Toad Lane Concerts, Rochdale
23rd July 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 1,195 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 29th July 2026 – Voci Voices: Elizabeth Ambrose soprano, Eric Cymbir tenor, Mackenzie Paget baritone and Jonathan Ellis piano

Here are the next events to whet your appetite.

- Aug 05 – Luke Jones piano (RNCM Gold Medallist)
- Aug 12 – More than Melody Ladies Choir Conductor Jonathan Gibson Piano Brian Mulligan
- Aug 19 – David Daniels piano
- Aug 26 – Henry McNamara bass clarinettist (Arizona State & Sheffield Universities)

Previous Performance Reviews.

Wednesday 23rd July 2026 – Alice Roberts & Kathryn Mason ‘Rascallity Harp Duo’ (both Manchester University & RNCM)

First-rate musicians, Rascallity Harp Duo have made several appearances at these concerts since they teamed up as students; they delight in the excellent acoustics in which they can get the most out of their playing and repertoire. Soloist and teacher Kathryn Mason (pictured left) gained a first-class BMus and a master’s from the RNCM. Alice Roberts (pictured right) graduated first-class from the joint course of Manchester University (where she gained awards for the highest mark in 2016 and 2018) and the RNCM (where in 2020 she became the first harpist to win the Gold Medal). Both are now freelance.

‘Luna Roja’ by Ailie Robertson & Adriano Sangineto explored the sheer beauty of the combination. Alice described the first of the writers as having a Celtic affinity, with folk-like melody, and the other a more Mediterranean feel, as with the Habanera rhythm.

Alice’s first solo was masterfully played, movements 1 & 3 from ‘Sonata for Harp’ by Hindemith of 1939; a glowing performance. Kathryn joined again for the second piece by Ailie Robertson & Adriano Sangineto, ‘Journey North’. The sound of one harp is heavenly – and of two, divine.

Alice’s next solo was one of her own pieces, ‘Unbroken Circle’ – a fascinating flowing exploration of Satiesque motifs in 5-time.

In a stylistic contrast Kathryn’s solo: ‘Fantasy on a Theme by Haydn’ by Marcel Grandjany, was an attractive and virtuosic Classical set of variations which celebrated traditional techniques.

Rascallity followed this with ‘Gymnopedies 1 & 2’ by Erik Satie, which suited them perfectly. Originally for piano from 1888 these iconic compositions influenced later composers of minimalist and ambient styles.

Finally, we had ‘Parvis’ by Bernard Andres, a contemporary evocation of a funeral and wake, moving from the solemn to rhythmic music that ‘stretched our expectations of harmonic sounds’ as Kathryn put it, and included tapping on the body of the instruments. This summed up the signature sound of the duo.

Both players and audience revelled in the sound in the beautiful acoustic of St Mary in the Baum church.

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

Wednesday 15th July 2026 – Tim Kennedy tenor (Cambridge University & RNCM staff) Carol Kwater piano

Tim Kennedy began his musical career singing for the late Queen Elizabeth II, as a treble at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, and was then a music scholar at Winchester College. He spent his gap year performing at Truro Cathedral, then studied music at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. But he has now been based in Manchester for more than twenty years pursuing a varied freelance career. His singing work is mainly as a freelance tenor soloist in recitals and oratorio, but he also works as a piano accompanist, organist and vocal coach; he is a staff accompanist for singers at the RNCM.

Tim was accompanied expertly throughout by Carol Kwater who is an organist, accompanist and music teacher. She works full time for Wigan Music Service as a tutor and accompanist, and as a private tutor. She is much in demand as an accompanist for soloists and various choral groups, including Wigan Choral Society and Bolton Festival Choir and is also Musical Director of St Helens Choral Society and currently Director of Music at St Wilfrid’s Church, Standish. Carol also contributed piano solos (particularly helpful for a singer in this heatwave! like the soccer world cup ‘hydration breaks’).

Enrico Toselli’s ‘Serenata’ announced this summer serenade, with Tim’s light tenor floating in the acoustic at St Mary in the Baum; followed by Dunhill’s ‘The cloths of heaven’ and two songs by Roger Quilter.

The first of Carol’s ‘hydration break’ solos was William Gillock’s Sonatine, an attractive sort of mini sonata.

Then two appealing French songs, by Nadia Boulanger and her teacher, Gabriel Fauré, contrasted by two robust Welsh numbers (in English) by Trevor Evans and Rhys Jones.

Carol’s second solo was a delightful salon piece simply entitled ‘Friends’ by Joe Hisaishi.

The plaintive ‘A brown bird singing’ by Haydn Wood and an impassioned plea, ‘Elëanore’, by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor took us to a pair of Lerner and Loewe songs: ‘There but for you go I’ (Brigadoon) and ‘On the street where you live’ (My Fair Lady) admirably suited to Tim’s persuasive light tenor voice.

