Four Sunday Afternoon Recitals at Portico in Portaferry
1st February 2023
Dearbhla and Finghin Collins take sibling rivalry to the next level when they share the spotlight in a special afternoon recital on Sunday 19 February at Portico in Portaferry.
The programme includes the world premiere of Sean Doherty’s new work Sonatina for two pianos. The piece is a response to Joan Trimble’s work of the same title from 1938 (which also features in the concert programme) and is in three movements: Prelude and Fugue, Variations and Impromptu. Their programme also includes two pillars of the piano duet repertoire - with the Dublin siblings performing at one piano - Schubert’s hauntingly beautiful Fantasie in F minor and Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, famously composed for the children of the composer’s friends.
Sunday afternoon recitals at 3pm continue with organist Stephen Farr on Sunday 26 February. Stephen Farr has an established reputation as one of the leading organ recitalists of his generation, with an extensive discography to his credit. His charming programme for Portico includes Bach, Bartok, Grave, McDowall, Mendelssohn, Pärt, Schumann, Stanley and Wilby.
Praised for her “beauty of sound” in Seen and Heard International, British trumpeter Matilda Lloyd joins forces with organist Richard Gowers on Sunday 12 March. Alongside contemporary French works are pieces heralding from the Baroque era, with Purcell’s sparkling Sonata in D and Giazotto’s Adagio in G minor displaying the triumphant piccolo trumpet sound. A particular highlight of the programme includes their brand-new arrangement of J.S. Bach’s monumental Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
On Sunday 26 March, rising star British baritone James Newby and pianist Niall Kinsella perform Schubert’s song cycle Die schöne Müllerin. Opera Today noted, “Newby’s is a wonderfully even baritone voice, velvet-smooth and secure throughout the range with an unshakable technique.”
These concerts are supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and further information on the performances can be found at porticoards.com