What an electrifying evening we shared at last week's Beethoven concert to mark the end of a super 2025 Grayshott Concerts season! The highlight was Fenella Humphreys' masterful performance of Beethoven's famously demanding violin concerto, her artistry beautifully complemented by the London Mozart Players under the spirited direction of Jonathan Bloxham. Every note resonated with passion and skill, making for an unforgettable musical experience. We also enjoyed an outstanding performance of Beethoven's Symphony No3 - Eroica, played with passion and aplomb and prompting standing ovations.

We owe a huge thank you to everyone who braved the chilly church and the less-than-ideal heating (the church radiators and our supplementary heaters just couldn't cope and in fact blew the system) - your warmth and enthusiasm truly shone through nonetheless! Our sincere apologies for any discomfort; please rest assured that sorting the heating system is now our top priority.

A full concert report is provided further down this Newsletter.

We have come to that time of year when we advertise next year's programme and remind people of the advantages of becoming, or renewing their membership as, a Friend of Grayshott Concerts. We have a wonderfully varied and exciting year ahead - see below! - together with details on how to become a Friend or how to renew your membership.

Echoes of Vienna A Spring Celebration of Mozart &Haydn Thursday 5th March The London Mozart Players with French pianist Cédric Tiberghien We open the 2026 season with a radiant evening celebrating Vienna's golden age. Associate Artist Jonathan Bloxham leads the London Mozart Players in a programme rich with wit, elegance and Classical sparkle. We are also delighted to welcome the celebrated French pianist Cédric Tiberghien, admired for his expressive artistry and praised by The Guardian for his "exemplary range of touch and keyboard colour." From Martines's vibrant Sinfonia and Mozart's beloved Piano Concerto No. 23 to Saint-Georges' spirited Symphony No. 2 and Haydn's characterful Symphony 83, "La Poule," this promises to be a joyous start to Spring. Please Click Here for more details of this concert and tickets

Serenade for Voice and Valves Thursday 7th May The London Mozart Players with Jonathan Bloxham and featuring Laurence Kilsby (Tenor) & Ben Goldscheider (French Horn) A fabulous evening of lyricism and youthful virtuosity starring tenor Laurence Kilsby - 2022 Kathleen Ferrier Award winner - and internationally acclaimed horn soloist Ben Goldscheider, who premiered over 50 new works and made his Proms debut in 2022. Together with Jonathan Bloxham and the LMP, they perform Britten's deeply evocative Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Mozart's iconic Horn Concerto No. 4, and Mendelssohn's dazzling First Symphony. An unmissable concert showcasing three remarkable British talents Please Click Here for more details of this concert and tickets

In Paradisum Saturday 13th June Excelsis choir and the London Handel Players and Friends This event brings together the award-winning Excelsis choir and the outstanding London Handel Players and Friends under the leadership of Adrian Butterfield and Robert Lewis. This atmospheric evening weaves together exquisite French sacred music, including Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine, Saint-Saëns' Ave Maria, Franck's Panis Angelicus and selections from Langlais's Messe Solennelle. The second half features Duruflé's serene and transcendent Requiem - a masterpiece of consolation and quiet radiance. A concert of stillness, beauty and reflection. Please Click Here for more details of this concert and tickets

Return of the Guitar Maestro Thursday 17th September Sean Shibe with The London Mozart Players We are thrilled to welcome back guitar sensation Sean Shibe, one of today's most compelling and imaginative musicians. With multiple international awards and performances at Carnegie Hall, the BBC Proms and the Berlin Philharmonie, Shibe's artistry is unmatched. He joins the LMP for Vivaldi's sparkling Guitar Concerto which was originally written for the lute and a beautifully crafted guitar interpretation of Bach's Violin Concerto in E major - a mesmerising reimagining of a Baroque favourite. Please Click Here for more details of this concert and tickets

Friends' Evening October (Date TBC) Howard Shelley OBE This cherished annual tradition features our Patron Howard Shelley OBE, performing with members of the London Mozart Players. With more than 180 acclaimed recordings and a career spanning five decades, Howard brings unmatched insight, warmth and generosity to this special evening of music, conversation and celebration. Programme details will be revealed closer to the time - but rest assured, it will be one of the jewels of the year.

Rejoice! Bach's Christmas Oratorio Gala Evening! Saturday 12th December London Handel Players and Pegasus Choir under the direction of Baroque specialist Adrian Butterfield We close the year with one of the greatest celebrations in all sacred music: Bach's Christmas Oratorio, performed by the London Handel Players and Pegasus under Baroque specialist Adrian Butterfield. This is a new venture for Grayshott Concerts as we are combining forces with the prestigious Tilford Bach Festival to produce a joint event. With its jubilant opening chorus, tender arias and radiant orchestral writing, this festive masterpiece captures the wonder and joy of the season. A perfect centrepiece for Christmas at Grayshott. This will be our Gala Evening of the year! Please Click Here for more details of this concert and tickets

Beethoven's would be many people's choice as the greatest of all Violin Concertos, and his third symphony, known as 'Eroica' has an equal claim to be considered the greatest of all Symphonies. Brave is the concert promoter who schedules them together in the same concert. There can be a danger with music that is very familiar that the listener can switch into an autopilot mode, and allow the music simply to float over them. There was no risk at all of that happening at this concert, and that was due in large part to some outstanding conducting by Jonathan Bloxham.

In both works, he kept the music flowing, and made the most of dynamic contrasts, constantly maintaining interest in the progression of the music.

Eroica, which Beethoven famously dedicated to Napoleon, before tearing the dedication up when he heard that Napoleon had declared himself emperor, was a significantly longer and deeper work than previous symphonies by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven himself. Bloxham gained considerable assistance from the splendid playing of the London Mozart Players, not to forget the helpful acoustic of St Luke's, which somehow persuades the listener that a full symphony orchestra is in front of them, and not just an excellent chamber band. This enabled Bloxham to produce a full blooded interpretation which never stood still, even in the emotional funeral march which forms the slow second movement.

Maintaining their extraordinary ability to attract the very highest class of soloists to Grayshott Concerts, the soloist in the Violin Concerto was Fenella Humphreys, who has made plenty of recordings, including a BBC Music Magazine category winner. Her discs always get positive reviews, and in hearing her play this lengthy, technically difficult concerto, you could tell why. Combining almost invariable sweetness of tone with a dramatic performance of music that can often feel slightly static, there was absolutely no risk of that happening here.

Although there was nothing controversial or radically different about their tempi, through their fine teamwork Humphreys and Bloxham combined to ensure that both the delicacy and excitement of this great work were communicated in full. Anyone leaving after hearing the two performances at this concert would be unlikely to argue with the proposition that these two works are the greatest of their respective genres.

Friends enjoy:

With such a rich year ahead, now is the ideal moment to renew or join.

To Renew your Friendship or Join please CLICK HERE

Kind regards

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