A Recital of Music for Clarinet and Piano
St Alphege Church, Solihull
Wednesday 9th April at 1.10pm
A Recital of Music for Clarinet and Piano
Bethan Irving, accompanied by Peter Irving
Programme
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano F. Poulenc
Clarinet Concerto (2nd Movement) W.A. Mozart
Solo de Concours for Clarinet and Piano A. Messager
Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano (2nd and 3rd Movements) J. Horovitz
Concertino Opus. 26 C.M. Weber
Bethan Irving has been playing the clarinet since the age of 8 and gained a scholarship to study with Julian Farrell at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from September 2013. Before that she spent seven years at King’s High School in Warwick, where she held a performance award in music and studied clarinet with Steve Moss. In 2011 she was selected to play 1st clarinet in the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Great Britain, with whom she undertook a two week tour of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, representing the UK at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) conference, and was one of the main soloists on a commercial recording of the ensemble. Over the following two years she played in the City of Birmingham Youth Orchestra, English Schools’ Orchestra, National Youth Chamber Orchestra and National Youth Wind Orchestra, as well as performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Solihull Symphony Orchestra and Weber’s Concertino with Meridian Winds.
Since beginning her studies in London, Beth has been awarded the position of 1st Clarinet in the English Schools’ Orchestra, in which she played the solo in Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ in Cadogan Hall. She is principal clarinettist in the National Youth Chamber Orchestra of Great Britain and Harrow Youth Orchestra, recently performing with them in the O2, as well as 2ndClarinet in Imperial College Symphony Orchestra. Beth has premiered two new compositions at the Guildhall, played in the musical production of ‘The Producers’ and is about to begin her new job of teaching clarinet at various schools in London.
Aside from clarinet, Beth has always enjoyed singing and last year was given the first ever long service medal by the CBSO Youth Choruses after singing with them for over ten years. She has recently become a member of the London Symphony Chorus.
Peter Irving was educated at King’s School, Worcester and the University of East Anglia where he was Organ Scholar at Norwich Cathedral. After graduating in 1982 with the highest finals performance marks, he was appointed Second Assistant at Winchester Cathedral and during his time there was awarded the Turpin and the Durrant Prizes in the 1983 FRCO examinations. After taking up the post of Organist and Choirmaster at Solihull School in 1984 he studied with Thomas Trotter and added to his previous achievements by becoming a prize-winner in the 1986 Llandudno Organ Competition as well as a semi-finalist in the 1987 RCO Performer of the Year. In May the following year he was awarded the John Brook Memorial Prize in the Royal College of Organists’ Choirmaster’s Diploma examination. Peter has performed in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall with the CBSO as well as at numerous cathedrals across the country, the most recent being St Paul’s Cathedral where he played for the premier of Ben Parry’s Solihull Service. He is now Head of Computing & ICT at Solihull School and works as a freelance organist and accompanist.
Lunchtime recitals are held each second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 1.10pm by kind permission of the wardens and clergy of this church. They feature visiting recitalists and our own music staff. We thank you for your attendance. There will be a retiring collection at the end of this recital to assist with the music making in this church, and the upkeep of the organ. Please do give as generously as you can.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 20th April, 11am – Easter Sunday Eucharist with orchestral accompaniment
Wednesday 23rd April, 1.10pm – Organ Recital – Jonathan Cunliffe, Church of Little Venice, London.
Wednesday 30th April, 6.30pm – Midweek Choral Evensong
Wednesday 14th May, 1.10pm – Lunchtime Recital – ‘cello trio
Sunday 18th May, 4pm – Choristers’ Recital
Wednesday 28th May, 1.10pm – Organ Recital – Darren Hogg, St Leonard's, Frankley
Wednesday 11th June – Lunchtime Recital – Baroque Consort
Thursday 18th June – Noye’sFludde
Wednesday 25th June – Organ Recital – Judith Pendrous, St Mary’s Priory, Abergavenny
Saturday 29th June – Choral Concert
Wednesday 9th July – Lunchtime Recital – Vyne String Quartet
Friday 11th July – Festival Evensong with refreshments
Saturday 12th July – Supper by Candlelight, The Gatehouse, Barston
Sunday 13th July – Former Choristers’ Reunion
Wednesday 23rd July – Organ Recital – Paul Carr, St Paul's, Birmingham
21st – 27th July – Choirs in residence at Carlisle Cathedral
25th – 31st August – Choirs in residence at St David’s Cathedral