Founder’s Chamber musiC Centenary season

The heath Quartet Danny driver

James Gilchrist Philip dukes

Anna tilbrook

Tasmin Little Martin roscoe

Wihan Quartetbrodsky Quartet Daniel rowland

116th Season 2018-19

malvern-concert-club.co.uk

MALVERNCONCERT CLUBFOUNDED 1903 BY SIR EDWARD ELGAR OM

Roderick Williams Iain burnside

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final dateS from our 115th SeaSon, 2017-18:

Friday 6 April 2018, 10.30 for 11.15am, Elmslie House, Malvern sean shibe guitarprogramme includes bach . Villa-LobosCoffee & CaKe ConCert £12, Students £3 including refreshmentsfrom malvern-concert-club.co.uk or Club Membership Secretary, no booking fee

Thursday 26 April 2018, 7.30pm, Malvern Theatres britten oboe Quartet . nicholas daniel oboeelgar . moeran . mozart . britten . Knussen . Lennox berkeley £19.75, Students £6 plus 12% booking feefrom malvern-theatres.co.uk or Malvern Theatres Box Office

MALVERNCONCERT CLUBFOUNDED 1903 by SIR EDWARD ELGAR om

116th Season

2018-19 ever since its first concert on 31 october 1903, maLVern ConCert CLub has been a cornerstone of musical life in Worcestershire. it was founded by Sir edward elgar, and the Club’s first Secretary (for over 38 years) was his close friend the local architect arthur troyte Griffith, whom elgar had immortalised in Variation no. Vii, Troyte, in his Enigma Variations. malvern Concert Club is proud to continue that tradition of bringing the best chamber music to this part of the country, with a roster of British and international musicians, both established performers and promising newcomers. the current season is a special one, as it celebrates the centenary of our founder’s three major chamber works. his String Quartet, Piano Quintet and Violin Sonata were all composed in 1918 and received their premières in 1919. all three are being performed at our final concert this season on 2 may 2019.although we’re called a ‘club’, anyone can join - and anyone can attend concerts without joining. Besides their high quality, our concerts offer excellent value for money. Single tickets are available to non-members, but membership of malvern Concert Club offers six concerts for less than the price of four. We hope to see you there!

The President of Malvern Concert Club is the eminent baritone and composer

roderick Williams obe

thursday 27 September 2018 7.30pm

the heath Quartetoliver heath violin sara Wolstenholme violin Gary Pomeroy viola Chris murray cello

haydn Quartet in d, op.71, no.2britten Quartet no.2 in C, op.36tchaikovsky Quartet no.1 in d, op.11

the dynamic and charismatic heath Quartet is fast earning a reputation as one of the most exciting British chamber ensembles of the moment. in may 2013 it became the first ensemble in 15 years to win the prestigious royal Philharmonic Society’s Young artists award. formed in 2002 at the royal northern College of music, it was selected for representation by YCat, were awarded a Borletti-Buitoni Special ensemble Scholarship and in 2012 won the ensemble Prize at the festspiele mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

the Quartet’s recording of tippett’s string quartets received widespread acclaim and won the 2016 Gramophone Chamber disc of the Year. a subsequent release of tchaikovsky Quartets nos.1 & 3 was selected as disc of the Week by both the Sunday times and BBC radio 3. the Quartet’s complete Bartók cycle was released in June 2017.

tonight, the heath Quartet’s much-praised tchaikovsky is preceded by the second of the quartets haydn dedicated to the austrian Count anton Georg apponyi, a series that demonstrates the composer’s evolving sophistication, making use of adventurous key changes for dramatic effects. Britten’s Quartet no.2 - not heard at the Club since 1970 - was premièred on 21 november 1945, in a concert to mark the exact 250th anniversary of the death of henry Purcell. in homage to Purcell, Britten cast the finale in the form of a massive Chacony which lasts considerably longer than the sum of the other two movements.

