For our opening concert on October 6th we were fortunate in engaging internationally-known pianist Martin Roscoe. As expected, a familiar name ensured a larger-than-usual audience. Expectations were fulfilled in a recital which began with one of Beethoven's best-loved sonatas and ended with the munumental F minor sonata of Brahms. Between these large-scale items the smaller works of Scubert and Schumann made a fine contrast.
November 10th was initially planned as a clarinet and piano recital by Tomothy Orpen and Alastair Beatson whom we booked through the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme. The players revealed that they were due to play at the Wigmore Hall shortly after their visit to Burnley and that the planned Wigmore event also included cellist John Myerscough. Would we care to engage John as well so that they could play the same programme for us? Yes we would! And very enjoyable the evening was, even though it did include challenging works by Elliott Carter.
A few seasons have gone by without a singer on the programme, so the February 9th concert featuring tenor Roberto García López and pianist Joanna Porter made an agreeable change. This was the second visit by this husband and wife team and they proved as popular as ever in a programme which included music from Roberto's native Argentina.
The final concert on April 26th was beset with preliminary difficulties. The Rocca String Quartet who were due to play for us had disbanded and we were forced to seek an alternative. Having found the Mather Quartet (offering a different programme to the one advertised) we thought our troubles were over, but then learned that the leader Lucy Mather had suffered a road accident and would be unable to play for several months. Fortunately the Quartet was able to continue with guest leader Eva Thorarinsdottir and the programme of quartets by Haydn, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn proved a great success.
| Sat.15th October | |
| Martin Roscoe (piano) | |
| Beethoven | Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 ("Pathétique") |
| Schubert | Two Impromptus, D899 Nos. 3 and 4 |
| Schumann | Arabesque, Op.18 |
| Schumann | Novelette in F# minor, Op.21 No.8 |
| Brahms | Sonata in F minor, Op.5 |
| Sat.10th November | |
| Timothy Orpen (clarinet), Alastair Beatson (piano), John Myerscough (cello) | |
| Mendelssohn | Variations Concertantes for cello and piano |
| Elliott Carter | Sonata for cello and piano |
| Elliott Carter | 'Gra' for solo clarinet |
| John Ireland | Fantasy Sonata for clarinet |
| Martinu | Sonatina for clarinet and piano |
| Janacek | Pohádka for cello and piano |
| Brahms | Trio for clarinet, cello and piano, Op.114 |
| Sat.9th February | |
| Roberto García López (tenor), Joanna Porter (piano) | |
| Beethoven | Adelaïde |
| Schubert | Impromptus in G flat, D899 and B flat, D935 |
| Schubert | Der Wanderer, D744 |
| Richard Strauss | Allerseelen, Op.10 and Cäcilie, Op.27 |
| Ravel | Cinque Mélodies populaires grecques |
| Debussy | L'Isle joyeuse |
| Ginastera | Danzas Argentinas, op.2 |
| C. L. Buchardo | Canción del carretero |
| Carlos Guastavino | Los días perdidios |
| Perez Freire | Ay, ay, ay! |
| Verdi | La donna é mobile (Rigoletto) |
| Tosti | Ideale |
| Puccini | E lucevan le stelle (Tosca) |
| Puccini | Nessun dorma (Turandot) |
| Sat.26th April | |
| The Mather String Quartet | |
| Haydn | String Quartet Op.76 No.3 ("The Emperor") |
| Shostakovich | String Quartet No.7 in F# minor, Op.108 |
| Mendelssohn | String Quartet in A minor, Op.13 |