Musicians South West
A COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY
Syrinx Ensemble
Syrinx - Leslie Sheills (flute), Jane Finch (oboe), Colin Parr (clarinet), Martin Gatt (bassoon) & Jacquelyn Bevan (piano) - are the South West's foremost wind & piano quintet. With members based in South Wales, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire, the group perform regularly in Somerset at venues including Tilham Farm, Baltonsborough and Wedmore Village Hall, where they play regular fundraising supper concerts for Wedmore Opera.
Syrinx' wind players have played with
most of the UK's top orchestras and as
members of the Lynn Trio have recorded acclaimed CDs, including the Collected
Chamber Works of Madeleine Dring and Francaix, Damase & Poulenc.
Concerts Spring 2018
Syrinx are joined by talented young violinist, Poppy McGhee for three concerts:
Friday 19th January 7.30pm £15
Syrinx at Tilham Barn nr Glastonbury
To book email suepeto@gmail.com
Saturday, 20th January 7pm £15
Syrinx at Wells Town Hall
Saturday, 24th February 7pm £15
Syrinx at Wells Town Hall:
Music from Stage & Screen
Jane Finch (oboe) studied music at Goldsmith’s University and Trinity College of Music, London before becoming a professional classical musician. Her principal instruments are the oboe and cor anglais, though she also plays piano. As a soloist and orchestral musician she has performed at prestigious London venues including the Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Purcell Rooms, St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the Albert Hall. Her performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and she has recorded the chamber works of Madeline Dring with bassoonist Martin Gatt for MRC Records to great critical acclaim. In 2000 she founded the Syrinx Ensemble with players from the London Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. She began writing music for students several years ago and this has matured to the stage where she is now pursuing a career as a song-writer. Her output encompasses pop, modern country, children’s and atmospheres for film and TV.
Leslie Sheills (flute) was born in Liverpool, and was initially taught by Atarah Ben Tovim, until he went to the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was taught by Trevor Wye and Pat Morris. After a period of freelance playing with orchestras including The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, The Ulster Orchestra, The WNO and the Northern Sinfonia, he took up the position of Principal Flute with the National Symphony Orchestra in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he remained for 20 years. During that time he recorded extensively for Radio, TV, and for the Koch Classical CD label, winning an Artes Award nomination for his recordings of the complete Bach Flute Sonatas, and performed all the major Flute Concertos, including World Premiere performances of two new concertos by South African composers Peter Klatzow and Alan Stephens. He returned to the UK in 1996, and is now Head of Woodwind at Millfield School. Unwilling to relinquish his passion for playing, he now plays with a number of chamber ensembles, and for the BHCO in Bristol.
Colin Parr (clarinet) joined the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as principal clarinet in 1969 after six years at the Royal Opera House orchestra. During his time with the CBSO he appeared as soloist on many occasions and also as guest principal with the LSO, LPO and Philharmonia. He retired from the CBSO in 2003, moving to the South Hams, where he continues to perform with a number of prestigious ensembles.
Jacquelyn Bevan (piano) learned to play 'by ear' from a very young age, studying from age 13 with Caroline Diffley, and later with Dennis Dance at the Guildhall. She gained a Joint Hons Degree in Music & French from Bristol University and was Director/Head of Music for 5 years in secondary schools and sixth form colleges, followed by 15 years as a lecturer in Further and Higher Education, including 4 years as moderator for Access to Music. In 1996 Jacquelyn became a full-time pianist and piano teacher and is in much demand as an accompanist, working with singers, solo instrumentalists and a wide variety of chamber ensembles. Jacquelyn is accompanist for South West Music School and the Mid-Somerset Festival, and is a founder member of Musicians South West CIC.
Born in Aberdeen, Martin Gatt (bassoon) studied with Archie Camden at the Royal College of Music and aged 21 became Principal Bassoonist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra where he stayed for 8 years. During the last 4 of these he also played Principal with the newly formed English Chamber Orchestra, and when that became a full time post he left the LPO and during the next 10 years devoted his time to playing for such conductors as Britten, Barenboim, and Leppard. During his years in the ECO he also played with The Academy of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, became a founder member of the London Sinfonietta, and with Barry Tuckwell founded the Tuckwell Wind Quintet which performed around the world for the next 20 years.
In 1978 Martin was invited by the LSO to become their Principal bassoon, and there he stayed until 1998 when, looking for a quieter pace of life and a new and different challenge, he and his wife, Liz, moved to the West Country. Martin was Professor of Bassoon at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 20 years and was awarded F.G.S.M in 1979 and elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 2002. Martin has recorded most of the solo and chamber repertoire for EMI, Phillips, Decca and RCA and has performed as soloist world-wide. He has recorded acclaimed CDs, including the Poulenc and Francaix trios and the Damase Trio for oboe, horn and piano, sanctioned by Damase to be recorded on bassoon, with the Lynn Trio (Margaret Lynn – piano and Jane Finch – oboe) and arrangements of Lieder, arias and French songs with Margaret Lynn with whom he has performed and recorded exclusively as a duo since 1984.