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thursday 25 october 2018 7.30pm

danny driver pianoJ s bach Prelude & fugue in f sharp minor, BWV 883 (from the Well-tempered Clavier, Book 2) J s bach Partita no.1 in B flat major, BWV 825J s bach French Suite no.5 in G major, BWV 816rachmaninov Étude tableau op.39, no.2 in a minorravel Le Tombeau de Couperin medtner Sonata no.9 in a minor, op.30

danny driver first played at malvern Concert Club in January 2016 and quickly became a firm favourite with our audience. his reputation has been steadily rising in recent years, and he is now quite rightly regarded as one of the finest players in the uK. ‘There is never anything ostensibly showy about Driver’s playing, though he has a formidable technique at his disposal. His was an ultra-sensitive, classically restrained yet highly expressive response to the first movement’s opening mood of serenity, with superb articulation and a lovely tone quality. As the emotion of the music deepened, so did Driver’s range of expression expand, though in the most natural, sympathetic manner’, [alan Sanders, Seen & heard international, in a recent concert review].

tonight’s programme is in two contrasting halves. the first is devoted to Bach’s keyboard music, somewhat neglected by the Club in recent years. ‘J S Bach’s Fifth French Suite was full of personality, with ornamentation daringly abundant. There was a palpable sense of enjoyment of the physicality of Bach’s writing’, [harriet Smith, financial times, on danny driver’s performance at St John’s, Smith Square].

the second half brings together pieces composed during the first world war. in Le Tombeau de Couperin ravel dedicated each movement to a friend who died in the conflict. nikolai medtner’s compact single-movement sonata is untitled, but was given a footnote, ‘during the War 1914-1917’: its disjointed rhythms and hyperactive virtuosity might have been somehow inspired by the conflict. medtner’s much better-known contemporary rachmaninov (they were students together) wrote the Études-tableaux of op.39 just before leaving russia for good in 1917. 4

thursday 22 november 2018 7.30pm

James Gilchrist tenorPhilip dukes violaanna tilbrook piano‘Faith, Fate and the Futility of War’Works by Purcell arr. britten, elgar, Vaughan Williams, rebecca Clarke, Gurney, ireland, britten and david bednall

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having been a chorister in the choir of new College, oxford, and later a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, James Gilchrist began his working life as a doctor, turning to a full-time career in music in 1996. his extensive concert repertoire has seen him perform in major concert halls throughout the world. a prolific and versatile recitalist, James enjoys imaginative and varied programming in collaborations with many pianists, and regularly with anna tilbrook, with whom he recently returned to the Wigmore hall to begin their project ’Schumann and the english romantics’. anna made her debut at the Wigmore hall in 1999 and has since become a regular performer at europe’s major concert halls and festivals, as well as coaching regularly for the royal opera, Covent Garden. as a concerto soloist, Philip dukes has appeared with the major British orchestras, making his BBC Proms Concerto debut in 1995 and returning in 1999, 2005 and 2007. he has recorded a wide range of solo Cds, most notably the complete works for viola by rebecca Clarke, and a first recording of tippett’s triple Concerto.

devised by the performers for an intriguing combination of voice and instruments, ‘faith, fate and the futility of War’ is a poignant programme of songs and chamber music commemorating the two world wars of the twentieth century.

For full programme details, please see malvern-concert-club.co.uk

armiStiCe CentenarY

ConCert

thursday 24 January 2019 7.30pm

tasmin Little violinmartin roscoe pianobeethoven Sonata for piano and violin no.2 in a, op.12 no.2beethoven Sonata for piano and violin no.4 in a minor, op.23beethoven Sonata for piano and violin no.5 in f, op.24, ‘Spring’beethoven Sonata for piano and violin no.8 in G, op.30 no.3

tasmin Little obe has firmly established herself as one of today’s leading international violinists. her multi-award winning and varied career encompasses international concerto and recital performances, master classes, workshops and community outreach work. her discography and performance schedule reflect her wide-ranging repertoire and she has given numerous world première performances.

