Packed programme for 2022 Berwick Music Series

‘String Theory: Music for Solo Strings’ – which will run from September to October – was officially launched at a gathering of sponsors, influencers and event staff in Berwick’s Gymnasium Gallery on Wednesday.

It will feature live performances from three notable instrumentalists in Darragh Morgan (violin), Fiona Winning (viola) and Anton Lukoszevieze (cello).

Works to be performed include the greats of the high Baroque such as J.S. Bach and G.P. Telemann. These will be performed alongside the works of contemporary composers, including several living composers from the North East of England.

In addition to these core solo performances, the programme will also include a strong educational element. Lectures on Baroque art and culture, and the Baroque musical style and its influence on later generations of composers, will provide some rich context for the music series.

Elsewhere, Berwick Music Series staff will be collaborating with a number of local schools to produce a celebratory community concert.

The final piece will be a musical installation in Berwick’s Guildhall based on Alvin Lucier’s Music on a Long Thin Wire.

Professor Michael Worboys, Berwick Music Series artistic director, said: “The mission of the Berwick Music Series has always been to celebrate classical and contemporary music played by soloists and small ensembles of the highest standard.

“Our core performers this year are no exception, acknowledged both nationally and internationally for their craft.

“The programme also provides us with an opportunity to showcase work by local composers here in the North East of England.

“I’d like to thank the many sponsors and supporters who have helped make this programme possible, and who are responsible for the growing success of the event.”

The final element of this year’s event is a competition that called for compositions for single stringed instruments (violin, viola and cello). It received a total of 94 entries – including North East entries and from 19 different countries as far afield as Brazil, Thailand, Iraq and Latvia.

For more information about the Berwick Music Series and the 2022 programme, go to berwickmusic.org