Toad Lane Concerts, Rochdale
24th September 2026

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.

Note: There have been 1,204 concerts since taking over the council’s Music at Lunchtime in 2001. Justifying continuity in Rochdale’s year as the Greater Manchester Town of Culture.

Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm – 1.30pm.

Wednesday 30th September 2026 – Students from Chetham’s School of Music

Here are the next events to whet your appetite.

- Oct 07 – Seren String Quartet
- Oct 14 – Oldham Community Choir conductor Jonathan Gibson & piano Edward Rigg
- Oct 21 – Lewis Kingsley Peart piano (Trinity Laban Conservatoire)
- Oct 28 – John Powell baritone (Cambridge Univ & BBC Singers) & Carol Kwater piano

Previous Performance Reviews.

Wednesday 23 September 2026 -Sara Donnelly soprano (Queensland & RNCM) & Tim Kennedy piano (Cambridge Univ & RNCM staff)

This striking Toad Lane Concert at St Mary in the Baum was number 1,204 since taking over from Rochdale council in 2001. Two more outstanding performers revelled in the fabulous acoustics.

British Australian soprano Sara Donnelly holds a master’s from the RNCM, where she studied with Eiddwen Harrhy and received the Dame Eva Turner Award. She is also a double graduate of Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QCGU), where she won several awards. Sara made her Australian operatic debut with Opera Queensland in 2016; further roles followed until Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden at the RNCM.

In 2025, Sara received the Oratorio Prize at the David Clover Festival of Singing. Her oratorio repertoire includes soprano soloist in Mozart’s C Minor Mass and Haydn’s Creation, and she has upcoming engagements in Mozart’s Requiem with Bakewell Choral Society and in Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light.

Tim Kennedy studied music at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and is now a freelance musician based in Manchester. As well as being a piano accompanist, he also works as a professional singer, vocal coach and organist. He has been a staff accompanist at the RNCM for more than ten years as well as for the British and International Federation of Festivals (see www.tim-kennedy.co.uk).

These supremely talented musicians began with two delightful British songs, Love’s philosophy and Now sleeps the crimson petal by Roger Quilter and the monumental, Sure on this shining night by Samuel Barber. Sara’s focused and rich tone and intelligent delivery was supported admirably by Tim with his ideal combined skills of fellow singer and fine pianist.

The first of two piano interludes from Tim was Sarabande (Suite pour le piano) by Claude Debussy where huge chords built to a climax before fading away with careful control.

Appropriately we had a beautiful song by the same composer Nuit d’étoiles (think of Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’) and further French with Dans un bois solitaire by Mozart, both with impeccable diction and inflection. More Mozart followed with a characterful recitative and aria Deh vieni non tardar (The Marriage of Figaro) which confirmed that Sara would make an ideal Susannah.

In contrast, Tim’s second piano solo took us into the world of jazz with Erroll Garner’s Misty, which suitably prepared us for Sara’s final set from Broadway – singers need a broad repertoire. This used to be called (sometimes derogatively) ‘crossover’ between ‘good’ and ‘popular’ but Tim and Sara showed that art song, opera and musicals styles are equally great music if played and sung well. This was indeed the case with a moving If I loved you (Carousel) by Rodgers & Hammerstein and heartfelt passionate The light in the piazza (The Light in the Piazza) by Adam Guettel demonstrated. This was all topped off with a joyous I could have danced all night (My Fair Lady) by Lerner & Loewe with a triumphant top note to finish.

Sara’s engaging personality plus both her and Tim’s succinct introductions endeared them to the audience, whose resounding applause said it all.

With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.

Wednesday 16 September 2026 – Jonathan Ellis piano (Manchester University & RNCM)

Jonathan is highly valued as a regular visiting musician, accompanying singers and instrumentalists; but today he played in his own right as a concert pianist … on his very own! He certainly made the most of the heritage 1935 Challen Grand.

Jonathan started to learn the piano at the age of three, then studied at Wells Cathedral School and moved on to the joint music course of the RNCM and Manchester University, graduating first-class from both institutions and gaining higher diplomas and prizes as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician.

He works regularly with opera companies and choral societies (where his ability to bring orchestral accompaniments to life is prized), as well as for the musical charities “Music in Hospitals” and “Live Music Now.”

Haydn’s Sonata in E flat major Hob XVI:52 has much of the sophistication of the later Beethoven whilst maintaining a Classical elegance, which Jonathan managed with aplomb.

Next, inspired by a painting by Goya, Granados’ Goyescas: No 4 “La Maya y el Ruiseňor” was full of both smouldering passion and delicate reflection with some reference to birdsong; all expertly accomplished by Jonathan.

Then the tour de force, Fantasy in C major “Wanderer” by Schubert (coincidentally BBC Radio 3’s composer of the week) who confessed that he could not manage it himself, allegedly saying, ‘let the devil play the stuff’. Well, we had Jonathan as a human manifestation – and ‘the stuff’ is partly a sonata and also a magnificent dramatic pianistic virtuoso essay in the development of a single motif, superbly played to the admiration of all.