With an extraordinary career spanning over four decades, martin roscoe is unarguably one of the uK’s best loved pianists. renowned for his versatility at the keyboard, martin is equally at home in concerto, recital and chamber performances. in an ever more distinguished career, his enduring popularity and the respect in which he is universally held are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship allied to an easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike.

tonight, tasmin little and martin roscoe return to malvern Concert Club for the second instalment of their three-recital series in which they give us a rare opportunity to hear all of Beethoven’s ten sonatas ‘for piano and violin’, culminating in 2020, the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. ‘Tasmin Little and Martin Roscoe are equal partners who give these works a balanced approach ... the playing is energetic and powerfully expressive’ [allmusic review of their 2016 Chandos Cd set of these sonatas]. the Sunday times chose this recording as its album of the Week: ‘Neither artist has done anything finer on disc.’6

BeethoVen Violin Sonata

SerieS 2018-2020

Sunday 17 february 2019 3.00pm

roderick Williams baritoneiain burnside pianoschubert Schwanengesang, d.957 Im Frühling, d.882; Herbst, d.945; Im Haine, d.738; Der Einsame, d.800; Liebhaber in allen Gestalten, d.558; An Rosa, d.316; Die Liebe hat gelogen, d.751; Rückweg, d.476; Totengräbers Heimweh, d.842; Auf den Tod einer Nachtigall, d.399

PreSident’S SundaY afternoon

SChuBert CYCle SerieS 2017-2019

malvern Concert Club’s President, roderick Williams obe, and iain burnside return to malvern for this last annual recital in their series encompassing all three of Schubert’s major song cycles. the five-star reviews and near-capacity houses in the forum for their Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise are testament to these artists’ sublime interpretations of this repertoire.

the songs in Schwanengesang (‘Swansong’) were described by Schubert’s publisher haslinger as ‘the final blooms of Schubert’s creative muse’. Containing some of Schubert’s greatest music, it tells no particular story, but the two sets of songs are linked by their poetic themes - nature, love and separation in the case of the settings of ludwig rellstab; bitterness, loss and despair in the case of heinrich heine. the final song in Schwanengesang is by Johann Gabriel Seidl: Die Taubenpost, considered to be Schubert’s last song.

there is disagreement amongst both performers and academics as to whether Schwanengesang is strictly a cycle rather than just a song collection: either way, it is a masterpiece. in this afternoon’s performance, roderick Williams and iain Burnside present the main work in sections, interwoven by a generous selection of other songs by Schubert.

This is a full-length recital with interval. It is excluded from the six-concert subscription, but concessionary tickets are available to each 116th Season Club Member (see page 11).

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thursday 7 march 2019 7.30pm

Wihan QuartetLeoš Čepický violin Jan schulmeister violin Jakub Čepický viola michal Kaňka cello haydn Quartet in G, op.54, no.1 beethoven Quartet no. 16 in f, op.135tchaikovsky Quartet no. 3 in e flat minor, op.30

the Wihan Quartet has been described by international record review as ‘one of the best quartets in the world today.’ in 2015 the Quartet celebrated 30 years since its formation, and over the years it has developed an outstanding reputation for the interpretation of its native Czech heritage, and of the many classical, romantic and modern masterpieces of the string quartet repertoire.

during the 2012-13 season the Quartet was Czech Chamber music Society resident ensemble at the rudolfinum dvořák hall, Prague. in 2008 the Quartet completed the first ever cycle of Beethoven Quartets in Prague, later repeated in london. recorded for release on Cd and dVd, it received many accolades, as have the Wihan’s Cds of dvořák and Schubert. the Quartet has won many international Competitions including the Prague Spring festival and the osaka ‘Chamber festa’. the Wihan is the richard Carne Quartet in residence at trinity laban Conservatoire of music and dance, london, and is a great supporter of the work of the CaVatina Chamber music trust for young people.

