Latest Newsletter

At last the website is up and running! The Committee has wanted this to happen for ages, and thanks to the efforts of our Chairman, Robin Carpenter and the good offices of 'Luke', it has finally appeared.
The only way to get to it at the moment (as you will no doubt have discovered) is to type in the full web address - www.tauntonsinfonietta.org.uk
We have yet to discover why Google is not showing this site at all yet, but this will be resolved.
We are looking forward to the coming 2012 season which marks the 30th anniversary of Taunton Sinfonietta. The Orchestra was the brainchild of Hugh Bushell, who started it in 1982 - the programme of the first ever concert was as follows:-

Stravinsky Apollon Musagète
Mozart Piano Concerto K414 (with Ron Tickner)
Mendelssohn String Symphony no.12 in G minor
Handel Concerto Grosso op.6 no.12
Grainger 'Handel in the Strand'

We shall probably repeat one or more of these pieces in our November concert, which we are making our 30th Anniversary celebration. WE have recently played both 'Handel in the Strand' and one movement of the Mozart K414 (which is scheduled to be played in full by our President, Allan Schiller, in our concert on 29th September. The great advantage of K414 is that it is one of the very few piano concertos not scored for wind. The cost of bringing in wind and brass players is becoming prohibitive for us, so we try to manage with just strings whenever we can.

Our next concert, on 12th February, is a much-needed fundraiser, kindly offered by Colin Parr (clarinet) and his string quartet colleagues. It will be a lovely event, and we are very grateful to Colin for offering to put it on for us. He will be joining us again in our concert on 21st April to play the Mozart Clarinet Concerto - can't wait!

Our regular Leader/Musical Director, Mary Eade, when she is not away cruising (!) loves to include a solo or two in the programmes and on 21st April will not disappoint, with a performance of the whole of Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. I know some people will groan and say 'Oh, not the Four Seasons again!' but it is a popular work with our audiences, and as the programme is entitled 'Popular Classics' it seems only right to include it. Apologies to those who are fed up with it!

Part of our commitment to supporting young players includes offering the winner of the Taunton Young Musician competition a chance to play with an orchestra, sometimes for the very first time for them. It's an exciting opportunity for the young players, who are always of an extremely high standard. This year we have just heard that a young man from Queens College has won the prize. He is a pianist called Weng Soon Tee, and is terrifically talented. We have now to decide what to play with him, but that is planned to be included in our concert on 9th June.

Hope to see you on 12th February (3 pm at Temple Methodist) for the Clarinet Quintets!