A SERIES of concerts providing Hampshire students with a performance platform is set to begin in Winchester next month.
The Brothers of The Hospital of St Cross, led by organist Graham Davies, are running a series of 28 lunchtime concerts this year, titled “Perfect Pitch” at St Cross Chapel.
Beginning on April 20 at 12.30pm, the series will run each Thursday until October 26. Students from educational establishments such as St Swithun’s School, Peter Symonds, King’ School, The Hampshire Youth Orchestra, Pilgrim’s School, Twyford School, St Faith’s School, The University of Winchester and The Royal Academy of Music will be taking part.
Series organiser, Graham, said: “The principal reason for doing this is to provide young music students an opportunity to do a public performance. A lot of these performers won’t get this chance outside of school and it looks good on their CV. It’s also a beautiful place to perform.
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“I’m very keen that the community of St Cross connects with the city through outreach. Sadly, there are many people in Winchester who barely know about St Cross so sometimes it can feel like a closed community and I want to reverse that and make it more widely known. We’re not going to sleep on the edge of the city.”
Supporting the events are patrons Nigel Atkinson, Lady Mary Fagan and commodore Jonathan Cooke, chair of the trustees of The Hospital of St Cross.
The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, said: “A weekly lunchtime concert involving young people from Winchester and further afield is incredibly appealing and will attract a good deal of local attention. My wife and I will certainly look forward to attending some of them.”
Admission is free but the first concert on April 20 is raising money for Ukrainian Charities. The opening event will feature singers, dancers and instrumentalists dressed in their colourful national costumes. Performers include the Kalyna Choir, led by Olena Batovska, the Children’s Group, led by Lala Smaglova, the accordion player, Volodymyr Vasylenko accompanied by Margaryta Dorosh in addition to dance choreography by Anna Paniotova.
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The second Pitch Perfect concert, on April 27, will feature 20-year-old prize winning pianist Chenyu Wang from the Royal Academy of Music.
Winchester University students will make their lunchtime concerts debut in May 4 and 18, Royal Academy of Music violinist Ioan Octavian takes the stage on May 11, while the Twyford School Senior Choir will perform on May 25.
No booking is required. All concerts are free with a retiring collection. For more information contact Graham Davies at gldavies.organist@gmail.com.
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