Frome Concerts Group celebrates twenty years

FROME Concerts Group (FCG) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the group this year with a selection of special autumn concerts.

First up is Saraband on Sunday 24th September at 3pm – this lively Baroque ensemble presents ‘Painted Ladies’ music heard in the sitting rooms, coffee houses and taverns of the 17th and 18th century with music about actresses, milkmaids and the Blue Stocking Society.

Following this is Levanto Ensemble on Sunday 22nd October at 3pm who will perform a one-hour concert. DoubleCup (guitar and flute) will perform on Sunday 29th October at 3pm for a one-hour concert and features two young Ukrainian musicians, with a programme of that includes, flamenco, tango and arrangements of folk music from their home country.

A special full-length concert of the Kleio String Quartet will take place on Sunday 19th November from 3pm. Described by violinist Alina Ibrobimova as a, “Wonderfully dedicated group of musicians who bring assuredness and freshness to everything they play,” this concert will include works by Haydn, Nielsen and one of Beethoven’s wonderful Rasumovsky quartets. Commission prize winners of the Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition 2023, the Kleio String Quartet are quickly establishing themselves as an internationally recognised ensemble.

Speaking on how the group first started, one of the organisers of FCG said, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to listen to and see high quality, professional music right here in the town of Frome? Well, Duncan Skene was listening to Radio 3 on a sunny Sunday morning back in 2003 when he began to think about what might be possible. He got talking with his friends, not musicians themselves but all loving classical music and wanting to go to more local, live events.

“Rook Lane Chapel had been recently restored and was not only an architect’s practice but also, at the time, the home of Rook Lane Arts Trust. It was an ideal venue and soon Frome Concerts Group was born with Rook Lane Chapel as its home.

“The venue is recognised by both musicians and audiences as having excellent acoustics; the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed with audiences encouraged to arrive before for complimentary refreshments. It’s an ideal and rather special way to spend part of your Sunday.

“It’s also an innovative idea with local people encouraged to subscribe to a season of concerts giving greatly reduced prices and allowing the group to afford to book high class and often world-renowned artists.  The group has developed good relationships with the Royal Colleges of Music and supports young graduates to play, some of whom then become established and want to come back.  You may have heard of the violinist Rachel Podger, the pianist Alexandra Dariescu or the cellist Rafael Wallfisch, all of whom have played for Frome Concerts Group.”

Mary Gatliffe, who has chaired the organising committee for six years, said, “We have a very loyal support base. They love the variety of the concerts and unlike some organisations, we have had no problems bringing our eager listeners back since lockdown. In fact, audience members told us how much they missed the regular concerts and were delighted when we got back to our four spring and four autumn concerts.

“But we do want our audience to grow and diversify and we always welcome any new faces, young or old. One of the special bonuses of buying our tickets is they are fully transferable so two families, for instance, could buy a subscription and take turns to attend or do the child care. Or bring the children along that’s another option of course.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about this and the coming autumn concert season should visit the FCG website fromeconcertsgroup.org to join the mailing list or call 07736 548831.