The much-demanded encore of Chopin’s ‘Aeolian’ Étude 25 no 1 in A flat with its rapid arpeggios and elusive inner parts further confirmed that Jonathan is not just a fine player, but a force of nature … a legend in his own lunchtime. We look forward to many more appearances as a supportive accompanist and musical partner … as well as on his very own!

With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.

Wednesday 9 September 2026 – Anne Butterworth soprano, Stephen Taylor baritone, Elaine Marsden piano

This entertaining Toad Lane Concert at St Mary in the Baum was number 1,202 since taking over from Rochdale council in 2001.

These troubadours and strolling players have performed abundantly in the area for several years.

Anne Butterworth a peripatetic music teacher, is well-known as a soprano and flautist, and is also MD for Woodhouses Church Amateur Operatic Society. Stephen Taylor is a retired telecommunications engineer who has musically directed many ‘am dram’ groups and performed several baritone leads. He also plays saxophone in three concert bands and is MD for Pendle Community Orchestra and The Hyndburn Singers.

Pianist Elaine Marsden is involved with many societies and accompanied today, including a piano solo in the middle of Gershwin’s Let’s call the whole thing off. The trio was joined at short notice by a ‘plus-one’ as page turner and extra percussionist, David Lawson.

The soloists alternated in the programme. From Anne: Come to the fair (Easthope Martin/Taylor), ’Tis done, I am a bride (G & S), Ave Maria (‘Caccini’ Vavilov), A word in my ear (Flanders & Swann), and Michael Arne’s The lass with the delicate air.

From Steve: The Old Superb (Newbolt/Stanford), When the night wind howls (G & S), Stars (Boublil & Schonberg), An Ill wind (Flanders and Swann/Mozart horn concerto), Stars (Boublil & Schonberg), and Not while I’m around (Sondheim). They also blended together in duets Perche Crudel (Mozart) and It goes to show (Lehar) with well-matched voices.

In the mix, these versatile troubadours turned instrumentalists, joining Elaine for a delightful trio performance of Shostakovich’s Waltz No 2 with Anne on flute and Steve on saxophone. Later, they performed an effective King of the fairies (Traditional Irish with a continental middle section) with a different trio line up: Steve on guitar, Anne on flute and Elaine on recorder, joined by plus-one, page-turner David Lawson on bodhran (Irish drum).

An entertaining potpourri from popular, local, multi-talented performers.

With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.

Wednesday 2 September 2026 – Callum Bisson piano (Chetham’s & RNCM)

Callum Bisson is a 20-year-old pianist and composer from Rochdale. This was his third appearance at the Toad Lane Concerts as a rising star pianist-composer. He first played here in a Toad Lane Concert Party in July 2024 on finishing sixth form at Chetham’s and about to start at the RNCM. His playing of Rachmaninoff then showed much promise. It is always an immense pleasure to report on the progress of talented young musicians, particularly with such emerging and burgeoning potential.

At Chetham’s, Callum’s original works premiered in composers’ concerts, including his Piano Concerto in G minor. He also won the Elgar Competition for Young Composers (2024), was a finalist in Chetham’s Annual Piano Competition, and received multiple commendations in performance competitions.

At the RNCM, Callum continued his joint focus in piano and composition with Professors Graham Scott and Adam Gorb, so that last year’s TLC appearance resounded with a commendable programme of JS Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninoff plus the world premiere of his own ‘Variations on a Theme by Shostakovich’, which was delightfully inventive and fashioned with mature pianism. He has achieved many accolades, such as becoming a semi-finalist in this year’s European Piano Teachers’ Association Competition in Leeds, being a finalist in the Mark Ray Recital Prize earlier this year, and awarded the 2026-27 Peter Donohoe Prize, which is given to piano students who have excelled in their studies.

Callum is currently embarking on a composition project, ‘emotional prism’ for solo piano, ‘where each piece is in the mask of 24 preludes and presents a strong emotional journey’. This augurs well for the challenging world of the pianist-composer.

Today’s recital was confidently performed completely from memory. Mozart’s Gigue in G and Beethoven’s Sonata op 31 no 2 , ‘The Tempest’ were masterfully played with the Challen 8’ Grand piano explored in all its variety of tone; you can always tell a class player when they are not afraid to play softly when required!

Chopin’s Nocturne op 48 no 2 in F Sharp Minor was movingly conveyed with both delicate and strong melodic lines contrasting with more profound harmonic moments; he demonstrated his control by making us wait for the final cadence to resolve and fade.

Callum’s own composition ‘Shadow Rise (Based on a portrait by Steve Roston)’ showed increasing maturity in writing descriptively and it melded seamlessly with Medtner’s Canzona Martinata and Sonata Tragica. Callum extracted every ounce of passion in his expressive interpretation.

The audience demanded an encore and were treated to a clean and refreshing performance of JS Bach’s first prelude from book 1 of the ‘48’. Usually garnished by Gounod’s Ave Maria on top, it was a delight to hear its pure simplicity impeccably played – another sure sign of a fine player.

We look forward to the continued progress of this talented young musician. Rochdale’s own!

With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.