Midweek Musical Delight at St Mary in the Baum!
Every Wednesday at 12:30pm, enjoy the Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts at the stunning Grade I listed St Mary in the Baum church, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ.
Admission is just £6. As a “not for profit” initiative, your entry fee and donations directly support talented musicians, the historic venue, and music resources.
For details, contact Dr. Joe Dawson: 01706 648872.
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm – 1.30pm.
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- Wed 18/06/2025
Ying Cheng piano (Tunghai University Taiwan, RNCM)
- Wed 18/06/2025
Here are the next events to whet your appetite.
2025 June
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- 25 Jun
Saxophone Duo: Alvin Wong (Hong Kong & Northwestern Universities & Royal Conservatoire Antwerp) & Calvin Wong (Iowa, Indiana & Texas Universities)
- 25 Jun
Previous Performance Reviews
Telemann Baroque Ensemble – Peter Collier harpsichord, Alastair Roberts flute, Sarah Snape violin, Rosy Hickman and Roger Bisby cellos
Meet the sumptuous Baroque ‘House band’
The Toad Lane Concerts provide platform opportunities for musicians of all kinds. Instrumental and vocal soloists, ensembles and choral groups form part of a schedule for everyone. Of many excellent freelance players in the Northwest, the Telemann Baroque Ensemble is sort of the ‘House Band’ of Toad Lane Concerts, as they come at least once a quarter; each time with a slightly varied line up.
Lynch pin and sweet-talking director Peter Collier (harpsichord) is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and London University and was director of the Baroque Week Summer School for over 40 years (www.baroque-week.org.uk) for which he has built up a library of several thousand music scores.
Alastair Roberts started to play the flute at the age of 12 yrs. He graduated from the RNCM and was Head of Music in a comprehensive school whilst continuing to play regularly as a soloist and with the Cheshire Sinfonia and Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra.
Sarah Snape (violin) trained at York University and the National Centre for Orchestral Studies. She was a member of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra and upon returning to the UK played with the Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra. She then freelanced for many years with the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Manchester Camerata, the Northern and Scottish Chamber Orchestras. She now teaches from home and in schools and plays regularly with chamber ensembles.
Roger Bisby was taught to play the cello from the age of 11 years by his grandfather, who had been a musician in a theatre orchestra all his life. Music has always been a great source of enjoyment to him. In his day job Roger read Chemistry at university and became Professor Emeritus of the University of Salford. Although he has played in several orchestras his main commitments nowadays are with the Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra and the Telemann Baroque Ensemble.
This visit introduced a new personality into the mix, with another cellist, Rosy Hickman. She started playing cello at the age of 7 and later studied cello at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Having obtained a PGCE as a primary music specialist, she came to Manchester where she quickly joined several local amateur orchestras. She is currently principal cello in both Sale and Lancashire Chamber Orchestras, and a member of several others. Rosy’s contribution was not just doubling the bass line but also enriching the texture as a tenor might – like adding cream or brandy to the sauce (apologies to chefs).
This undoubtedly contributed to the sumptuous sonority of today’s ensemble in the unusual repertoire of Flute, Violin, 2 Cellos and Harpsichord in Telemann’s 7th Paris Quartet in D major and the Paris Quartet in G major. In between these two suites of dance movements the strings and harpsichord played the attractive Sonata in G major Op 37 no 1 by JB Boismortier. A terrific ‘House Band’ in this acoustic!
Wednesday 4 June 2025 – Eccles Community Choir – Director Angela Rowley
The Toad Lane Concerts provide platform opportunities for musicians of all kinds. Instrumental and vocal soloists, ensembles and choral groups form part of a schedule for everyone. Today’s visiting choir made a welcome return.
‘Singing for pleasure and friendship’ is the proud motto of Eccles Community Choir; mixed voices and mixed ability, they were established in 2009 as an independent, true community choir. Open to all adults (without auditions) and striving to keep subscriptions as low as possible enables anyone to join. They also keep in close contact, via a website, a Facebook page & group email and WhatsApp; plus, a ring-round system for those not online. Every effort is made to build a cohesive musical community.
Musical director, soprano and adjudicator Angela Rowley ARCM does not tolerate ‘dumbing down’ however. As one member put it, ‘Every practice session is also a two-hour singing lesson.’ She does not shy away from sophistication or working towards perfection and her charges seem to thrive on it. She leads by example and gave a poignant, musical solo performance of June by Quilter.
Accompanist John Stott, also arranges music for them, as does choir member Alex Gilchrist. These two exchanged roles today amid the programme, with John singing Handel and Alex at the piano.
The opening Baroque grandeur of Gloria by Vivaldi led to the delicate On Wings of Song by Mendelssohn and the romantic show song, I’ve never been in Love before, from Guys and Dolls. This contrast of styles was typical of the eclectic mix of the programme.
The Lord of the Rings medley by Howard Shore was particularly effective, making use of the choir’s variety of tone and exploiting the superb acoustic at St Mary in the Baum. Angela was able to shape some of the phrasing as she would with a more experienced group.
More variety with Raindrops keep fallin’ on my Head by Burt Bacharach, side by side with two numbers from Strauss’s Vienna (attractively arranged by Alex Gilchrist) and Lullaby of Birdland by Shearing led to the final medley, The Beatles in Revue. The audience left happily humming the timeless tunes of the Fab Four.
But most of all, the choir clearly shared their pleasure and friendship with the audience who eagerly await their next visit.
May 2025 Concert Reviews
Click HERE to see the May 2025 concert reviews
April 2025 Concert Reviews
Click HERE to see the April 2025 concert reviews
March 2025 Concert Reviews
Click HERE to see the March 2025 concert reviews
ORTOA Celebrity Recitals at Rochdale Town Hall Organ
Tuesday 17 June 2025 at 1 pm – Edward Taylor concert organist
ORTOA (Oldham, Rochdale & Tameside Organists’ Association est.1908) are back at the newly renovated town hall presenting top performers at the JJ Binns organ. The new time for this set of four recitals is Tuesday at one pm.
Edward Taylor is currently the Assistant Organist and Director of Consort at Carlisle Cathedral. He also leads a busy freelance career and is in high demand as a concert organist, conductor and accompanist.
He is an Associate of the Royal College of Organists having graduated from the University of Leeds and studied at the Strasbourg Conservatoire.
Edward’s vast organ solo repertoire consists of works spanning five centuries. In 2009, Edward held a fund-raising event in which he completed a 12-hour organ marathon, showcasing 12 consecutive themed hours. However, his carefully tailored Rochdale programme promises gems by Bairstow, Rowley, Cocker, Hollins, Whitlock and Vierne, along with Jongen’s Sonata Eroica.
He is also a busy choral director and Musical Animateur in which he provides choral training in Primary Schools throughout Cumbria. All this alongside playing the organ or directing the choirs at Carlisle Cathedral.
Edward has appeared on several CDs; and his You Tube channel, which he started during ‘lockdown’ currently has 275 videos of organ music, mainly performed on the cathedral organ in Carlisle (@edwardtaylororganist). Follow Edward on Facebook and Instagram.
ORTOA 2025 further events on Tuesdays at One!
Tuesday July 15th at 1 pm – LEE LONGDEN Cinema Organist
Tuesday Sept 16th at 1 pm – ALEX FISHBURN (from Liverpool Cathedral)
Admission £10 (concessions £8) concerts last one hour. Card or cash at the door or visit www.rochdaletownhall.co.uk/events or iao.org.uk/ortoa
Previous ORTOA Performance Reviews
250520 ORTOA Review Keith Hearnshaw