after one of haydn’s quartets of seemingly endless inventiveness and wit, the Wihan plays Beethoven’s very last quartet, so different in scale from its immediate predecessors. its final movement is known for the composer’s words on the manuscript, Muß es sein? (must it be?) and its response Es muß sein! (it must be!), reflecting its musical motifs. the programme ends with tchaikovsky’s last quartet, an elegiac work written in memory of ferdinand laub, the Czech violinist who had led the first performances of tchaikovsky’s first two quartets.8

this concert has been generously sponsored by Joseph brand, Vice President, malvern Concert Club

thursday 2 may 2019 7.30pm

brodsky Quartet daniel rowland violin leader and soloist ian belton violin Paul Cassidy viola Jacqueline thomas cello

martin roscoe pianoelgar String Quartet in e minor, op.83elgar Violin Sonata in e minor, op.82elgar Piano Quintet in a minor, op.84

this very special concert celebrates the centenary of the first performances of our founder’s three major chamber works, all written in 1918. the Quartet and Quintet were premièred at the Wigmore hall in may 1919; the Sonata was also performed at that concert, though had been publicly played two months earlier. malvern Concert Club presented the Quintet in november and the Quartet in december 1919, the Sonata being first played here in 1922. elgar dedicated the Quartet to the original Brodsky Quartet, in honour of the promise he had made in1900 to write a work for it - though by 1919 its members were aged around 70, and in the event the première was by a quartet led by albert Sammons.

it is therefore apt that tonight’s performers are the modern brodsky Quartet - which also played for the Club’s own centenary in 2003. Since its formation in 1972 the Quartet has performed over 2,000 concerts on the major stages of the world and released more than 50 recordings. a natural curiosity and insatiable desire to explore has propelled the group in many artistic directions and continues to ensure them not only a place at the very forefront of the international chamber music scene but also a rich and varied musical existence. the Quartet’s leader, the dutch/english violinist daniel rowland, is a highly versatile, charismatic and adventurous solo performer in his own right, and tonight is joined in the Sonata by martin roscoe (see page 6). the full ensemble ends with the Piano Quintet.

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Founder’s Chamber musiC Centenary ConCert

this concert has been generously sponsored

by the elgar Family Charitable trust

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Where our concerts are held the Forum, malvern theatres, Grange road, malvern Wr14 3hb

the theatresfrom their origin in 1885, the elements that make up today’s malvern theatres have undergone many changes, and are now a modern, attractive and dynamic centre for the performing arts. the forum theatre is the main auditorium for musical performance, and its flexible space and largely tiered seating offer excellent acoustics, visibility and comfort. as configured for Club concerts, the forum accommodates about 600.on weekdays, the theatres are open at 9.30am; for Sundays please check with theatres. for Club concerts, doors to the forum theatre open at 7.00pm; 2.30pm on 17 february 2019. all seats are unreserved, but admission is guaranteed to ticket holders.RefreshmentsMalvern Theatres offer a restaurant, Scene Bistro, and two licensed bars. Pre-concert suppers are available from 5.30pm on weekdays (malverntheatresbistro.com or 01684 567751 for details). The bars are open before and after the concerts, and interval drinks may be ordered in advance.

AccessMalvern Theatres welcome people with disabilities and are committed to ensuring that your visit is easy, enjoyable and straightforward. Please advise the box office if you need any special assistance. Wheelchair spaces are available in the Forum Theatre. Other areas are accessible to wheelchairs and there are WC facilities on all levels.

Car Parking Short-stay car parks in Grange Road (2) (almost next to the Theatres), the Council House (Avenue Road) and Edith Walk (2); long-stay car parks in Priory Road (2) (pedestrian access to the Theatres through Priory Park) and Victoria Road. The special charge in ALL car parks from 4pm to 8am is £1.50. MHDC residents’ 2-hour parking discs are valid for this period, but only in long-stay car parks. Normal charges apply before 4pm, including Sundays.

There is also free on-street parking in Grange Road and some other nearby roads, some time-limited before 6pm.

Buses Bus 44 between Worcester Bus Station and Great Malvern Graham Road / Church Street, approximately hourly in the evening.

Trains Great Malvern Station (half a mile uphill to Theatres) for West Midlands Railway and Great Western Railway trains. Trains can return you to Hereford, Worcester, Birmingham (usually), Oxford and London Paddington after the concert.

Public Transport information correct as at 1 March 2018. Please check before travelling.

