which includes Franz Liszt’s symphonic poem Hamlet alongside works by Mozart and Sibelius. Accompanying the orchestra are the celebrated conductor Anu Tali and the much-lauded Hungarian violinist Barnabás Kelemen, making it a night to remember. The naturally curious Brodsky Quartet (Thu 11 Nov 2021) present the World Premiere of composer/ broadcaster Stephen Johnson’s String Quartet No.1. Johnson will also be visiting to discuss his work in a special talk, One Song, Four Voices (Sun 7 Nov). The always hugely popular pianist Freddy Kempf joins the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra (Wed 1 Dec) for a programme that includes Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite, which opens with a celebrated and instantly familiar waltz.

Following a major four year transformation, Warwick Arts Centre is set to reopen on Friday 1 October 2021. The redevelopment, the largest in its 47 year history, combines extensive upgrades of existing spaces with spacious new areas, including a more welcoming foyer, three new cinemas, a repositioned Mead Gallery, and new restaurant.

Tickets for all Orchestral Series concerts are on sale now. To book, and find out more, contact Warwick Arts Centre Box Office via ticketing@warwick.ac.uk, or see: www.warwickartscentre.co.uk