St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church Sheffield S11 8YL

12th -19thNovember

ALVITSE

F CI

SUM

2016

th SATURDAY 12 NOVEMBER 7pm

Shu Jiang and friends: a concert of Chinese Music

Shu Jiang grew up in a musicians' family, where she learned to play guqin, guzheng and piano. She was trained at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China is currently a PhD student at the Department of Music at Sheffield University, with her major research focused on interchange between Chinese and Western music.

The Qin (guqin) ( : 古琴) and Zheng (guzheng) ( : 古箏) have been played for over 2,500 Chinese Chineseyears. Both are beautiful objects in their own right. The guqin has the distinction of being regarded as an instrument of elegance, refinement and subtlety: the instrument of sages, played for the purpose of enriching the heart and elevating human spirit. Since 2003, the qin with its seven silk strings has been registered as one of the master pieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The modern guzheng is much bigger than the quqin and usually has 21 strings with a large resonant wooden cavity constructed with a variety of other woods for structural and decorative purposes. It is the ancestor of several Asian zither instruments such as Japanese koto, the Korean gaygeum, and the Vietnamese dan tranh. Performers often wear finger picks to produce a huge variety of wonderful sounds.

Advance discount tickets available at

www.samfest.uk

th SUNDAY 13 NOVEMBER 7pm

MERLIN & POLINA SHEPHERD

Merlin Shepherd is a superb musician and one of the greatest players of traditional East European Klezmer Clarinet style. Apart from his own ensembles he has recorded and played with most of the world's leading bands. He makes a welcome return to Sheffield where the UK's klezmer explosion began in the 1980s.

Polina Shepherd is a virtuosic vocalist, pianist and composer who was born in Siberia and grew up in a Russian Jewish home where songs were regularly sung at table. Growing up in Tatarstan placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre which can be heard in her unique vocal style and amazing four octave range.

Advance discount tickets available at

www.samfest.uk

th TUESDAY 15 NOVEMBER 7.30pm

Advance discount tickets available at

www.samfest.uk

Dodworth Brass Band

Dodworth Colliery Band is based in the ex-mining village of Dodworth on the outskirts of Barnsley, and this year celebrates 180 years since its formation. The band has been determined to continue to entertain its audiences since the closure of the local colliery. With a wide and varied concert repertoire, its concerts appeal to everyone's musical taste.

Alongside many concert appearances, the band has featured in several broadcasts for BBC Radio Sheffield and recorded music featured on Hugh Fearnley-Whittinstall's “River Cottage” TV series. Eliot Darwin has been the Music Director for over 13 years. Under his directorship and hard work from the players, the Dodworth Colliery Band has won many awards, including two first places in the Yorkshire Brass Band Championships and a 1st place in the National Championships.

th THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER 7pm

THE GJYLACI BROTHERS

Advance discount tickets available at

www.samfest.uk

Nik Gjylaci has featured in previous St Andrew's

Festivals and makes a welcome return with his

virtuoso guitar-playing brother, Jon. The Gjylaci

brothers are a charismatic and 'highly talented'

violin & guitar duo. They are regarded as two of

the leading young musicians of their generation.

Having graduated with distinction from the

prestigious Royal Northern College of Music,

they give performances around Europe and the

UK including concerts at the Bridgewater Hall,

St Martin-in-the-Fields and Cadogan Hall. They

have won major awards in music competitions

in Greece and the UK including the 'Ivor

Mairants International Music Competition' in

London.

The Duo is in increasing demand due to their

wide ranging repertoire, “brilliant

interpretations”, “compelling quality to their

playing” and their ability to connect with the

audience. The press have commented on their

“…very impressive technical ability, which enables them to flash around the fingerboard in an

apparent effortless manner” and wrote: ''…they are two highly talented players.''

They are thrilled to be part of 'St Andrew's Music Festival' and their programme will include

works by Paganini, Giuliani, Piazzolla and de Falla.

www.samfest.uk

th FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER 7pm

Sheffield Music Academy is a vibrant and thriving music school and one of 15 Centres for Advanced Training in the UK, offering a comprehensive range of musical education to students with outstanding ability, dedication and potential.

Under the leadership of Music Director Martin Cropper; an exciting and stimulating programme of learning is offered to our students, with over 40 performance opportunities a year.

www.themusicacademy.eu info@themusicacademu.eu

Registered in England as a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 07667445�

Tonight, some of our talented soloists will play

Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

th SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 7pm

The Villiers String Quartet and Victoria Soames Samek,

clarinet/bass clarinet.

Advance discount tickets available at

www.samfest.uk

The Villiers string quartet return this year after their latest tour of the USA. They are winners of the 2015 Radcliffe Chamber Music Competition and are Quartet-in-Residence at Oxford University.

With playing described as “supremely articulated and concentrated” (Gramophone Magazine), they are superb performers of the established works of Beethoven, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky. However, they are also dedicated to bringing new works to the public which this year includes music by the Sheffield composer, Ray Kohn.

st thTchaikovsky's popular 1 quartet ends the concert after Ray Kohn's 18 string quartet and his 3 Memorials to Béla Bartók, Marc Chagall and Primo Levi for clarinet and string quartet. The clarinetist is Victoria Soames Samek. Victoria is one of the most exciting and versatile clarinettists playing in the UK today. She combines breath-taking technicality with musical integrity in her performances and recordings with individual approach to her teaching and mentoring. With her great enthusiasm for the clarinet, in 1992 she launched the celebrated CD label Clarinet Classics now combined as Clarinet & Saxophone Classics, as a unique showcase for the clarinet and saxophone in all their richness and diversity. In the 3 Memorials, she performs on both a normal B flat clarinet and a bass clarinet.

Advance discount tickets available at

www.samfest.uk

Tickets £10 at the door or £5.50 at www.samfest.ukConcessions for students, children, unemployed and pensioners: £5 at the door.Concerts start at 7pm

thexcept on Tuesday 15 when the start time is 7.30pm.

ALL PROCEEDS FROM TICKET SALES GO TO THE DELPHI TRUST CHARITY Based in Sheffield, the Delphi Trust has been actively supporting live music and associated education projects since 1999.This year the annual festival features 'world music' that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Merlin Shepherd, the greatest living klezmer clarinetist, returns to Sheffield where the klezmer phenomenon began in the UK. Polina Shepherd, the virtuoso singer, who was born in Siberia, combines with her husband to bring the music of Eastern Europe to Psalter Lane.

Shu Jiang who lives in Sheffield is an outstanding performer on traditional Chinese string instruments. With her friends she brings the evocative sounds of the guzheng and guqin into the hall.

Nik Gjylaci is coming back to the festival, this time with his guitarist brother, Jon. Born in Albania with Greek education, this duo have captivated audiences all over the north of England.

The festival traditionally showcases Sheffield and regional talent. The Sheffield Music Academy presents emerging, teenage talent. This year the Dodworth Colliery Band have been invited to perform. This brass ensemble plays attractive music from all over the world.

Fresh from their latest tour of the USA, the Villiers string quartet return as a result of popular demand together with the virtuoso clarinetist/bass clarinetist, Victoria Soames Samek, to perform music by the Sheffield

stcomposer, Ray Kohn, and the ever-popular Tchaikovsky 1 string quartet.

The Delphi Trust wishes to thank all those volunteers who make the festival such a welcoming event at St Andrew's Psalter Lane as well as those who have contributed financially including:Sheffield Town TrustWakeham TrustChurch Burgesses Educational FoundationEquity FoundationThe Sheffield & District Jewish Reform Congregation