On 26th September, Leamington Music brought a full audience into the Chapel to hear an unusual recital given by two inspiring musicians from Somerset, bringing their own square piano to help them recreate the musical world of Jane Austen. Their instrument, a Broadwood piano from 1814 well matched the ambience and the acoustic of the Chapel which had been built only a few years earlier in 1780. Penelope Appleyard sang a lovely programme of the songs that Jane Austen comments on in her novels while her accompanist Jonathan Delbridge helped build the atmosphere with a selection of readings and commentaries that placed the music in a context. It was a great treat to hear a square piano such as the Chapel might well have used to accompany hymn singing and provide the reflective music of the earliest years of this place.
On Friday 17th October we have Charles Matthews coming for another recital. Though he has called this programme The Travelling Piano he will actually be using our own Yamaha rather than importing a square piano! For this autumn concert he has chosen an evening slot rather than his usual Saturday one, so do note that this will be at 7.30 on the Fridayevening. He is still only charging a basic £8 for an hour of brilliant piano music by Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Ibert.