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Club membershipmain season of six concerts (excludes 17 February 2019)Full price £74 (£72 until 5 July 2018)student under 21 in full-time education 1 £15 (£13 until 5 July) 17 February 2019 concert £16 Student under 21 £3only in conjunction with membership subscription. Members’ single tickets may also be purchased later from Membership Secretary. Two tickets per member guaranteed up to 5 July 2018; thereafter one guaranteed but second subject to availability. Please add £1 per order if you want ticket/s posted to you.

a membership Subscription offers: six evening concerts for less than the price of foura free seat for each concert for one young person under 18 1, 2 the freedom to transfer your ticket to someone elseno theatres booking fees

and to make joining even easier:an Early Joining Discount of £2 per person ora Reduced Subscription for new members who can’t

attend all concerts: £10 reduction on subscription for each of up to three concerts you miss 3

single tickets full price £21 (17 february 2019 only: £23)Student under 21 in full-time education 1 £6Single tickets are sold at the Box office of malvern theatres, and may be booked in person or by phone (9.30am-8.00pm, monday-Saturday); by post; or online. all seats are unreserved. On Sundays, in person sales (no phone) one hour before any stage performance.

malvern theatres, Grange road, malvern Wr14 3hB Telephone 01684 892277 Online malvern-theatres.co.ukSingle ticket prices include a £1 contribution to Malvern Theatres Heritage Fund, applicable to all bookings for the Forum and Festival Theatres through the Theatres Box Office. Malvern Theatres also charge a booking fee, except for members of their own Gold, Silver and Bronze membership schemes. As at 1 March 2018, this fee is 12% of ticket cost.

1 ages as at 1 September 2018. We offer one free ticket for a teacher accompanying every five paying students. details from Simon Payton, membership Secretary.

2 Please obtain member’s Young Person ticket from Club membership table on concert nights. Young person must be accompanied by member.

3 ‘new member ‘ means NOT a member in any of Seasons 113, 114 or 115 (2015-2018)

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how to apply for membership onLineexisting and new members can apply and pay for membership online at malvern-concert-club.co.ukthe exception is new members wishing to use the special offer of choosing five, four or three concerts only - you can download and print an application form from the website, or else follow the procedure below.

by aPPLiCation FormExiSting MEMbERS (as at Season 115, 2017-18) automatically receive information either by email or in their membership packs at concerts. there is no need to complete the form in this brochure. nEW MEMbERS Please complete both sides of the application form opposite, detach, and submit it to Simon Payton, treasurer & membership Secretary, either in person at our membership table in the lower foyer of malvern theatres (not theatres Box office) at our concerts from 15 march 2018 onwards, or by post to 28 Peachfield road, malVern Wr14 4aPaccording to the payment method you ticked: direct bank transfer: Simon Payton will email you with payment instructions. Cheque: enclose with the form your cheque payable to malvern Concert Club. Cash: in person on concert evenings only.SPECiAL OFFER FOR nEW MEMbERS OnLy if you were not a member in any of Seasons 113, 114 or 115 (2015-2018), you can choose any five, four or three individual evening concerts. for two or more people, choose the same concerts, or else submit separate forms. Concert choices cannnot be changed once order submitted.

for all types of membership and methods of payment, please add £1 for postage (per application) if you would like your ticket book/s posted to you. otherwise, they will be held for you to collect from our membership table at our concerts from 26 april 2018 onwards.Membership Enquiries: 01684 575066 or membership@malvern-concert-club.co.uk Subscriptions are only available direct from the Club, not from Malvern Theatres Box Office.

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MALVERNCONCERT CLUBFOUNDED 1903 by SIR EDWARD ELGAR om

116th Season

2018-19 neW members’ aPPLiCation Form Side OnePlease read p.12 how to apply for membership

memBerShiP tick age group

enter numBer required in box(es)below

adult

Figures in italics for

two people

Student under 21

as at 1 Sept 2018

full SeaSon (except 17 feb) bought by 5 July

£72£144 £13

full SeaSon (except 17 feb) bought after 5 July

£74£148 £15

optional part-season membership below is for neW members only (ie, not a member in any of Seasons 113, 114 or 115 (2015-2018))

anY fiVe eVeninG ConCertS

£64£128 n/a

anY four eVeninG ConCertS

£54£108 n/a

anY three eVeninG ConCertS

£44£88 n/a

Please CirCle below the 5, 4 or 3 eVeninG concerts you require

27 Sep 25 oct 22 nov 24 Jan 7 mar 2 may heath driver Gilchrist little Wihan Brodsky

daytime concert below may be booked by any 116th Season member, with or later than subscription above. two tickets per member guaranteed up to 5 July 2018; thereafter one guaranteed but second subject to availability.

