DEVON'S professional Ten Tors Concert Orchestra will perform at venues around the Dartmoor region this spring commencing with a concert at St Paul's Church, Yelverton, on Saturday March 10.
The guest soloist for this event is the celebrated Japanese violinist Ken Aiso. Ken is now based in London but the year 2000 saw him travelling to perform in Europe, the USA, India and his home Japan. Ken will perform Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor and Jenkins' Romance for Viola with the concert orchestra.
The soloist for the orchestra's Easter concert at The Ariel Centre, Totnes, on Saturday April 14 is flautist, Susan Frank. Susan was the winner of the 1998 Britten-Pears concerto competition and returned to the Aldeburgh Festival in 2000 to perform Nielsen's Flute concerto. Susan will join the Ten Tors concert Orchestra to perform the Suite in B minor by Bach and Vivaldi's Concerto for Flute in A minor.
Cornwall's very own star mezzo-soprano, Suzanne Manuell, is the soloist for the orchestra's Cornish debut concert at the Central Methodist Church, Launceston, on Saturday May 26. Suzanne is a well known and popular soloist, but not only at home in Cornwall. Her travels have led her throughout Britain and Europe. She appears regularly with the Northern Sinfonia and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Suzanne Manuell will sing for the orchestra's 2001 commission White Bird by Plymouth composer, Clive Jenkins. This new work created for string orchestra and solo voice depicts an old Dartmoor legend of the apparition of the white breasted bird which appeared aside the local beauty, Margaret Oxenham on her wedding day, just moments before she was cruelly stabbed by a jealous rejected suitor.
Suzanne will also sing two further songs composed by Clive Jenkins, Ave Maria and The Early Train, plus Gluck's 'Che faro senza Euridice' — Orfeo's beautiful and passionate farewell to his lost love Euridice.
Simon Ible, the Ten Tors Concert Orchestra's artistic director said 'These three exciting programmes will include music by many great composers, including Purcell, Corelli, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Bach, Mozart, Elgar and Britten. Come and enjoy all of this wonderful music performed by the region's very own professional chamber orchestra.'
Tickets are priced £9 (children under 16 £4). For details phone 01566 783310.