A beautiful selection of British song with soupçons of France, Italy and Broadway. All we needed was iced tea (or Pimm’s) and cucumber sandwiches without the crusts.

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

Wednesday 8th July 2026 – Leda Mileto violin (Rome, RNCM, JRNCM tutor) & Kanako Mizuno piano(Toho Gakuen Japan, RNCM & RAM)

This startling and heart-rending Toad Lane Concert at St Mary in the Baum was the 1,193^rd since taking over from Rochdale council in 2001. It featured two enormously talented postgraduates of the RNCM.

Leda Mileto is an award-winning violinist, Dalcroze practitioner and educator from Rome. Based in Manchester since 2021 she also founded and leads the award-winning Aestus String Quartet. An avid music maker since the age of two in a musical home, she began to study the violin in middle school and entered the Fiesole School of Music and Conservatoire in Rome at thirteen. After graduation she came on a scholarship to the RNCM and gained a master’s and post-graduate diploma. She is a tutor in violin, rhythmics, singing and improvisation in the Junior RNCM. She provided friendly and informative introductions.

Japanese-born Kanoko Mizuno is an award-winning soloist and collaborative pianist who graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music before moving to the UK, where she studied at the RNCM on a scholarship (winning the Gold Medal 2019) and also graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2020.

Kanako has a strong passion for chamber music and is a member of Trio Kagura, a piano trio who were selected as Britten Pears Young Artists for 2024-2025 (following Leda’s Aestus Quartet the previous year).

How fortunate we were to hear such accomplished performers.

The evergreen melodic favourite of Dvořák’s ‘Gypsy Songs,’ – ‘Songs my mother taught me’ is equally famous as an instrumental piece as the original song. Few could fail to be moved by Leda’s plaintive yearning and Kanako’s sensitive and supportive playing.

Mozart’s Sonata K379 in G Major was an equally matched duo work that seemed almost like Beethoven. Each player supported the other with exciting and challenging contributions; the variations of the second movement showed great development and a wide range of moods and techniques reaching beyond the Classical period, all superbly managed and expressed.

Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 2 in D, Op 94a composed in 1942, originally for flute but here arranged for violin, the duo work incorporating twentieth century styles and virtuoso playing with rhythmic vitality and passion was tremendous. The final movement had much of the grandeur of the ‘Montagues and the Capulets’ from the composer’s famous Romeo and Juliet music. Without doubt a dazzling joint display from two exciting musicians. Finally, Estrellita by Ponce in 1912, a beautiful Mexican serenade arranged by the great virtuoso violinist, Jascha Heifetz in 1923. An appropriately nostalgic ‘book end’ to a splendid recital.

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

Wednesday 1st July 2026 -Sam Rodwell guitar (RNCM Gold medal finalist)

This captivating Toad Lane Concert at St Mary in the Baum was the 1,192^nd since taking over from Rochdale council in 2001.

The planned mixed voice choir Notability had to postpone at the last minute due to a tragic bereavement. Classical guitarist Sam Rodwell was fortunately able to step up and save the day.

Sam graduated first class and completed a master’s with distinction at the RNCM under Craig Ogden; and was made an ‘Associate Guitar Teacher’. He also won the Strings Salon Prize (the first guitarist to do so for 30 years) and was a finalist in the Gold Medal competition. He performs across the UK as a soloist, forming duos with other guitars, harp, violin or saxophone, and with ensembles including the Manchester Camerata.

Simple folk song, modern jazz or epic Romanticism, Sam’s accomplished playing was framed by confident and engaging introductions to the instrument and the music.

The simple beauty of the traditional tune, ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ arranged by Scott Tennant, set the contemplative mood. Sam masterfully demonstrated the technique of the tremolo in ‘Un Sueno en la Floresta’ by one of its early exponents, Augustin Barrios Mangoré.

Then followed two delightful ‘seasons’ by Astor Piazzolla in the manner of Vivaldi, but in modern style. Staying with twentieth century styles ‘Nuages’ by Django Reinhardt arranged by Roland Dyens had a true modern jazz feel. ‘Banaha’ was a charming, rhythmic African evocation by Gary Ryan, based on a Congolese children’s song.

The Scottish melody ‘Niel Gow’s Lament for the Death of His Second Wife’ purely and effectively arranged by David Russell, calmed us down for a grand finale: a brilliant ‘Scherzino Mexicano’ by Manuel M. Ponce that led to the virtuoso passion and fury of ‘Hungarian Fantasy’ by JK Mertz. Sam called the piece ‘epic’, a word that also sums up this masterful recital.

A Cambridge researcher of the church’s architect, Sir Ninian Comper, was examining the building during Sam’s rehearsal. Hopefully, they went away with the memories of a guitar ringing true in the huge but energising acoustic which certainly deserves a Grade One listing as much as the building.

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