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Music on the Levels- 29 October concert: The truth about love!

Posted on 14th October, 2023 in News

Our October concert featuries Niall Hoskin, baritone, and Jacquelyn Bevan, piano, in a programme entitled Tell Me The Truth About Love on Sunday, 29 October 3.00 pm (refreshments from 2.15) in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP.

A light-hearted musical portrait of love in all its many forms, Niall describes it as, ‘a selection of pieces ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. We’ll start with a group of English Song from some of the greats including Purcell, Vaughan Williams and Geerald Finzi, with his wonderfully, wistful To Lizbie Browne.’

Niall with be indulging his passion for languages, with songs and pieces from opera in French, German, Italian and Russian.

The programme will include folk-flavoured pieces by Aaron Copland and Benjamin Britten, and numbers from the Great American Songbook.

‘The song in our title is a poem by W H Auden’, Niall explains, ‘set to music here by Danny Lloyd. It’s a witty, catchy number that deserves to be better known. And of course we have a little something in reserve for the end of the concert, just in case.  I like to think there’ll be something there to offend everyone!’

Arrangements for the concert.

Refreshments (tea, coffee, choice of cakes) are available at a modest charge from 2.15 pm until the start of the concert.

In order to help with the artists’ and other costs a raffle is held. In addition, donations are encouraged. It costs an average of over £400 to put on a concert.

Due to current circumstances, there is no need to book anymore. Up to now we’ve never exceeded the church’s capacity and never had to turn anyone away but please note, seats are available on a first come, first served basis. From time to time, you may need to ‘budge-up!’

Further information: Frank Challenger on 01278 699071 or email f.challenger@icloud.com  .

. . and a little more about the performers

Niall Hoskin began singing at school appearing in Dorset Opera’s first productions. He began singing as a soloist as a choral scholar at Cambridge. On leaving university, he combined teaching with singing in choirs and smaller ensembles and performing widely in oratorio.

Now living near Bristol, he is building a reputation as a freelance opera translator and is in demand as a performer in opera, oratorios and recitals.

Jacquelyn Bevan learned the piano ‘by ear’ when she was very young and learned to read music as a church organist and to improvise as a ballet school pianist, before beginning her formal studies in Kent, London and Bristol.

She went on to combine lecturing, teaching and training with a career as an accompanist.

In 2005 Jacquelyn became a full-time pianist and piano teacher. She has a large private teaching practice, is accompanist for the Mid-Somerset Festival and a founder member of Musicians South West.