The Buckingham Summer Festival
In 2024 Gino returned to the Buckingham Summer Festival as their Artist in Residence after a gap of 18 years. In 2006 Gino had the pleasure of drawing and working at the festival with Professor Alan Brook MBE who founded the festival alongside Artistic Director Robert Secret ARAM. A thriving festival where many top quality classical musicians perform.
2024 saw Gino draw and paint all live performances to create a record of both the performance and the musical sounds made by the musicians and performers.
In this section Gino has included a selection of drawings he made in 2006.
Haruko Seki
Haruko Seki
Field: Nocturne No. 10 in E minor
Chopin: Nocturne in C minor Op. 48 No. 1
Chopin: Andante Spianato and Grande
Polonaise Brillante Op. 22
Liszt: Liebesträume No. 3
Liszt: Un Sospiro Trois Études de Concert No. 3
Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Haruko Seki, described by Musical Opinion as "a pianist with an innate ability to communicate with her audience" has performed at many major UK venues including St John's Smith Square, The South Bank, Wigmore and Fairfield Halls. The Times said, "vivid colouristic strokes...bathed in tonal beauty... took one off into a world of serene enchantment."
She is a director of the British Music Series in her hometown Sapporo.
Haruko Seki
SHIRLEY TURNER, PETER MALLINSON, LYNN ARNOLD
SHIRLEY TURNER VIOLIN
PETER MALLINSON VIOLA
LYNN ARNOLD - PIANO
Arlen: Somewhere over the Rainbow
Spain-Dunk: The Lonely Moor & Jig
Klughardt: Schilflieder
Bowen: 3 Duos
Monti: Czardas
Letanka: Agree to Disagree
Shirley, a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and multi- award winner performs regularly with Peter, also a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a sought-after chamber musician. He performs with world-class ensembles like the Aylwin Quartet and inspires new solo works. Lynn is celebrated for her collaborative musicianship and advocacy for British music, known for her colourful interpretations as a chamber musician, soloist, and accompanist in the UK and internationally.
ARTSUNG - Edith Sitwell
ARTSUNG - Edith Sitwell
FEATURING
Lucy Stevens
Guy Elliott
Elizabeth Mucha
Nigel Foster
Roxani Eleni-Garefalaki
James Symonds
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the death of the legendary Grande Dame of 20th-century English poetry, Dame Edith Sitwell: a perfect opportunity to revive and celebrate her fantastic brand of artistry.
Acclaimed actress/contralto Lucy Stevens takes on the role of Edith Sitwell, both narrating and singing. She is joined on stage by tenor Guy Elliott, a prize- winner at the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition.
A feature of this programme is the arrangement of several movements from Façade for piano duet performed by Art Sung founder, Elizabeth Mucha, with her piano duo partner, Nigel Foster.
Art Sung’s director, Roxani Eleni-Garefalaki, also appears on stage to dance a short, choreographed excerpt from Erik Satie’s ballet, “Parade” which was a major inspiration for Façade.
Backstage, video artist James Symonds visually interprets Edith’s poetry by weaving in experimental and abstract video work by photographer Etienne Gilfillan creates a
series of animated sketches to illustrate Edith’s reminiscences.
Ingrid Jacoby
Ingrid Jacoby
Bach-Busoni: Chaconne in D minor (transcription from Violin Partita: No.2, BWV 1004)
Beethoven: Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op.109
Fauré:
NImpromptu in E-flat major Op. 25
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
Debussy: Les collines d'Anacapri, from Preludes, Book I
Ingrid Jacoby is renowned as one of the most poetic and admired pianists of her generation and has won numerous prestigious competitions.
She has performed to critical acclaim worldwide and worked with many of the world's leading conductors. Ingrid is a Steinway Artist, and member of the Steinway Hall of Fame honoured with a Career Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters in the United States.
GRACE OLIVER & LUCAS CUNHA
New paragraph
Grace Oliver and Lucas Chuna
Lehmann: ‘The Daisy Chain’ (Selection)
Lehmann: Evensong
Hoddinott: 6 Welsh Folksongs (Selection)
Dove: All You Who Sleep Tonight
Strauss: Madchenblumen, Op. 22
Strauss: Morgen, Op. 27 No.4
Debussy: Ariettes Oubliées (Selection)
Chaminade: Song Selection
Soprano Grace Oliver is studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. In 2023 she performed with the London Philharmonic Choir and London Philharmonic Orchestra in Mahler’s 2nd Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall.
