The Berkeley Ensemble’s 2012-13 season came to a close with the completion of our first major recording project, featuring a brand new piece by Michael Berkeley – his Clarion Call and Gallop, which was composed specially for us. It’s with this aptly named piece which we open our new season, and it features in several further concerts after its premier on the 12th October and before the recording’s release in March 2014 on Resonus Classics.
Our programmes over the coming year give plenty of scope for the ensemble’s trademark flexibility, and we are pleased to be welcoming several guest artists into the mix. In October we will be joined by award-winning guitarist Michael Butten at the Malcolm Arnold Festival (19th October) and pianist Libby Burgess continues her collaboration with the group in two concerts for clarinet trio (17th November, 4th April). Returning to Luton Music Club in March, we look forward to performing with internationally renowned oboist Nicholas Daniel, who will also talk to BBC Radio 3’s Petroc Trelawny about his life and musical passions (17th March).
We continue our celebrations of the Britten centenary with two performances of the early Sinfonietta, and ensemble members John Slack and Sophie Mather take the group to the scenes of their childhood in Bideford (March 12th) and Wigan (February 15th).
As always, we’ve a busy year of education projects planned, from work in Redhill with Pan Concerts to our on-going residency at Queen Elizabeth School, Cumbria.
We thank you for your support and very much look forward to seeing you at one of our concerts soon.