Lunchtime Concerts 2024

All concerts begin at 1pm and last for one hour. Doors open at 12.30pm. Tickets are £15 (adults), U25 (free), unreserved seating. We welcome enquiries from school groups.

thursday 18th january: guildhall school of music wind soloists

The Guildhall School’s flagship wind ensemble visits Leicester for the first time.

Eleanor Alberga: Nightscape (The Horniman Serenade)

I Sundown 

IV  Br'er Fox and the Dancing Ghosts 

Mozart: Serenade in F major, K497 (arr. M Hodges) 

thursday 1st february: chetham’s school of music

A welcome return visit by the very talented students of the UK’s largest specialist music school.

Poulenc: Sonata for clarinet and piano FP184

Valerie Coleman: Legends for flute and piano

Kuhlau: Sonatina in A major Op. 60 No.2 (1st movement - Allegro con spirito)

Liszt: Consolation No.3 in D flat major

Glazunov: Reverie Op. 24 for horn and piano

Britten:  Pan, Bacchus and Arethusa from Metamorphoses for solo oboe

Terence Greaves: Beethoven’s 5th Bossa Nova for wind quintet

thursday 15th february: Iyad sughayer (piano)

The third instalment of Iyad Sughayer’s Mozart Sonata cycle.

Mozart: Fantasia No.3 in D minor K397

Mozart: Sonata No.16 in C Major K545

Mozart: Sonata No.13 in B flat K333

Mozart: Sonata No.18 in D Major K576

thursday 29th february: bone-afide

BONE-AFIDE is an international chamber ensemble made up of some of Europe’s leading young Trombonists. The group strives to showcase the versatility of the Trombone, performing works from all genres and periods with the aim of defying stereotypes surrounding the instrument.

Dances and Dreams: arr./comp Dan Jenkins (6')

Kind of Blue Danube: Callum Au (4')

Low Down: Callum Au (4’)

Excerpts from Swan Lake Suite: Tchaikovsky, arr. W Foster (8')

Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child: arr. Sam Every (3’)

Trombone Quartet: Brian Lynn (8’)

Cariad Caerlyr: arr. Patrick Rimes (3’)

Sway: arr. Sam Every (4')

thursday 14th march: Hélène Clément (viola) & Alasdair Beatson (piano)

Best known as a member of the Doric Quartet, French violist Hélène Clément is the current holder of the viola previously owned by both Frank Bridge and Benjamin Britten. This instrument, made by Francesco Giussani, in Italy, in 1843 was given to Britten as he left England in 1939 by his ‘musical father’. Since first playing this viola, Hélène has aimed to create a testament to both composers by championing their repertoire for the viola, including Bridge’s cello sonata arranged for viola. Her partner is the outstanding Scottish pianist, Alasdair Beatson, who has built an enviable reputation for his work with singers and instrumentalists.

Frank Bridge : Cello Sonata in D minor H125 (arrangement for viola and piano)

Benjamin Britten : Elegy for solo viola

Bridge arr Britten : There is a Willow Grows aslant a Brook H173

Imogen Holst : Suite for Solo Viola 

Benjamin Britten : Lachrymae, Reflections on a Song of Dowland, Op. 48a 

thursday 11th April: Theo Platt (baritone) & Keval Shah (piano)

British-Russian baritone Theodore Platt is a multi award-winner: he was the winner of the 3rd Prize at the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, 2nd Prize at the 2019 Kathleen Ferrier Award, and 1st Prize at the 2018 Lies Askonas Competition. 

Keval Shah is a sought-after accompanist and chamber musician, appearing at venues including Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. He has been engaged at the Aldeburgh festival, Oxford Lieder Festival, and Heidelberger Frühling Festival. 

Mortal Wounds

James Macmillan: The Children

Robert Schumann: from Kerner Lieder, Op.35

IV Erstes Grün

V Sehnsucht nach der Waldgegend

VI Auf das Trinkglas eines verstobenen Freundes  

XI Wer machte dich so krank

Francis Poulenc: La fraîcheur et le feu

I Rayon des yeux

II La Matin les branches attisent

III Tout disparut

IV Dans les ténèbres du jardin

V Unis la fraicheur et le feu

VI Homme au sourire tendre

VII La grande rivière qui va       

Shawn E. Okpebholo: Two Black Churches

I Ballad of Birmingham

II The Rain

Richard Farina (arr Will Liverman): Birmingham Sunday
Margaret Bonds : The Negro Speaks of Rivers

William Grant Still: Grief

Florence Price: My Dream