THE MYSTIC EAST

Despite being primarily about music in the county of Cambridgeshire, we're not above venturing a little further when circumstances demand it. And demand it they do. Undoubtedly one of the big hits of last summer was Acoustic Triangle's performance at Peterhouse, Cambridge – and this year they're back with a 14 date tour of 'some of England's most awe-inspiring spaces'. This includes abbeys and cathedrals all around the country, getting underway at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds on Friday 16 May. The trio are joined by six world-class string players – the Sacconi Strings – and will be playing new works by award-winning composers Tim Garland and Gwilym Simcock which are individually ‘choreographed’ for each building in order to create a series of unique performances. The Guardian described them thus: 'Adventurous, eclectic, frequently breathtaking… undisputed masters of the game.' Enough said.

Read Anne L Ryan's review from last year's concert in Peterhouse, Cambridge

Acoustic Triangle - Peterhouse, Cambridge 3 August 2007

Cambridge Summer Music Festival 2007 

The Cambridge String Players are an orchestra of musicians from the Cambridge area who enjoy the high standards, stimulating repertoire and friendly atmosphere of the group. Our Musical Director, Leon Lovett and Leader, Julia Frape are both professional musicians of many years' experience. We hold weekly rehearsals in Cambridge for most of the year, performing a series of concerts each season, with works by composers from the Baroque period to the present day. The orchestra has a policy of promoting young solo performers, just starting out on their professional careers. Previous seasons concerts have featured some highly talented young musicians.

Conductor: Leon Lovett, Piano Solo: Clare Hammond

Programme :

Overture "The Hebrides" Mendelssohn

Piano Concerto in A minor - Schumann

Symphony No. 2 in D - Brahms

Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1990 to be the first - and only - entirely student-run orchestra in Cambridge. It has quickly risen to prominence as an orchestra that not only produces results of consistently high artistic quality, but also has a reputation across the University as the friendliest musical institution.

Conducter: Julian Black and Carlos Del Cueto. Flute: Harry Winstanley.

Programme details
Vaughan Williams

Ibert - Flute Concerto

Nielsen - Symphony No. 3 (Sinfonia Espansiva)

The judges had a very hard job selecting the overall winner of the Cambridge Young Musician of the Year competition, with standards exceptionally high. Judges Stephen Nagy and Gillian Thoday finally selected singer George Eddy to be the Cambridge Young Musician of the Year 2008. George, 18, comes from March and formerly attended Kings School, Ely. He was awarded a prize of £250 and was invited to perform at a concert with an orchestra at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge on Sunday 11 May, when winning entries in the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year will also be performed.

 Programme:

Nay Rosauro - Concerto for Marimba No. 1 (mvts 1+4)

Fauré - Élégie for 'Cello & Orchestra

Also Works by:

Handel
Negro Spirituals
Loewe
Gershwin
Jonathan Dove
Mozart

Plus: 4 winning compositions in the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year Competition 2008

Enjoying a national reputation, CUCO is renowned for its ability to tackle a wide range of chamber orchestra repertoire from the Baroque period to the present day. Last season, CUCO was involved in a project combining Haydn and Shostakovich with music and dance from the Brazilian Capoeira tradition. With a new committee every year, CUCOis a dynamic and versatile organisation.

Tonights Performance is conducted by Peter Stark, Nad led by Thomas Gould on the violin.

The Programme will be;

Bohuslav Martinu Overture in C

Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto

Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 5

The evening, to raise funds for the Music Therapy Appeal, is being staged by a group of Music Therapy students, with all proceeds going towards the Appeal.

The mainly classical programme will include pieces by Debussy, Deparc and Britten and also cover a wide range of other composers to represent the different musical backgrounds of the performers.

Speaking about the event Sue Jacobs from Anglia Ruskin University said: ‘The Summer Recital is the culmination of the students' desire to demonstrate their passion for Music Therapy, raise awareness and support the Appeal.'

‘The students are all exceptionally good musicians which means everyone who comes to the concert will be sure of an excellent evening's entertainment - and it is all for a good cause.'

An established Allied Health Profession, Music Therapy is a form of treatment in which live, mainly improvised music is used to help people work towards achieving therapeutic aims, and can help people suffering from a range of conditions including autism, learning difficulties, dementia, physical disability, schizophrenia and depression.

The Music Therapy Clinic was established on the Cambridge Campus
in 2005 as a result of fundraising for the Appeal and is used both to treat those in need, and to train the growing number of Music
Therapy students. The course is delivered at Anglia Ruskin University within the Department of Music & Performing Arts.