Aylesbury Lunchtime Music presents

James Tavares & Daniel King Smith

Print version
14 September 2023

Starts: 12:45pm, Doors: 12:15pm

Duration: 1 hour (approx.)

St Mary the Virgin, Aylesbury

£7 adults on the door (<18s & carers free)

  • James Tavares Tuba
  • Daniel King Smith Piano

Programme

You will hear the second movement of the Drei Romanzen Op. 94

  • 1924-1993

    Concert Allegro (Lebedev)

    When Alexei was beginning his work there were very few original compositions for tuba. He composed his Concerto No.1 (1947) and his Concert Allegro (1949), both for tuba and piano, as a student. They were published in 1950 and in 1956 and later republished several times.

  • 1872-1958

    Six Studies in English Folk Song (Vaughan Williams)
    i Adagio (‘Lovely on the Water’) ii Andante sostenuto (‘Spurn Point’) iii Larghetto (‘Van Diemen’s Land’) iv Lento (‘She Borrowed Some of Her Mother’s Gold’) v Andante tranquillo (‘The Lady and the Dragoon’) vi Allegro vivace (‘As I walked over London Bridge’)

    Six Studies in English Folk Song is a piece of chamber music written by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1926. It is a collection of six English folk songs set for cello and piano. Each song follows the same format: presentation of the tune in the solo line, followed by a full iteration of the folk song in the piano with an ornamented solo line.

  • 1895-1963

    Sonata for Tuba and Piano (Hindemith)
    i Allegro pesante ii Allegro assai iii Variationen

    Composed in 1955, the Sonata for bass tuba and piano is the last in Hindemith’s series of ten sonatas for wind instruments. As in his Sonata for Double Bass and Piano, Hindemith “compensates for the weight of the instrument by giving the piano a part animated with unusual humour and harmonic interest”.

  • 1810-1856

    Drei Romanzen, Op.94 (Schumann)
    i Nicht schnell (not fast) ii Einfach, innig (simple, heartfelt) iii Nicht schnell

    The Three Romances were originally written for Oboe and Piano, Op. 94. It was composed in December 1849. The work consists of three short pieces in A-B-A form, and it was written during what was speculated to be one of Schumann’s manic episodes. The second romance, which is in A Major, is primarily a traditional duet between the two instruments with a tense B section that changes tempo twice. It begins with a soft, straightforward oboe presence and a matching piano passage. The 1st tempo change introduces a more attacking and rugged theme. The last tempo change reintroduces the central theme until the end of the romance.

  • 1932-

    Tuba Concerto (Williams)

    To celebrate the centenary of the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1985, Williams was commissioned to compose the Tuba Concerto, dedicated to Chester Schmitz, the group’s solo tuba player. Premièred in May of that year with Williams on the podium, the concerto highlights the technical and tonal ranges of both the tuba and its performer. A fragment from the Superman theme can be heard in the first movement. In the words of soloist Simon Wildman, “I’ve always thought this concerto was like a long Superman étude. The writing really seems to suggest flying, action punches, and soul-searching at the fortress of solitude.

Performers

  • James Tavares

    Tuba

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  • Daniel King Smith

    Piano

    Daniel King Smith is an experienced pianist who has given concerts all over the world as both soloist and accompanist.

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Key information for concert goers

When

Every Thursday at 12:45pm (except August & over Christmas). Performances last around 60 minutes. Please enter quietly as there is a noon service in the Lady Chapel.

How much?

Entry is £7 per adult (card or cash), under 18s and carers are free. The price includes a programme. Donations are welcomed to subsidise the larger ensembles.

Where?

Performances are at St Mary’s Church in the heart of Aylesbury Old Town. See directions for further details.

Do I need to book?

No, just turn up. Doors open at 12:15 pm. Make sure you arrive in good time to get a seat.

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