2025/26
Our inspirational new recital series
featuring brilliant musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music
Between November 2025 and May 2026 we hosted seven sensational live performances by postgraduate instrumentalists from the RNCM.
These recitals were packed out and gradually built a real buzz about top-quality live music available to all for free at Fielden Hall, Todmorden, at the heart of our local community. By working directly with our local young musicians and performing alongside them, all the visiting artists engaged our families, many of whom had not been to a classical recital before.
Kicking off in November with the gorgeously lyrical trumpet and flugelhorn playing of Lewis Barton, we realised what great quality of musicianship was in store.
We next welcomed percussionist Jason Wong with some fascinatingly inventive contemporary repertoire, including some spectacular body percussion and enchanting marimba music.
In January, Gabriela Peres charmed Todmorden with her unaccompanied Bach and flamboyant flamenco arrangements and led a massed children’s cellos rendition of Pachabel’s Canon.
February’s star was saxophonist Alvin Wong, bringing a programme shining with Mediterranean sunshine, including a breathless version of Albeniz’s Asturias and some Duke Ellington with our beginner sax players.
Next came a treat in the form of the Piccadilly String Quartet, with some heart-melting Haydn and some very groovy Clean Bandit and, as it was March, our young string players joined them in an arrangement of Spring by Vivaldi.
April’s artist was Cumbrian clarinettist, Lucy Irving, whose variations on La Traviata were dizzying and whose Poulenc and Finzi enchanted the people of Todmorden. Lucy’s recital featured a very inventive contribution from our young clarinettists, who played Clint Eastwood by The Gorrilaz, including rap.
The series came to an end with May’s recital by fabulous flautist, Adele Bracegirdle, taking us through a rainbow of repertoire from baroque to contemporary and thoroughly amazing and inspiring our young musicians and their families.
Here are some clips of our young musicians playing with our visiting artists from the RNCM:
Saxophonists playing Summertime and C Jam Blues with Alvin Wong
Flautists playing Mission Impossible with Adele Bracegirdle
Violinists, Violists and Cellists playing Spring with the Piccadilly String Quartet
Trumpeters playing Star Wars and Ladyfingers with Lewis Barton
Clarinettists playing Clint Eastwood with Lucy Irving