Line-up 2022
Pupils of Marksbury school
Opening reception
Pupils of Farmborough school
Making music
Class Act
Jazz Quartet
Classic jazz standards
The Class Act Quartet comprises four seasoned jazz musicians - Gareth Williams (flute), John Huggins and Stephen Witcombe (guitars) and Jim Pimpernell (double bass) - playing a sparkling selection of jazz favourites from blues to the Great American Songbook, via Latin America and the Hot Club of Paris. Listen out for Gershwin, Ellington, Charlie Parker and Tom Jobim.
Matthew Redman
Organ recital - Ploughman’s lunches served
Apart from eight years to explore the North, Matthew Redman has been a musician in the SouthWest for over three decades. He was Organ Scholar at St Mary Redcliffe, has held assorted church and teaching posts and is now Organist & Director of Music at St John’s Glastonbury. During Covid Lockdown he published five short video recordings of the newly refurbished organ there (which are still available on YouTube). He gained his FRCO whilst studying with Iain Simcock at Westminster Cathedral.
As a freelance musician he is increasingly busy as an accompanist for competitions, exams and church services, as a choral conductor and as a teacher. He was the principal organist for Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir playing for hundreds of services at Wells Cathedral in this time. Matthew has played for services and given recitals at most of the UK’s finest venues including Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster and both Liverpool Cathedrals.
In what little spare time he has, Matthew loves to cook and is fascinated by architecture and jazz.
Helena Torpy (violin) and Steve Turner (piano accordion)
Folk-inspired music
Helena Torpy (violin) and Steve Turner (piano accordion) have been making music together for over twenty years, both as a duo and as members of the band The Eelgrinders playing for French and English dance.
They play an inviting mixture of traditional French, English and Swedish music and their own compositions. The music is rich in harmony and texture with much room for improvisation in the moment. The result is a true conversation between fine musicians.
Favonius Collective
Renaissance wind band
Period instruments providing a varied programme of early music from the late medieval to early baroque periods.
Cornetts, sackbuts, dulcians, recorders, shawms, crumhorns, voice, percussion - something for everyone!
Tea with Pink Noise
Recorder Ensemble
Recorder ensemble who focus chiefly on contemporary music
"Fabulous recorder ensemble who play a sparky, surprising mixture of pieces, from the avant-garde to the Baroque to a full range of instruments from tiddly whistles to scaffolding pole-sized monsters.”
- St Stephen’s Church concert publicity
“[…] the audience was spellbound by Pink Noise, as indeed I was. Every time I hear you, I am increasingly impressed by the level of musicianship in the group and the amazing rapport between […] you.”
- Steve Walter, following a concert in the Victoria Rooms, Bristol.
“The three defining features of […] Pink Noise are: their repertoire playing contemporary music written for recorders, chosen carefully for interest, versatility and audience accessibility; their tight ensemble playing and excellent communication as they play; and their highly developed playing skills and ability to project drama and theatricality in the music.”
- Heather Jenne, writing in The Recorder Magazine
“Pink Noise […] are quickly establishing themselves as Bristol’s response to those who yearn for proficient amateur recorder players to push the boundaries a little: to explore modern repertoire, test themselves and surprise their audiences.”
- Sue Loder, writing in The Recorder Magazine