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Start 2025 with some swagger!

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As it approaches its tenth year, Music on the Levels announces another varied programme of Sunday afternoon concerts. It is maintaining its winning formula of making the concerts free to attend while raising money to cover costs by offering refreshments at modest charges, holding a raffle and accepting donations

The first concert of the year is with The Barnacle Buoys on Sunday 26 January 2025 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. Starting at 3 pm with refreshments served from 2.15 pm and reveals outline details of concerts for the rest of the year.

The Barnacle Buoys is a group of a cappella sea shanty singers based in North Somerset. It exists to enjoy their craft, entertain audiences and raise money for charities.  

‘In recent times we have consistently completed over 40 performances each year’, comments Clare Flay, the group’s organiser, ‘and this has been a significant contribution to the charities we support. Our main charities are CHSW and RNLI and over the past 12years since the group was established, we have raised thousands of pounds for them including may other charities. We have also organised shanty events on board the cherished MV Balmoral.

‘The Barnacle Buoys have known each other for many years before realising that they had something in common: the appreciation of shanty music.  After making the discovery the Buoys got together in February 2013 and shared a pint or two in the Old Inn, Clevedon and experimented with a few shanties.  The rest, as they say, is history . . .’

Arrangements for this concert

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

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

Website: https://musiconthelevels.com/

The remaining concerts are as follows:Sunday  January

Sunday 23 February

Trio Paradis

Presenting ‘The Latin American Collection’.

Sunday 30 March

Rolling Harmony 

Glorious music rooted in English and American singing traditions.

Sunday 27 April

The Fitzwarren Trio

Well- known classical pieces and new compositions inspired by Somerset. 

Sunday 18 May

Steve Jinski- Folk Acoustic Guitar

This is lovely stuff. You can hear all the love that’s gone into it – Bob Harris Radio 2.

Sunday 29 June

Lutes and other instruments

Presented by Steve Graham with ravishing music.

Sunday 28 September

Jacquelyn Bevan and Oscar Tabor

Piano and virtuoso violin.

Sunday 26 October

Spirit of the Blues

Julia Titus recreates the songs of Bessie Smith.

Sunday 30 November

Kingsbury Band

The ever-popular forty-piece concert band.

It’s Your Call with Voce

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The next free concert on Sunday 30 June 2024 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP with Voce Chamber Choir. The concert starts at 3 pm, refreshments served from 2.15 pm.

Voce is a 16-piece auditioned choir led by Joe Beckhelling. Started in November 2021 with members from a variety of backgrounds including music graduates, and others for whom singing in such a small choir is a new venture. 

‘Our repertoire includes sacred and contemporary choral music, English madrigals, arrangements of popular music’, says Joe Beckhelling, ‘as well as performances of new compositions and arrangements written by members of the choir: There will be the debut performance of Your Call – have you ever phoned, been put on hold, and then told to use the website! The varied programme with John Bennet, Paul Mealor, Emile Sande, Steeleye Span, Sting and more will have something for everyone.  A concert not to be missed! 

Arrangements for this concert

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

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

. . . and a reminder of our May concert with Dan Whitehouse:

Sally takes flight

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Our next concert features a welcome return of renowned harpist and regular at Music on the Levels, Sally Jenkins, who will be presenting a programme entitled Flights of Fancy. 

‘I’ll be including music from many of the diverse harp traditions from Europe and beyond,’ says Sally.

Performing at Music on the Levels in 2022

She has appeared in many prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

As an experienced pedal and early triple harpist, she has also presented lecture-recitals on the history of the instrument including to the Royal Musicological Society. 

In developing her musical skills she has worked with some of the UK’s preeminent harpists including Jeanette Bevan in the Royal Ballet Orchestra, Meinir Heulyn from the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Frances Kelly of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

The concert is on Sunday 28 April 2024 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. It starts at 3 pm with refreshments served from 2.15 pm.

Arrangements for this concert

There is no need to book as the church’s capacity have never yet been exceeded. However, it should be noted that seats are available on a first come, first served basis. 

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

Daughters of the Muse

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The next concert concert is on Sunday 25 February 2024 in St Mary’s Church, Main Road, Westonzoyland, TA7 0EP. The concert starts at 3 pm and refreshments are available at modest charge from 2.15 pm.

Performing at this concert will be Trio Paradis, much appreciated at Music on the Levels many times over the past few years.

The programme is entitled Daughters of the Muse, to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, and will consist of music by women composers from over the centuries.

Trio Paradis consists of Jacquelyn Bevan, piano, Lisa Betteridge, violin, and Linda Stocks, cello. The performers will introduce the music with biographical details about the composers. 

‘We specialise in performing music by women composers,’ says Jacquelyn, ‘and this time we are presenting a varied programme of pieces with a spring-time theme, from 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen to the 20th century, including works by Clara Schumann, Laura Netzel, Elfrida Andree, Helena Lopuska, Mel Bonis, Cecile Chaminade and Lili Boulanger, along with a rarely-performed Scherzo by Bath composer, Kate Loder.’