Musical Medley: Concerts and what's on in the Doncaster music scene this September

Doncaster Baptist Church and Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough present a piano recital given by John Mark Rose with a monologue by Sarah J Robinson.

John Mark Rose was born in Doncaster and educated at Chetham’s School of Music. He attended the University of York where he read Music and participated in various ensembles.

In recent years John Mark has given very well-received piano recitals for Doncaster Museum, Sheffield Cathedral, St Peter’s Church Burnley, Sheffield Music Club, St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark and Chesterfield Library.

In this concert, John Mark will perform a varied programme with music by Bach (French Suite in G Major), Haydn (Variations in F Minor), Debussy (Deux Arabesques) and Chopin (Barcarolle). The concert will also feature a monologue written and performed by local Doncaster writer, Sarah J Robinson, who has recently performed a monologue and short stories on BBC Radio Sheffield Upload show.

The monologue will be an issue led piece from the perspective of an advice session supervisor reflecting on her work as a busy day ends, illustrating the numerous issues faced by clients of Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough on a daily basis, including the current cost of living crisis and rising fuel costs, food banks, debt and welfare benefits.

Sarah states ‘The idea for the monologue is to give people an insight into the valuable work that we do at Citizens Advice and the sort of issues clients approach us about, to make people aware of the positive impact on people’s lives we try to achieve.’

Saturday, 17 September, 11.00am (tea/coffee and biscuits served from 10.30am) Doncaster Baptist Church, Chequer Road, Doncaster, DN1 2AL. Free admission – all donations will go to Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough

Sprotbrough Music Society

Members of the Aurora Ensemble

Established in 1996, the Aurora Ensemble is a traditional wind quintet which also expands to work with piano, strings or to explore the repertoire for wind octet. Each of its players work regularly with some of the country’s leading orchestras and chamber ensembles.

Prizewinners at the European chamber music competition, Musique d’Ensemble held at the Paris Conservatoire in 2001, the ensemble has broadcast for BBC Radio 3 and performed in many major venues including the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall (for the Park Lane Group), Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall.

For this concert Sprotborough welcomes four members of this distinguished group (horn, clarinet, bassoon and piano). The evening will open with Mendelssohn’s Concert Piece for clarinet, bassoon and piano. Each of the four performers will then perform solos with music by F. Strauss, Brahms and Gershwin.

The group will then come together to perform a quartet by the 19 th century Swedish composer Franz Berwald. His music is only just getting the recognition he deserves and is very much in the Romantic mould of Berlioz.

Thursday 8 th September, 7pm

St. Mary’s Church Hall, Sprotbrough, DN5 7RH

Tickets available on the door - £15

Doncaster Minster

Another recital to continue the series this autumn played on the wonderful Schulze Organ in the beautiful setting of Doncaster Minster, DN1 1RD

The organ in St. George’s Doncaster is the work of Edmund Schulze of Paulinzelle in Saxony, and dates from 1862, four years after the completion of the present church building.

The firm of Schulze had exhibited an organ in the Great Exhibition of 1851 and this marked the beginning of a wide influence in this country. The Doncaster instrument is their largest organ.

Friday 23 rd September – Matt Edwards, Alloa – 1.10pm free entry with retiring collection

Born in Hampshire, Matt first studied the organ with Robin Walker at St. Michael’s Parish Church in Aldershot, where he was also a chorister. After Sixth Form College he moved on to King Alfred’s University College in Winchester, receiving organ tuition from Christopher Monks at Winchester Cathedral.

He was then appointed Organ Scholar at Peterborough Cathedral, spending some time as both Acting Assistant and Acting Master of the Music.

In 1998 he was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at The Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Dundee, at just 21 becoming the youngest Cathedral Director of Music in Britain.

After a period of freelance work, including posts in St. Andrews and Dundee; Matthew was appointed Director of Music at Alloa West Church in March 2002 – where he spent just over six years.

Since then, he has undertaken performances throughout the UK and has appeared on many broadcasts and recordings. He was Director of Music at the famous Thomas Coats Memorial Church - the Baptist Cathedral of Europe in Paisley where he was custodian of the world-famous 4 manual 1894 Hill pipe organ - one of the finest in the world.

Matt was appointed at Bothwell Parish Church near Glasgow as Director of Music and Organist in August 2020.