r Williams & i BurnsideSun 17 feb 2019, 3pm

£16£32 £3

SuBtotal - enter sum in one box only, and carry overleaf £ £

name/s .......................................................................................................................

address ......................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................

............................................................. Postcode .....................................................

Phone (home or mobile) .....................................................................................

email ...........................................................................................................................

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maLVern ConCert CLub 2018-19

neW members’ aPPLiCation Form Side two

neW memBerS’ QueStionnaire

if you are a brand new member (ie never belonged previously), please help us by telling us below how you found out about malvern Concert Club. thank you.

this brochure o if so, exactly where did you find it?

.......................................................................................................................................

a concert poster o if so, exactly where did you see it?

.......................................................................................................................................

our website o

other website o if so, which? .....................................................................

newapaper/magazine o if so, which? ....................................................

advert or Banner in malvern theatres o Word of mouth o

other o please specify ......................................................................................

as a registered charity, malvern Concert Club can reclaim tax on donations from current uK tax payers, thereby increasing the value of your donation by 25p for every £1 you donate. to allow us to do this please tick and sign this declaration.

...... i want to Gift aid my donation shown above and any donations made in the future by me to malvern Concert Club. i am a uK taxpayer and understand that if i pay less income tax and/or Capital Gains tax than the amount of Gift aid claimed on all my donations in a tax year when i make a donation it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Signature............................................................................................... [for Donation & Gift Aid only]

date .............. /.............. / ..............Please notify the Club membership Secretary if you want to cancel this decla-ration or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

subtotaL from last line on Side one overleaf £ ................

PostaGe (if you wish ticket book sent to you) £1 ................

OPTIONAL: i wish to make a donation of £ ...............

Thank you

totaL £ ...............

Payment method

(tick box below and see p.12 how to apply for membership)

direct o Cheque o Cash o

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malvern Concert Club is grateful for generous financial support from Joseph brand; the elgar Family Charitable trust; and our principal season sponsor, the elmley Foundation.

MALVERNCONCERT CLUBFOUNDED 1903 by SIR EDWARD ELGAR om

malvern Concert Club as at 1 March 2018

President roderick Williams obe

Vice Presidents Joseph Brand, linda Jennings, ernie Kay mbe, martin Knott, michael messenger obe

Chairman John Gregory Secretary Peter thomas treasurer & Membership Secretary Simon Payton Publicity & Marketing Officer Sarah musgrave

Committee Members Patrick aydon, Janet hay, Janet lawton, Bryan ratcliff, Jean upton, hilary Winter

Steinway model d concert grand piano (hamburg, 2003) supplied by hereford Cider museum trust, administered by holy trinity Church, hereford.

Piano tuning by Philip Kennedy Professional Piano Services, hereford.

artists and programmes are subject to change at short notice for reasons beyond the control of the Club.

malvern Concert Club is a registered Charity, no. 506329.

for photo credits, see malvern-concert-club.co.uk

malvern Concert Club also wishes to thank:

the management, staff and volunteers, malvern theatres;

advertisers in our concert programmes;

the students of malvern St James Girls’ School for their assistance in selling programmes at concerts;

Penny Vere for page-turning for pianists;

lis madge and Kris Quatermass for flower arrangements;

the Club members who assist with various tasks at concerts and behind the scenes.

malvern Concert Club also organises coach visits from malvern to selected concerts by the CBSo and other

orchestras at Symphony hall, Birmingham. Participation is open to all, whether Club members or not. to

receive details and booking forms (without obligation), and to be added to the emailing list, contact: membership@malvern-concert-club.co.uk

malvern-concert-club.co.uk

facebook.com/malvernConcertClub