Upcoming Orchestra Concerts
When you buy a ticket to a Taunton Sinfonietta concert, you’re doing so much more than reserving a seat. You’re investing in music, community, and opportunity. Every performance you attend helps sustain our talented musicians, ensuring they can continue to share their artistry with Taunton and Somerset audiences.
Your support also fuels the growth of the orchestra, enabling us to expand our repertoire, bring inspiring concerts to new venues, and create unforgettable experiences for all. Most importantly, it opens doors for the next generation. Through initiatives like our Young Musician’s Platform, your contribution gives gifted young performers the chance to shine and learn alongside professionals.
One ticket can make a difference. Together, we can keep music alive—vibrant, accessible, and full of promise for the future.
Reviews!
Chris Davies
English Connections
Let me begin at the end.
In her closing remarks, committee chair Brenda Prentice highlighted three important truths. First, that it takes highly skilled musicians to create performances of this calibre. Second, that such musicians deserve fair reward for the many thousands of hours they devote to mastering their craft. And third, that this can only happen when audiences come out in strong numbers to support them.
On this occasion, those of us in the audience were treated to a feast of exceptional music-making, with every work on the programme linked in some way to England and its musical heritage.
Although German by birth, Handel spent much of his career in England, making him a fitting place to begin. Directing from the harpsichord, Noah Mosely brought clarity, style and purpose to the music through expressive and assured leadership. The concerto featured not one but three soloists from within the orchestra itself: violinists Mary Eade and Sabine Cooper, alongside cellist Vicky Evans. Their playing was superb throughout, often engaging in playful musical conversations with the orchestra. The music moved seamlessly between vigour and lyricism, between joy and reflection.
Finding an English connection to Telemann requires a little more imagination, but his music sat perfectly within the programme. Perhaps the French and Italian influences that shaped his style were a reminder of the wider European heritage that has always informed our own musical traditions.
The viola is often unfairly the subject of musicians’ jokes, but Telemann performed a great service in writing what is widely regarded as the instrument’s first concerto. Sabine Cooper brought both elegance and warmth to the solo part, her obvious enjoyment reflected in her smile throughout. The stately first movement gave way to a wonderfully energetic Allegro, full of excitement and momentum. Soloist and orchestra shared a remarkable sense of unity, nowhere more evident than in the thrilling opening of the final movement, performed with complete cohesion and confidence.
Flautist Katie Sazanova joined Mary and Vicky as soloists in Noah Mosely’s Operatic Suite, drawn from an opera that remains in development. If these orchestral excerpts are anything to go by, the completed work will be something to look forward to. Inspired by the life of Puccini, the music is rich in character and emotion. At times I found myself wondering whether there were echoes of Madama Butterfly in its themes of innocence and vulnerability. Whatever the influences, the music possesses genuine passion and depth, brought vividly to life by the performers, particularly in the expressive playing of Mary Eade.
I first encountered Noah while he was directing Somerset Opera’s outstanding production of Dido and Aeneas at Taunton Museum. It was a pleasure to see him again in this setting. As a musician with West Country roots, he is a talent we should be proud of, and I very much hope he continues to return and share his artistry with local audiences.
No celebration of English musical heritage would be complete without Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst, two great friends whose music continues to define much of England’s orchestral identity.
In her introduction to The Lark Ascending, Sabine spoke of the poem that inspired the work and Vaughan Williams’s own experiences walking along the south coast. Because it is so frequently performed, it is easy to overlook just how demanding the piece is for both soloist and orchestra. This was a deeply convincing performance, perfectly capturing the sense of freedom, beauty and wonder that Vaughan Williams imagined. Under Noah’s sensitive direction, the orchestra provided an ideal backdrop to another remarkable contribution from Mary Eade, whose delicate control of the soaring, almost ethereal high passages was simply spellbinding.
Holst’s St Paul’s Suite opens with a lively jig, reflecting the composer’s lifelong enthusiasm for English folk music. Alongside Vaughan Williams, Holst played a major role in preserving and celebrating this tradition. The orchestra’s spirited and stylish performance of the opening movement would have tempted any folk music enthusiast onto the dance floor. Perhaps because Holst wrote the suite for the girls’ school where he taught, he gave many instrumentalists opportunities to shine. These numerous solo moments were beautifully realised, demonstrating the depth of talent throughout the orchestra. The joyful intertwining of Dargason and Greensleeves in the final movement brought the evening to a jubilant conclusion.
And so, returning to Brenda’s final message, we should all do our part to support music-making of this quality and musicians of this calibre. There can be few better ways to spend an evening.
Chris
Cllr Martin Straus,
Mayor of Taunton 2026
“The most wonderful event in my most memorable year!
The height of sophistication, promoting Taunton’s talent! We know how to do things in Taunton!”
AnnA bushell
Rain didn’t stop play!
Rain or flood couldn’t stop people from gathering together on Sunday afternoon for the latest concert by the Taunton Sinfonietta!
Delighted to be playing together again, their programme, was entitled “Duo Concertante” and featured pairs of soloists in fine double concertos
by Bach and Torelli. Everyone performed with expertise, energy and love.
A highlight was Taunton Junior Young Musician 2025, 12 year old Elliott Coles, who played two movements of Haydn’s much-loved Trumpet Concerto, plus a fiery showpiece by Armenian composer Artunian. Both
were presented with great gusto, and were very enthusiastically received; everyone wished him well for the future!
The concert ended with a brilliant performance of Peter Warlock’s quirky but tuneful Capriol Suite. Roll on the next Taunton Sinfonietta Concert, 14 June, 3pm!
Huge thanks should be given to Brenda Prentice and her excellent Committee, for making this splendid concert possible, and also to the Castle Hotel, for hosting the event in their lovely Music Room.
2 February 2026