Aylesbury Lunchtime Music presents

Aliara Duo

Print version
2 October 2025

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

Duration: 1 hour (approx.)

St Mary the Virgin, Aylesbury

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

Aliara Duo

Programme

The Duo will perform 4 of the 6 American Sketches – Running Waters, Solitude, Grasshoppers and Country Fayre. After this you will hear the middle movement of Mozart’s Concerto.

From Gareth Farr’s Taheke they will perform the presto movement; The Swan from the Carnival of the Animals, and Nightclub 1960 from Histoire du Tango.

  • 1946-

    American Sketches (Kanga)
    i The Lonesome Traveller, ii Running Waters, iii Solitude, iv Grasshoppers, v Night Stillness, vi Country Fayre

    Skaila Kanga’s “Six American Sketches” is a suite of six short pieces originally written for clarinet and harp, inspired by the American countryside. The pieces can be performed together as a suite or individually. They are also suitable for flute or oboe with harp.

  • 1756-1791

    Concerto in C major for Flute and Harp, K. 299 (Mozart)
    i Allegro, ii Andantino, iii Rondeau

    The Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C major, K. 299/297c, is a concerto by Mozart. It is one of only two true double concertos that he wrote (the other being his Piano Concerto No. 10; though his Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra could just as well be considered a “double concerto”), as well as the only piece of music by Mozart for the harp.

  • The Rippling Tide (Biles-Liddell)

    The Rippling Tide explores line and colour between the rich and sonorous timbres found in the alto flute and harp. As the title suggests, the piece takes inspiration from the sea and recreates the fragile rippling as a body of water gets disturbed. This piece explores a static texture to provide an illusion of movement and momentum, imitating how the water appears the same despite having the impression of movement. The music gradually becomes more energetic where the ripples become more frequent, before a burst of sudden energy acting as a climax. After this peak the music shatters, only leaving fragments of melody and resonance before fading away.

  • 1968-

    Taheke (Farr)
    i Huka Falls, ii Secluded falls, iii Whangarei Falls

    “Each movement represents a different waterfall in New Zealand. The first is the Huka Falls in the Taupo. The placid Waikato River slowly gets channelled into an increasingly narrow space making the water more and more frenetic, until it finally erupts in a waterfall of unbelievable power and fury. As quickly as it builds up, it subsides back into the calm flowing river. In contrast to the famous stature of the Huka Falls, the second waterfall is small, and known only to my family, on our land in Marlborough Sounds. It is utterly secluded in the bush, only accessible by foot through thick undergrowth. The waterfall is cool, dark and mysterious. The finale represents the sprightly elegance and grandeur of the Whangarei Falls in Whangarei, Northland. The fall is a beautiful cascade of sparkling rivulets of water” (Gareth Farr)

  • 1835-1921

    The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saëns)
    xiii Le cygne (The Swan)

    The Carnival of the Animals is a humorous musical suite of 14 movements, including “The Swan”, by Saint-Saëns. It was written for private performance by two pianos and chamber ensemble; Saint-Saëns prohibited public performance during his lifetime, feeling that its frivolity would damage his standing as a serious composer.

  • 1921-1992

    Histoire du Tango (Piazzolla)
    i Bordel, 1900, ii Café, 1930, iii Nightclub, 1960, iv Concert d’aujourd’hui

    Histoire du Tango attempts to convey the history and evolution of the tango in four movements: Bordel 1900, Café 1930, Nightclub 1960, and Concert d’aujourd’hui. Café 1930 is another age of the tango. People stopped dancing it as they did in 1900, preferring instead simply to listen to it. It became more musical, and more romantic. This tango has undergone total transformation: the movements are slower, with new and often melancholy harmonies. Tango orchestras come to consist of two violins, two concertinas, a piano, and a bass. The tango is sometimes sung as well.

Performers

  • Aliara Duo

    Flute/Harp Duo

    Flautist Sirius Chau and harpist Gwenllian Llŷr have won numerous awards at national and international levels for their compelling solo performances, including at the world-renowned Royal Over-seas League Annual Music Competition.
    Read More

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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