Harry the Piano Wiggin-Wass Sax and Harp Duo and the Ferio Saxophone Quartet The King s Singers International Concert Series 2018-2019
It gives me great pleasure to invite you to Millfield Music School s 2018-19 International Concert Series which welcomes some of the world s most talented and exciting musicians to the stunning surroundings of the Johnson Hall. Opening the season is the brilliantly entertaining Harry the Piano. Renowned for his world-class improvisation skills, prepare your musical requests and watch Harry remodel your favourite numbers into a Rachmaninov concerto, Bach fugue or TV sitcom theme. He can play anything, anywhere, at any time. Phenomenally talented, charming and musically unique, you ll love him! In the spring term, I am overjoyed to welcome my fellow Chetham s alumni, Huw Wiggin, to perform as part of two award-winning ensembles, the Wiggin-Wass Sax and Harp Duo and the Ferio Saxophone Quartet. What a coup to be able to host both ensembles within one concert! Their performance precision, tonal expression and ensemble brilliance is simply astounding. To finish the year, we are exceptionally fortunate to host the world-famous King s Singers in what will be one of the shows of the decade. As ambassadors for musical excellence, they are consistently welcomed on the world s greatest stages and, for this one-off occasion, will grace the Johnson Hall for what will be a spectacularly fun evening of musical versatility and virtuosity. I hope you will join us for this once-in-a-lifetime season of music making. Save the dates and book your tickets early! Tickets are available for each concert, or a subscription can be purchased for all three. We are delighted to bring the world s finest musical acts to Somerset and very much look forward to welcoming you to Millfield this year. Matthew Cook - Millfield Director of Music Tickets Tickets are 15.00 for individual concerts or buy a series subscription for all three events for just 40.00. Download a booking form at millfieldschool.com/bookingform or call 01458 444404 millfieldmusic.com How to find us Johnson Hall, The Music School, Millfield, Butleigh Road, Street, Somerset, BA16 0YD SUBSCRIPTION TICKET OFFER All three events for just 40.00
Friday 16 November 2018 Harry the Piano 7.30pm / Tickets 15.00 (or 40.00 for all three events) Harry s extraordinary talent and breathtaking creativity have earned him a reputation as one of the most gifted improvising pianists in the world. Celebrities and critics alike have lined up to shower him with praise. He has been likened to a human jukebox with his note-perfect knowledge of literally tens of thousands of tunes, including most of the classical repertoire, jazz standards and the pop charts since 1950. No other musician can spontaneously reinvent Michael Jackson in the style of Mozart, recreate a night at the Groucho club through the TV themes of its actor members, and improvise a seamless medley of audience requests ranging from James Bond to Shostakovich via West Side Story. Harry has been involved in a wide variety of projects and performances, from five years of very loud breakfast TV, becoming the go-to improvisor for BBC Radio 3, from jazz at Ronnie Scott s to albums with Simply Red, playing with Charlotte Church, Julie Andrews, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Dame Edna Everage and Andrea Bocelli. Musically directing tours for Rick Astley and Alexander Armstrong and teaching Hugh Laurie jazz. Harry s show is a musical Cirque du Soleil, with his piano as the only prop. Harry is a man of steely nerve and silky touch, a wonderful player for the big occasion and a damn fine musical head Elvis Costello Spellbinding. Uncanny. Genius The Times. The Independent. The Guardian Pure unforced brilliance BBC Radio 3
Saturday 12 January 2019 Wiggin-Wass Sax and Harp Duo and the Ferio Saxophone Quartet 7.30pm / Tickets 15.00 (or 40.00 for all three events) Liquid gold tones and enviable breath control The Times Playing is of the highest level throughout Classical Music Magazine An extraordinary coup for any concert hall, we are delighted to host two award-winning artist groups on the Millfield stage on the same night. The first half of our stunning programme is given by the Wiggin-Wass Sax and Harp Duo. Award-winning saxophonist Huw Wiggin, one of the most popular saxophonists of his generation, collaborates with multiple-prize winning Oliver Wass, the first harpist ever to win Guildhall s most prestigious prize, the Guildhall Gold Medal. Their collaborations have seen Huw s first album, Reflections, debut at number two in the UK Specialist Classical Chart. After the interval, the stage is taken by the highly-acclaimed Ferio Saxophone Quartet. As one of the leading European saxophone quartets among the new generation of artists, the Quartet consistently receive a highly enthusiastic reception from audiences and critics alike. In 2015 Ferio made their debut at the Purcell Room, as winners of The Philharmonia/ Martin Musical Ensemble Award and during the same year were winners of the Royal Over-Seas League s Ensemble Competition. They received the Tunnell Trust Award in 2014/15 and were Park Lane Group Artists for the 2016 season.
Tuesday 7 May 2019 The King s Singers 7.30pm / Tickets 15.00 (or 40.00 for all three events) Acclaimed for their life-affirming virtuosity and irresistible charm, The King s Singers are in global demand. Their work, synonymous with the best in vocal ensemble performance, appeals to a vast international audience. As former members of the Choir of King s College, Cambridge, traditional choral repertoire pulsed through the veins of the founding King s Singers, though what distinguished them in their early years was their musical versatility. They were a weekly fixture on prime-time television, celebrating popular music never usually touched by choral ensembles, and their unique British charm, combined with their musical craft, captured audiences hearts the world over. The group has regularly performed at venues from London s Royal Albert Hall to the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Manhattan to the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The King s Singers have accumulated many glowing reviews from the world s great musical publications and numerous awards including two Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award and a place in Gramophone magazine s inaugural Hall of Fame. To this day, the precision of their craft and musical diversity is among their most cherished trademarks. They are as determined as ever to inspire audiences with virtuosity and their vision for an exciting musical future. The King s Singers ooze class... the musical qualities they embody - pinpoint precision, total rapport, crisp diction, faultless tuning and a seemingly effortless ability to switch between different stylistic requirements - are so evident The Times
Street, Somerset, BA16 0YD Tel: 01458 444404 Email: music@millfieldschool.com millfieldmusic.com