Lucas Cunha studied at the Royal College of Music Junior Department for three years and was regarded as one of the “department's best pianists”. He is currently studying piano at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he is a recipient of multiple awards.
The Summer Ensemble
The Summer Ensemble
Fauré: Piano Quartet No.1 in C minor, Op.15
Elgar: Piano Quintet in A minor, Op.84
Charles Sewart - Violin
Gillian Secret - Violin
Robert Secret - Viola
Julian Metzger - Cello
Deborah Shah - Piano
Elgar worked on the Quintet and two other major chamber pieces in the summer of 1918 while staying at Brinkwells near Fittleworth in Sussex. W H Reed considered that all three were "influenced by the quiet and peaceful surroundings during that wonderful summer".
“Lady Elgar hinted at a programmatic basis for the work, noting in her diary that the first movement represented a group of trees in Flexham Park near Brinkwells. According to legend, these trees comprised the remains of Spanish monks who had engaged in sacrilegious ceremonies in the park and were struck by lightning.”
Neil Crossland
Neil Crossland
Clementi: Sonata in D major Op. 26 No.3
Beethoven: Sonata No 4 in E flat major Op. 7
Crossland: Piano Suite No 2 Op 65(2nd Performance)
Chopin: Nocturnes No 13 in C minor Op. 48 No.1 No 15 in F minor Op 55 No 1
Yorkshire pianist and composer Neil Crossland, studied at the Royal College of Music, where he won major prizes in piano and composition. He has performed widely both in the UK and internationally at various prestigious venues including Albert Hall, the Barbican and St. James’s Piccadilly where he performed all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in a concert series. Neil has played his own works, including unfinished Schubert sonatas, in concert series worldwide.
The Romantic Cor Anglais
Christopher Redgate - Cor Anglais
Stephen Robbings - Piano
Beethoven: Sonata Op. 17
Pasculli: Amelia
Pasculli: Melodia
Yvon: Sonata
Christopher Redgate, studied at Chethams' School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. He has won international prizes and developed a successful career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. Christopher has performed in various countries and enjoys a successful career around the world as a soloist.
Stephen Robbings, a highly awarded Royal Academy of Music scholar, has performed concertos at prestigious UK venues including Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Members of the Orchestra of Stowe Opera
with Yuko Sano
Members of the Orchestra of Stowe Opera WITH Yuko Sano
Sibelius: Elegy and Musette from King Christian II Suite Op. 27
Mozart: Piano Concerto no 23 in A major K488
Mozart: Divertimento No. 15 K 287 “Lodron”
Members of The Orchestra of Stowe Opera Leader - Charles Sewart
Conductor - Robert Secret
Yuko Sano – Piano
Japanese pianist Yuko Sano is known for her virtuosity and magical sound- making with unlimited colours. Her international career as a concert pianist began at the age of 8 in Salzburg. She has performed in over 40 cities across China, Europe, the UK, the USA, and South America as well as in Japan.
Yuko Sano was the first Japanese pianist to become a Young Steinway Artist in 2014 and became a Steinway Artist in 2018
JILL CROSSLAND
Jill Crossland
Bach: Selection from the well-tempered Clavier
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No 17 in D minor Op. 31 No.2 "Tempest"
Chopin: Fantasie-Impromptu Op. posth. 66, WN46
Jill Crossland has made appearances throughout Europe, including giving many recitals in London, including at the South Bank, and The Wigmore Hall. Jill has been featured in the Classic FM Hall of Fame and her Bach’s The Well Tempered Clavier has received high praise, described by the Penguin Guide as “a remarkable achievement, ranking with the finest”.
Instruments of Time and Truth
Instruments of Time and Truth
Pachelbel: Canon in D major
Pachelbel: Trio sonata
Buxtehude: Trio sonata Biber: Mystery Sonata
Biber: Trio sonata
Bojan Čičić - Violin.New
Lizzie MacCarthy - Violin
Susanne Heinrich - Viola da Gamba Martin Perkins - Harpsichord
Instruments of Time and Truth is a period ensemble presenting world-class performances of baroque and classical music. The ensemble is a showcase for the exceptional talents of international period musicians. Croatian violinist Bojan Čičić is a prominent figure in early music as a soloist and music director.
