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Thursday 16th October 2025
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Tailleferre Ensemble
Nicola Crowe, flute
Nicola Hands, oboe
Helen Pierce, clarinet
Francesca Moore-Bridger, French horn
Amy Thompson, bassoon
Programme
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)
Pastorale for wind quintet Op 151 (1942)
Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith, 1887-1953)
from Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet (1950)
arr Amy Thompson (b1999)
1 Calvary
3 Drink to Me with Thine Own Eyes
Rhian Samuel (b1944)
Songscapes (world premiere)
three pieces for piano / tri darn ar gyfer piano
1 Hot Shoes
2 Hill Shadows
3 Wind Song
Paul Harris (b1955)
Sonatina for Wind Quartet (2025, dedicated to Tailleferre Ensemble)
1 Toccata: Allegro con fuoco
2 Andante espressivo
3 Scherzo: Allegro vivo
4 Allegro energico
Claude Arrieu (born: Louise-Marie Simon, 1903-1990)
Suite en Quatre for flute, oboe, clarinet, & bassoon (1980)
I Andante Cantabile
II Scherzando
III Adagio
IV Presto
Marcelle Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
Choral et Deux Variations (1979)
I Choral Lent
II Pastourelle Allegretto
III Rigaudon Vivement
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)
Pastorale for wind quintet Op 151 (1942)
Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith, 1887-1953)
from Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet (1950)
arr Amy Thompson (b1999)
1 Calvary
3 Drink to Me with Thine Own Eyes
Rhian Samuel (b1944)
Songscapes (world premiere)
three pieces for piano / tri darn ar gyfer piano
1 Hot Shoes
2 Hill Shadows
3 Wind Song
Paul Harris (b1955)
Sonatina for Wind Quartet (2025, dedicated to Tailleferre Ensemble)
1 Toccata: Allegro con fuoco
2 Andante espressivo
3 Scherzo: Allegro vivo
4 Allegro energico
Claude Arrieu (born: Louise-Marie Simon, 1903-1990)
Suite en Quatre for flute, oboe, clarinet, & bassoon (1980)
I Andante Cantabile
II Scherzando
III Adagio
IV Presto
Marcelle Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
Choral et Deux Variations (1979)
I Choral Lent
II Pastourelle Allegretto
III Rigaudon Vivement
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Tailleferre Ensemble
Devoted to promoting women in classical music, the Tailleferre Ensemble is a UK- based chamber collective founded by oboists Nicola Hands and Penelope Smith. Since its inception in 2019 the group has gone from strength to strength. The ensemble’s work encompasses diverse instrumentation, time periods, and genres, with a particular onus on promoting underrepresented and underappreciated works and composers, both historical and contemporary. Their playing has been praised for its ‘extensive palette of timbres’.
In February 2023 the ensemble released their debut album There are Things to be Said, which reviewers praised for their ‘superb musicianship’ and ‘effortless’ performance. Textura magazine celebrated it as an ‘exceptional debut’ on account of ‘the beauty and precision of the musicians’ playing and their sensitivity to dynamics.’ The ensemble has enjoyed airtime on radio stations across Europe and Canada, and is developing an ongoing relationship with BBC Radio 3. They are especially proud to have ongoing collaborations with numerous contemporary composers, many of whom have dedicated new works to them, including Cecilia McDowal, Paul Harris, Ingrid Stölzel, Rhian Samuel, Sally Wave, Jonathan Heeley, and Dana Joras.
Recently the ensemble has performed at London’s Conway Hall and St. John’s Smith Square, and are repeat artists for the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival and Leatherhead Concert & Arts Society. They regularly perform in recital series around the UK, including at St. James Piccadilly, Aylesbury Lunchtime Concerts, Music-at-Hill, St. John’s ARC, and Brighton’s Chapel Royal. The ensemble has also collaborated with Façade Ensemble and the South Florida Chamber Ensemble.
Individual members’ own playing experience includes with orchestras such as Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Aurora Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, as well as venues such as the National Theatre, Royal Opera House, London Coliseum, Wilderness Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, National Portrait Gallery, and Wigmore Hall, and recording at Abbey Road Studios.
The Tailleferre Ensemble are Musicians in Residence at St. John’s Church, Notting Hill.
In February 2023 the ensemble released their debut album There are Things to be Said, which reviewers praised for their ‘superb musicianship’ and ‘effortless’ performance. Textura magazine celebrated it as an ‘exceptional debut’ on account of ‘the beauty and precision of the musicians’ playing and their sensitivity to dynamics.’ The ensemble has enjoyed airtime on radio stations across Europe and Canada, and is developing an ongoing relationship with BBC Radio 3. They are especially proud to have ongoing collaborations with numerous contemporary composers, many of whom have dedicated new works to them, including Cecilia McDowal, Paul Harris, Ingrid Stölzel, Rhian Samuel, Sally Wave, Jonathan Heeley, and Dana Joras.