And speaking of the Minster: An exciting and unique opportunity for all budding choristers!

Doncaster Minster has had a long tradition of choral singing as part of its services for hundreds of years. This rich history includes Dr. Edward Miller, famous historian and composer who was organist and choir master at the minster from 1756 – 1807 and also lived in Church House (then known as Church Hill) from 1763.

You could continue this wonderfully historic musical tradition!

This autumn Doncaster Minster is looking for boys and girls aged 6+ to become the next generation of choristers. This is a unique opportunity for children to join the Minster choir as choristers and to receive a first rate musical education which includes: music theory, singing lessons and also piano lessons. During their time in the choir these lessons are free of charge saving a family over £1000 a year.

Choristers rehearse twice a week and sing in services on at least two Sundays a month, giving time for choristers and their families to pursue other activities. There is also an active social life where new friendships are formed and strengthened.

In addition to this, all choristers receive pocket money each term for their attendance at rehearsals and services.

So, if you love singing and would like to try your hand (or voice!) at becoming a chorister at Doncaster Minster, with the opportunity to continue the rich music tradition, then please do feel welcome to come along to an open rehearsal or ‘taster session’ inside this beautiful and historic building for the opportunity to sing with the existing choristers.

There will be the chance for you to speak with other choristers, staff and parents.

Tuesday 13 th September, 5 - 6pm

Tuesday 20 th September, 5 - 6pm

Tuesday 27 th September, 5 – 6pm

Tuesday 4 th October, 5 – 6pm

Tuesday 11 th October, 5 - 6 pm

Please note that prospective children joining the rehearsals must be accompanied by an adult for the whole session.

For more information please contact the Director of Music, Darren Williams, at [email protected]

Doncaster Minster and Hatfield & Askern Colliery Band Present:

An evening of Brass and voices with Hatfield and Askern Colliery Band and The Choirs of Doncaster Minster.

Saturday 1 st October, 7pm

Doncaster Minster, DN1 1RD

Tickets - £10 available from the Minster, Band Members, Doncaster Tourist information Centre

Priory Place OR pay at the door.

Flash Mob Extrodinaire

On Friday 15 th July the Beechfield Youth Orchestra, along with Doncaster School’s Senior Orchestra and the Senior Brass Group gave the final concert of the term. The young musicians thrilled and delighted the audience by playing music by Eric Coates, Bizet and Beethoven.

But the pièce de résistance was the final piece, Beethoven’s overture The Creatures of Prometheus, when former members of the orchestra were invited to bring their instruments along and join in with the performance.

This was an exciting, albeit emotional way to bid both David Tonkin and Charlotte Pinder a fond farewell as they both leave their roles as conductors after 10 years musical leadership of the Youth Orchestra.

Mr. Tonkin said ‘It was lovely to see familiar faces and to hear accounts of what a special place the orchestra has in their hearts.’

Some music was also conducted by the orchestra’s new director, Holly-Rayne Bennet and whilst this is the end of an era in some respects it is also an exciting new beginning for the Orchestra and we look forward to seeing more students perform and develop their musicianship through the Doncaster Music Service in the years to come.

The Doncastrian Chalk Circle

Presented in partnership with National Theatre Public Acts.

What an incredible event! After three years of delay, the show that Cast and the National Theatre put together was something truly special. From the costumes to the songs – everything worked beautifully.

The community company put their all into their performances. Whether they had a page of lines or none at all, each member was directed with care and skill to ensure that they stayed fully in the moment, reactive and alert of the action within the play.

The vocal talents of Daisy Ann Fletcher and Beth Hinton-Lever are to be commended.

They performed together seamlessly. Every audience member in the auditorium was really rooting for the Doncastrians on stage – with a standing ovation each night. Not a single staff member as Cast had a dry eye – watching months and months of hard work take flight before their eyes.

The children in the show were particularly inspiring. Their singing put a smile on everybody’s face.

The director James Blakey from the National Theatre has done a stellar job to keep them focussed and energised throughout the whole process. The music, composed by Ruth Chan and directed by Josh Sood, was enlivening and full of spirit. The set design, though it appeared simple, was diverse and effective – using moving floorboards as not just flooring, but fences, walls, and even mountains.

It was a joy to see what the people of Doncaster can create when they work together – people of all backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, ages, genders and physical abilities/disabilities.