Julian Metzger - Lynn Arnold - Robert Secret
Julian Metzger - cello
Lynn Arnold - piano
Robert Secret - viola
Joachim: Variations on an Original Theme Op. 10
Dietrich: Cello Sonata in C major Op. 15
Schumann: Fantasiestücke Op. 73
Brahms: Trio for Viola, Cello and Piano in A minor Op. 114
"Frei aber einsam" ("free but lonely") was Joachim’s personal motto. The F- A-E Sonata, a four-movement work for violin and piano, is a work by three composers: Schumann, Brahms and Dietrich composed in 1853. This concert does not include the F-A-E Sonata but works by all the composers involved. Joachim was a great friend of Brahms and the two of them influenced each other’s compositions.
Craig Greene
Craig Greene
Scarlatti: Two Sonatas in C minor K. 99 & 56
Beethoven: Six Bagatelles Op. 126
Schumann: Three Romances Op. 28
Mendelssohn: Six Songs without Words Op. 19
Granados: El amor y la muerte (Love and death)
from Goyescas Op. 11
After graduating from Oxford University with a double first-class degree, Craig continued his studies at the Royal College of Music with Dmitri Alexeev, Maia Griffin, and Ashley Wass.
Granados was fascinated with the painter Goya and El amor y la muerte tells the story of an etching by Goya of the same name.
Alun Thomas, Julian Metzger, Craig Greene
Alun Thomas - violin
Julian Metzger - cello
Craig Greene - piano
Fauré: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor
Fauré’s Piano Trio, his penultimate work composed in 1922 was originally intended as a trio for clarinet, cello and piano. The first performance as a trio with violin was given by Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, and Alfred Cortot. Fauré was a professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire. Among his pupils were Maurice Ravel and Nadia Boulanger.
Timothy Judd says of the Ravel Trio, composed in 1914
“Ravel’s Piano Trio inhabits a sensuous dreamscape, far removed from politics and war. It provides a magical escape into a world of shimmering colours, exoticism, fleeting shadows, and an underlying sense of quiet lament. Ravel later noted that the first movement (Modéré) is “Basque in colouring.”
Tad Newton and his Jazz Friends
Tad Newton - Trombone/Vocals
Gary Wood - Trumpet/Flugelhorn/Vocals
Mike Wills - Clarinet/Tenor sax/Alto sax/Soprano sax
Tomas Pedersen - Bass
Alan Haughton - Piano
Ronnie Fenn - Drums
Established as one of the most respected and entertaining outfits on the British jazz scene,with their adventurous and eclectic repertoire, Tad and Friends gain plaudits wherever they perform, headlining venues such as Royal
Festival Hall, The Barbican Centre, The Stables at Wavendon and Derngate Centre, Northampton. They also made highly successful appearances at The Spice of Life 2023 to mark the band's 40th anniversary!
Gala Concert - The Orchestra of Stowe Opera
The Orchestra of Stowe Opera
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major Op. 61
Bruckner: Symphony no 4 in E-Flat major, “Romantic”
Alun Thomas - Violin
Robert Secret - Conductor
Ron Colyer- Leader
Alun Thomas had his first professional appointment (age 20) as Co-Principal 2nd violin in the Bournemouth Sinfonietta during his final year as a student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. A lover of Bach's solo violin works, Alun has also given performances of the entire set of these six works in Cambridge and has plans to repeat the cycle in Windsor later this year.
Robert Secret was a student at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied conducting under Maurice Miles, and won the Principal’s Prize and many other awards including all the major conducting prizes. He studied conducting with Jean Fournet & Marius Constant in Holland and conducting opera with Sir Edward Downes. Robert Secret co-founded The Buckingham Summer Festival with Professor Alan Brook in 1989.
The only Symphony Bruckner gave a subtitle to, was his fourth symphony, a work that was a great success from the first performance in 1881 conducted by Hans Richter. Bruckner gave an impression of the work:
“Medieval city
Daybreak
Morning calls sound from the city towers
the gates open
On proud horses, the knights burst out into the open, the magic of nature envelops them
forest murmurs
bird song and so the Romantic picture develops further”.
