Toad Lane Concerts, Rochdale
15th October 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 1,207 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 21st October 2026 – Lewis Kingsley Peart piano (Trinity Laban Conservatoire)

Here are the next events to whet your appetite.

- Oct 28 – John Powell baritone (Cambridge Univ & BBC Singers) & Carol Kwater piano

Previous Performance Reviews.

Wednesday 14 October 2026 – Oldham Community Choir conductor Jonathan Gibson & piano Edward Rigg

Oldham’s mixed voice Community Choir rehearses on Wednesday mornings in central Oldham. Formed in 1985 by an Oldham music teacher, its direction was taken over in 1995 by J Edward Rigg, a Rochdale music teacher. Currently acting as accompanist, Edward was born in Wardle. After qualifying as a teacher and with a diploma from the University of Paris, plus an LRAM, he taught in Rochdale for 18 years. Throughout this time, he has been involved in music making as a conductor and accompanist as well as a keen choral singer. He is President of Rochdale Phoenix Opera Society and organiser of the Littleborough Coach House lunchtime concerts.

The present conductor, Jonathan Gibson began playing the French horn at the age of 9 and quickly became a regular player with the county’s youth orchestra and the Northampton Symphony Orchestra. From 1993 to 97 Jonathan studied at the RNCM. Since graduating he freelances with several professional ensembles and even appeared playing his horn in the Queen’s Jubilee episode of Coronation Street. He is currently also the MD for Rochdale Phoenix Opera Society and the ladies’ choir More than Melody. He is proving to be a great asset to the Northwest music scene.

With two such experienced and capable mentors, the choir continues to entertain themselves and others, such as here at St Mary in the Baum on their annual visit.

It was curtain up with sprightly numbers ‘Another Opening, another show’ and ‘Comedy Tonight’, before contrasted serious anthems, ‘With A Voice of Singing’, and ‘Such Lovely Things’. Clearly, much care had been taken to learn singing parts and the male contingent made a fine foundation.

Show songs, ‘Getting to Know You’, ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ and ‘Oklahoma’, plus 1950’s hit standards the ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’, ‘Catch a Falling Star’, and ‘Perhaps’, culminated in a rousing ‘Joshua at the battle of Jericho’. A characterful ‘Oliver’ medley demonstrated laudable stamina, and Chorus Line’s ‘One’, meant that we could be ‘Stepping Out … putting on the Ritz’ with a final sizzling ‘All That Jazz’. There was a tune for everyone in this joyful, varied programme.

No wonder modern medicine recommends singing in a choir to beat the blues and maintain youthful vigour.

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

Wednesday 7 October 2026 – Seren String Quartet

This scintillating strings Toad Lane Concert at St Mary in the Baum was number 1,206 since taking over from Rochdale council in 2001.

We were blessed with an impressive lineup of four highly experienced principal string players. 1^st violinist Pip Clarke (RNCM and Guildhall) gave her ‘sold out’ debut in Carnegie Hall, New York in 2007, performing the Korngold Violin Concerto with the New York Pops. Back in the UK she leads the Cheshire Sinfonia, teaches privately and conducts a ladies choir.

Violinist Sarah Snape (Dartington College of Arts, York University and the National Centre for Orchestral Studies) has played with the Bilbao Symphony, Northern Ballet Theatre and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras, Manchester Camerata and the Northern Chamber Orchestra, including playing at The Proms.

Violist Cathrine Perkins taught violin and viola in the RNCM Junior Department and Chetham’s School of Music. Since retiring she has continued enjoying chamber music. An ardent horse rider she has recently returned from a horse safari in Zambia, she also loves bird watching.

Cellist Cathie Bunting (Royal College of Music) played with the Ulster Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra where she was a founder member of the Braga string quartet and the Florian piano trio. She left after 14 years to freelance, teach and continue playing chamber music.

From the first phrases of Puccini’s Minuet & Trio of 1890 we were clearly in good hands, and this was a great curtain raiser to the main work, the sumptuous String Quartet No. 13 in A minor (the Rosamunde Quartet), D 804, Op. 29 of 1824. The second movement, Andante, has the tune of the incidental music he was writing that everyone will recognise, and the rest of the work abounds with development, wave after wave of rich string sound and elegant and refined phrasing.

The string quartet structure was established by Haydn in the 18^th century as the supreme medium for a composer’s innermost thoughts. Just four solo strings, without the variety of the rest of the orchestra means that pure musical ideas must be strong enough to hold the work together. Schubert’s Rosamunde Quartet has always been a favourite for players and listeners. It requires ultimate teamwork from excellent individual players, rapport and collective interpretation. This we found in abundance. Despite the logistics and difficulties of getting four such accomplished players together, they enjoyed the marvellous acoustic of St Mary’s and the friendly audience and would love to come again … Yes please!

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