Category: Concert Reviews

Concert SeriesRed Maids’ Performing Arts CentreSaturday 30th April 2022 Our three-year wait for the pleasure of presenting one of the brightest stars of the guitar scene, Alexandra Whittingham, is over. It was a delight to have her at Redmaids’ this evening. Not only is the novelty of Alexandra’s masterful playing and engaging, genuine presence a…

Concert SeriesRed Maids’ Performing Arts CentreSaturday 13th November 2021 How on earth did they play those notes in Flight of the Bumblebee encore? Answer at the end. The Mēla Guitar Quartet takes its name from the Sanskrit word for ‘Festival’, and their programming and outstanding performance this evening meet that description entirely. It was a…

Concert SeriesRed Maids Performing Arts CentreSaturday 27 April 2013 It is rather beside the point to attempt to pick highlights in a Concert Series that has seen so many memorable performances, but this evening’s concert by Vincent Lindsey-Clark was, by any measure, exceptional. The music in the programme was, dare one say, mainly unfamiliar to…

Concert SeriesRed Maids Performing Arts CentreSaturday 16 November 2013 Gary Ryan is an exceptional musician. Additionally special in his concert tonight was the palpable delight among the audience in spending the evening in his company. The programme advanced in near chronolgical order. Immediately, the poise and precision of Gary’s playing stood out. Preatorius felt as…

Concert SeriesRed Maids Performing Arts Centre Saturday 22 November 2014 A capacity audience enjoyed this excellent recital, which took place in Bristol Classical Guitar Society’s usual venue of the Performing Arts Centre at Red Maids School. The acoustics here are pretty much ideal for our instrument, and the seating allowing everyone a good view of…

Concert SeriesRed Maids Performing Arts CentreSaturday 7 March 2015 Craig Ogden has the air of someone happily fulfilling his destiny. He is perfectly at ease doing what he was evidently put on the planet to do, with a playing style and presence that exudes calm and enjoyment. He writes off his between-piece talks as waffle;…

Concert SeriesThe Bradbury CentreSaturday 19 March 2016 Michael Partington, now based in the USA, is in the UK for a series of concerts, and we were delighted to host one of them as part of our Concert Series. A bright start with the always fresh-sounding Coste was followed by the trio of Torroba pieces, which…

Concert Series Red Maids’ Performing Arts Centre Saturday 11 November 2017 Rebecca Baulch is known to us not only as founder member, with Amanda Cook and Hayley Savage, of the celebrated Appassionata Trio, but in her role as tutor at West Dean guitar summer school and recently for the fascinating talk she gave us this…

Concert Series Red Maids’ Performing Arts Centre Saturday 27 April 2019 The Duo Cannella-Dubès specialise in creating a fresh historical insight into the guitar. They play 19th century Panormo instruments strung with synthetic gut, but embrace music not only of that period, but also genres as diverse as American folk song, 20th century atonality and…

Concert Series Red Maids’ Performing Arts Centre Saturday 23rd November 2019 It pays to get out and about. BCGS members Barry Corbett and Vince Smith saw the Copenhagen Guitar Duo play at the Dillington Guitar Festival last year, and agreed that they duo had to be invited to the Classical Guitar Society’s Concert Series. Martin…