Formed in 2001 at the Royal College of Music, the Sacconi Quartet is rapidly gaining an enviable reputation as one of the outstanding quartets of their generation. Programme includes Haydn’s String Quartet in G and Ravel’s String Quartet in F.

“The excellent Sacconi Quartet” Evening Standard

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From stunning, virtuoso displays of traditional tango to powerful, groundbreaking contemporary tango music and dance, Tango:Nuevo is an exquisite and breathtaking journey into the heart of Tango Argentino and beyond.

“…a brilliant fusion of classical, tango, jazz and roots” The Guardian

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Nigel Short conductor Performed by candlelight, Tenebrae chamber choir creates an atmosphere of spiritual and musical reflection, where medieval chant and renaissance works are interspersed with contemporary compositions to create an ethereal mood of contemplation.

A choir of 18 will sing excerpts from the Rachmaninov Vespers interspersed with other sacred orthodox music by Stravinsky, Tavener and Chesnokov. The choir uses the acoustics and atmosphere of the building to enable the audience to experience the power and intimacy of the human voice. Douai Abbey is undoubtedly the perfect venue for such a performance and this concert is simply not to be missed.

“The singing of Tenebrae was extraordinarily beautiful and moving. I recommend anyone who has the chance, should listen to them” Ralph Fiennes

Keston Sutherland will be performing his poetry with improvised music and sound by the avant-garde jazz duo the Pleasure-Drenching Improvers (PDI) who use bricks, copper piping, spatulas, dictaphones and feedback loops to create a unique sound. The music is made without any score, pre-conceived scheme, or even prior discussion!

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Emanuel Ax is one of today's most highly regarded musicians, renowned for his poetic temperament and unsurpassed virtuosity. His recital features Schumann’s Fantasie and Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata.

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A unique programme of verse and music illustrating how the sensibilities of Romantic poetry were reflected in associated musical compositions. This concert offers rarely heard melodramas by Liszt, Strauss, Schubert and a new commission by the brilliant young English composer Edward Rushton.

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Derek Paravicini is an extraordinarily talented pianist, despite being blind and having severe learning difficulties. He plays entirely by ear and he is a great improviser. Derek will open his concert by playing ragtime, blues and traditional jazz. To conclude, he will invite members of the audience to choose the piece, the style and the key!

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Featuring top West End singers and the highest quality musicians, the WestEnders will take you on a unique musical journey of some of your favourite shows. Performed from the heart and from real experience of London’s West End, The WestEnders will leave you wanting more...and more...and more...

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Li-Wei has established a formidable reputation on the international concert scene and has won several prestigious awards. In addition to his recital at Woolley Park, Li-Wei is returning to give this Masterclass with students from Berkshire Maestros.

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England’s oldest and best loved traditional brass band return to Newbury with a popular programme of traditional classics and modern arrangements including music by Eric Ball, William Walton and Philip Sparke.

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INSIGHT 2008 is the flagship exhibition for Open Studios. The work of every artist in the scheme will be on show in the Gallery at New Greenham Arts which has a national reputation for contemporary art. Use the printed Directory of Artists as a guide, visit the exhibition which will help you devise your own studio trail.

In the Tandoori Restaurant adjacent to the Gallery, Sarah Moorcroft will be showing framed mixed media works and paintings on pure silk. In 2007 Sarah was a finalist in a national design competition for the TV programme The Clothes Show. Her designs were featured on a catwalk show for The Clothes Show exhibition at the NEC Birmingham and she was also interviewed for the TV series.

Directed by Nikolai Foster
Lighting by Guy Hoare
Music by Grant Olding

Just what is it about the ravishing heiress Grace Harkaway that attracts the attentions of both the aging, self-deluded dandy Sir Harcourt Courtly and his rakish son Charles? Destined to be married for her money, Grace professes indifference to her fate. Her resolve to remain aloof begins to waiver, however, when Charles arrives at her country estate in the guise of “Augustus Hamilton”.

Grace colludes with her cousin, the lusty Lady Gay Spanker, who undertakes to distract her ageing suitor, leaving Grace free to pursue the object of her desire. The course of true love is further complicated by the scheming lawyer Mr Meddle and Charles’ shady friend, Richard Dazzle.

This witty and stylish, romantic comedy about misunderstandings and mistaken identity inspired the work of Oscar Wilde and a generation of aesthetes.