There has always been music in Penarth, but perhaps what makes the town’s current musical scene so exciting is its sheer variety. Over the coming weeks, audiences can hear one of Britain’s finest jazz vocalists, experience chamber music performed by internationally renowned musicians and, if simply listening isn’t enough, pick up an instrument and become part of a completely new local ensemble.
An international stage in Penarth
Penarth Chamber Music Festival returns for its Autumn Mini-Festival on 3 and 4 October, bringing another distinctly different sound to the Pavilion.
Artistic directors David Adams and Alice Neary have again assembled an impressive line-up for three concerts across the weekend, bringing international musicians to Penarth.
Saturday begins with a lunchtime programme featuring Strauss, Britten and Beethoven, before an evening concert moves through Beethoven’s Serenade for String Trio, Roxanna Panufnik’s Cantator and Amanda and Brahms’ much-loved Clarinet Quintet.
On Sunday morning, the festival concludes with a Coffee Concert. Tea, coffee and pastries, followed by performances of Rossini’s Duetto for cello and bass and Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat major.
Tickets for all three concerts are free for under-26s, opening the door for a younger generation to experience exceptional chamber music here in the town.
It’s your turn: calling all musicians!
Penarth’s musical story isn’t only about the performers who arrive on its stage. A new project by local musician Will Summers-Davies is hoping to uncover the musicians already living here.
Live Wire Ensemble is a new local group by musician Will Summers-Davies, combining the scale and richness of an orchestra with the energy of contemporary and amplified music.
The call is going out for strings, woodwind, brass and percussion, alongside electric guitar, bass, keyboards and other electric instruments. The ambition is to create big, energetic arrangements which blur the boundaries between orchestral and modern music.
Crucially, Live Wire isn’t looking exclusively for professional performers.
Confident amateurs, musicians returning to an instrument after a break and those simply looking for a new musical challenge are invited to become involved.
Rehearsals will begin in October on Thursday evenings in Penarth.
Call 07969 044 698 or will@studio64music.co.uk to find out more.
Jazz by the sea
From 14-18 October, Penarth Jazz Festival returns with five days of live music and events, with the Pier Pavilion once again at the centre of the action.
The festival opens on Wednesday evening with a Pizza & Piano Night featuring the Mark Sambell Trio and their blend of contemporary jazz, Latin and funk. On Thursday, the music is joined by a little jazz history, with John Hellings exploring the art of the jazz LP sleeve during the afternoon, before the Keith Little Trio takes to the stage that evening with popular vocalist Jane Williams.
Friday, 16 October brings one of the festival’s headline names to Penarth. Acclaimed singer Ian Shaw, widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest jazz vocalists, performs at the Pavilion at 7.30pm, with budding singers also given the opportunity to join him for a vocal workshop earlier that afternoon.
The weekend continues with Debs Hancock celebrating the legendary Ladies of Jazz and the award-winning Jack Pearce Quintet blending post-bop influences with the sound of 1990s New York swing on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Ross Hicks Trio become Los Diablos Ritmicos for a morning filled with infectious Latin rhythms, before Ms. Maggie & The Cat’s Pyjamas transport audiences to the glamour of a 1920s speakeasy at 2pm. The festival then heads to the Paget Rooms for its finale, with the big-band power of the Capital City Jazz Orchestra bringing proceedings to a close on Sunday evening.
And it isn’t all about sitting in an audience. The wider festival programme includes Her Frame, Her Sound, celebrating women in jazz through the work of leading photographers, alongside talks, workshops and even the opportunity to learn a few moves at a jazz dance class.