Recently the ensemble has performed at London’s Conway Hall and St. John’s Smith Square, and are repeat artists for the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival and Leatherhead Concert & Arts Society. They regularly perform in recital series around the UK, including at St. James Piccadilly, Aylesbury Lunchtime Concerts, Music-at-Hill, St. John’s ARC, and Brighton’s Chapel Royal. The ensemble has also collaborated with Façade Ensemble and the South Florida Chamber Ensemble.
Individual members’ own playing experience includes with orchestras such as Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Aurora Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, as well as venues such as the National Theatre, Royal Opera House, London Coliseum, Wilderness Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, National Portrait Gallery, and Wigmore Hall, and recording at Abbey Road Studios.
The Tailleferre Ensemble are Musicians in Residence at St. John’s Church, Notting Hill.
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944)
Pastorale for wind quintet Op 151 (1942) [3:40]
This Pastorale was the only work Amy Beach wrote for wind quintet and it turned out to be her penultimate work. The musicians in this recording are Continuum Wind Quintet: flute, KaiChen Cheng, oboe, Noah Kay, clarinet, Danny Mui, horn, Will de Vos, and bassoon, Joseph Swift.
Pastorale for wind quintet Op 151 (1942) [3:40]
This Pastorale was the only work Amy Beach wrote for wind quintet and it turned out to be her penultimate work. The musicians in this recording are Continuum Wind Quintet: flute, KaiChen Cheng, oboe, Noah Kay, clarinet, Danny Mui, horn, Will de Vos, and bassoon, Joseph Swift.
Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith, 1887-1953)
from Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for String Quartet (1950)
arr Amy Thompson (b1999)
1 Calvary
3 Drink to Me with Thine Own Eyes
The Asaka Quartet have played twice for Music on Thursdays concerts. Here they are, in the Angela Burgess Recital Hall of London's Royal Academy of Music, with Calvary.
The recording of Drink to Me with Thine Eyes is by an unnamed quartet, possibly at the University of Brasília, where one of the violinists was Janaína Fernandes,
Rhian Samuel (b1944)
Songscapes (world premiere)
three pieces for piano / tri darn ar gyfer piano
1 Hot Shoes • 2 Hill Shadows • 3 Wind Song
It would be fairly amazing if we had found a recording of a work for which Music on Thursdays is hosting the world premiere. To give you a flavour of Rhian Samuel's writing here is her "Gwanwyn", performed by the Portland Baroque Orchestra, directed by Julian Perkins. Watch out for their clever strapline!
Paul Harris (b1955)
Sonatina for Wind Quartet (2025, dedicated to Tailleferre Ensemble)
1 Toccata: Allegro con fuoco • 2 Andante espressivo
3 Scherzo: Allegro vivo • 4 Allegro energico
Another composer for whom we are going to offer a flavour of their work. Playing Paul Harris's Sonatina for Clarinet is Emmanuel Alfred Agbo, from Lagos Island, Nigeria.
Claude Arrieu (born: Louise-Marie Simon, 1903-1990)
Suite en Quatre for flute, oboe, clarinet, & bassoon (1980) [8:40]
I Andante Cantabile
II Scherzando
III Adagio
IV Presto
This year is the 10th anniversary of the formation of Elektra Winds. Based in North Carolina, the members are Dr Laura Dangerfield Stevens, flute, Anna Lampidis, oboe, Eileen Young, clarinet, and Amber Ferenz Spuller, bassoon. Their recording of the Suite en Quatre has a video for each movement:
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Marcelle Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
Choral et Deux Variations (1979)
I Choral Lent
II Pastourelle Allegretto
III Rigaudon Vivement
5th Wave Collective performs Choral et Deux Variations by Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) Choral et Deux Variations We are Jordan Hiley, flute Mika Allison, oboe Jess Smith, clarinet Kelly Suthers, horn Airan Wright, bassoon.
Recorded live at Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL February 9, 2019
5th Wave Collective is a Chicago-based classical music ensemble dedicated to the performance and promotion of music by womxn composers. Bringing together a diverse group of musicians, we advance our mission by including performers of all genders who support our cause. We seek to celebrate the legacy of womxn composers before us, and create a platform for those to come. Learn more at https://www.5thwavecollective.com/
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Previous concert
9 October 2025 - Phil Hopkins, harmonica, with piano accompanist - click here
Next concert 23 October 2025 - Elena Toponogova, concert pianist, click here
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