Jazz Orchestras and Senegalese Kora to Musical Bingo; New Autumn-Winter Program at Wiltshire Music Centre

Seems like an age since I last visited Bradford-on-Avon’s wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre, though I’ve been listing their vast range of events on our calendar. Maybe it’s a good time for you to check out what’s going on there as they’ve just released their autumn-winter program….

From contemporary and folk to jazz and classical, there’s a massive variety. I’d go out on a limb to suggest you’ll not find such diversity in any local music venue. The season begins with some Northumbrian pipe folk with Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening on Wednesday 2nd October. Pupils of The Yehudi Menuhin School, a global leader in music education, present a varied showcase of talent and skill from their young musicians on Sunday 6th.

While Friday 11th gets choral with innovative and creative vocal ensemble The Marian Consort, telling the story of Renaissance art through sound, renowned Pink Floyd tribute All Floyd recreates the Division Bell album on the Saturday at St Margaret’s Hall, while Syrian “Queen of the Qanan” Maya Youssef returns to the centre.

BBC Folk Musicians of the Year Andy Cutting and Sam Sweeney group with Rob Harbron on Wednesday 16th for some freeform folk under the guise Leveret. Food critic and MasterChef judge Jay Rayner arrives Saturday 19th as a pianist with a penchant for jazzy ‘80s pop; who knew?!

Catherine at the Music Centre really wanted me to highlight the Charity Musical Bingo night on Wednesday 23rd October. “It’s very new for us,” she told us, but if, like me, you’re thinking ‘bingo, really?’ note, she explained the spin on it, “we’re planning it to be glitzy and fun, with an added fancy dress competition, live music from quirky covers band FLQ, plus food from Feast Brothers. It’s a fundraiser for the Centre; instead of numbers on a bingo card, we play snippets of pop songs from the 50s onwards and if they are on your card, you mark them off until you win.”  That’s my kinda bingo!

Bringing together an electrifying seven-piece band of influential Senegalese musicians and vocalists, master kora player and singer Seckou Keita could have you swaying to the beat of his latest album, Homeland, on Friday 25th October, while The Urban Folk Quartet mix Celtic tune forms, traditional song and cross-genre influences like Afrobeat, Bluegrass, funk and rock, on Saturday 26th.

October ends with the classical, a lunchtime concert from Italian string musicians Trio Chagall, and we’ve only mentioned the first month. November sees Sir Stephen Hough, The Bristol Ensemble, both Trowbridge and Bath Symphony Orchestras, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. For folk there’s Calan and Manran, there’s a homage to Simon & Garfunkel, and a big weekend of jazz.

And we’ve not yet covered all the family events like Voices for Life where 200 children from local primary schools sing with BBC Young Chorister of the Year, Belinda Gifford-Guy, or youth projects like Wiltshire England Youth Orchestra and Wiltshire Youth Jazz Orchestra.

We’ve not touched upon the sterling work of the Zone Club at the centre, offering Monthly creative sessions for learning disabled young adults. There’s probably more amazing work going on at Wiltshire Music Centre I don’t even know about, but you cannot deny, it’s a fantastic place with a heart of gold. And you need no other reason to pick up some tickets and support their fundraisers, safe in the knowledge you’re supporting a rather special organisation pushing boundaries in local arts and music.

For full program details, and to book tickets, see HERE.

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