AUTUMN AWAITS!
The Music Circle’s Spring 2025 concerts offered remarkable variety and drew enthusiastic audiences. Sussex Chamber Players gave an exhilarating chamber feast, Baroque Alchemy’s inventive fusion lit up the Barn with colour and creativity, and Onyx Brass closed the season in truly celebratory style. Now we turn to our 84th Season and a fresh series of autumn delights – three fine concerts to savour and share. We look forward to welcoming both familiar faces and new listeners for another inspiring musical journey.
We open the season on Saturday 20th September at 7.00pm in St Mary’s Church, with a celebration of two popular piano quintets – Schubert’s sparkling ‘Trout’ and Vaughan Williams’s lyrical early work for the same joyous combination. Our performers from Ensemble 360, including pianist Tim Horton and rising star double bassist Will Duerden, bring exceptional musicality and warmth. A triumphant start to the season.
This outstanding ensemble brings together some of the UK’s most dynamic chamber musicians, each with an impressive pedigree from the nation’s leading music colleges. Since its founding, Ensemble 360 has gained a reputation for fresh, imaginative programming and engaging performances that reach far beyond the concert platform. The musicians are passionate about sharing chamber music with all audiences and regularly appear at major festivals and on BBC Radio 3.
The programme pairs two radiant works: Vaughan Williams’s Piano Quintet in C minor, an early work full of rich textures and sweeping melodies, and Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet, one of the most beloved pieces in the chamber repertoire. Full of joy, wit, and melodic invention, it provides the perfect contrast, showcasing the ensemble’s versatility and warmth. This promises to be a glorious and uplifting evening of music-making of the highest calibre.
Then on Saturday 18th October at 7.00pm, we welcome one of the UK’s most admired period keyboard artists, Steven Devine, for an intimate recital in the Causeway Barn. A familiar figure on the early music scene, Steven brings a wealth of experience as a harpsichordist, conductor and teacher, with regular engagements across Europe and the UK.
He is Principal Keyboard Player of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and founder of The Art of Moog, the group that reimagines Bach on synthesizers. In this recital, The Bach Circle, Steven explores the music of composers closest to JS Bach—his sons Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedemann — as well as his beloved pupil Johann Ludwig Krebs and well-respected virtuoso Froberger. These works, performed on a harpsichord by Colin Booth, 2013 after Christian Vater 1738, span an expressive range from the baroque’s formal elegance to the early classical period’s harmonic richness and flair. Interwoven with this is the timeless brilliance of JS Bach himself. Devine’s stylish playing and deep insight into this repertoire promise a recital that will be both enlightening and full of musical charm.
Finally, on Saturday 29th November at 4.30pm, we’re delighted to bring back harpist Heather Wrighton, joined by flautist Emma Halnan and violist Marie De Bry as the Aurora Trio. Their unusual instrumentation and expressive style promise a captivating close to our Autumn series, with music by Bax, Debussy and Ravel in the atmospheric Causeway Barn.
The Aurora Trio offers a distinctive blend of timbres—at once sparkling, mellow, and richly textured. The players are all respected soloists and chamber musicians who have performed at Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and major festivals across the UK. Individually, they have built impressive careers as recitalists, orchestral musicians and passionate educators. The trio’s remarkable sense of colour, character and ensemble finesse makes for an ideal concert for a winter afternoon and a serene finale to this vibrant series.
A further series of concerts are to come in the Spring of 2026 to complete the Circle’s 84th Season.
Full booking details and programme information can be found on the What’s On and Bookings pages. The concerts are open to all. Individual tickets available but do consider taking advantage of the special deal for those attending all three Autumn concerts. Tickets also available on the door.
Cash accepted for interval refreshments and programmes (Wine/Juice £4/£1, Programmes £1).
Nearest parking: behind Causeway Barn (from 6pm), Denne Road Car Park RH12 1JH, or Forum Car Park RH12 1NU (closes 10pm).
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We look forward to seeing you again—and to welcoming new audience members discovering the joy of live music for the first time. Come along and give it a try!
