The wonderful collection of keyboard instruments at the Finchcocks Charity in Tunbridge Wells, will be opening its doors for the first time in conjunction with the Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival.
Fourteen original and important period keyboard instruments from the seventeenth to the mid nineteen centuries are displayed and used regularly by keyboard players, professionals, amateurs, students and children.
These instruments have been collected over the years by Richard Burnett and form the “Richard Burnett Collection”. Dating from 1700 – 1866, the collection features a spinet, harpsichord, clavichord, English and Viennese pianos from renowned makers such as Clementi, Erard, Pleyel, Graf, Kirckman, Rosenberger and Walter.
The evening will include a guided tour of the instruments and a chance to play some of the them yourselves.
For more information, see Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival.
The Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival opens its 2025 season with a stunning concert of opera arias and songs by the up-and-coming star Eyra Norman.
Expect an evening of Mozartian magic, Bellini beauty and sublime song. Booking information here.
Check out the rest of the Festival at www.tunbridgewellsfestival.co.uk. There’s a recital of stunning French organ showpieces, and opportunities for young musicians to take part in an advanced performance masterclass. Also featured in the line-up are the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra’s October concert, launching their new season with a resounding programme of Wagner, Berlioz and Saint-Saens, and a recital by violinist Yixuan Ren, who was a finalist at last year’s Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition.
One particularly special event will be a cabaret evening at Club Quantum on Linden Park Road with the award-winning West End star singer Lorna Want and Chris Hatt, the musical director of Hamilton. And the season’s finale features one of the country’s leading singers, Mark Padmore, with a delicious programme of English song.
Eyra Norman is a Malaysian-born British soprano, celebrated for her “sweet soprano tone and natural presence” (The Guardian) in both opera and song.
Recently, she won first place in the London Song Festival Schubert Song Prize, 2024, further establishing her as an emerging talent in the classical music world.
Eyra graduated with distinction in the Master of Performance program at the Royal College of Music, having completed her Bachelor of Music with first-class honours.
She was awarded the Drake Calleja Trust Scholarship for 2023-2024, named a Shipston Rising Star in 2024, and joined Opera Prelude as a young artist in 2025.
Eyra’s national debut came in 2019 as Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with the English National Opera and Unicorn Theatre. Since then, she has performed as a soloist at venues including the Royal Opera House (Cover), Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Royal Albert Hall. In Hong Kong, she had the pleasure of performing for the Prince of Liechtenstein at St. John’s Cathedral.
We’re throwing an afternoon hymn party! Come along to raise the roof with some favourite hymns and a cup of tea or glass of Pimm’s, accompanied by the superb organ at King Charles the Martyr.
There’ll be quizzes, fun facts and special requests. New hymns and old, great ones and strange ones, the tuneful and soulful: all in one big sing-song.
With organists Gavin Barrett, Paul Clark and David Williams.
Retiring collection for Hall4All.
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The Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival is hosting a performance masterclass at King Charles the Martyr Church on Saturday 11th October 2025. The masterclass will be led by Julian Black, a former professional repetiteur and conductor who has worked at the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and the Hamburg State Opera House.
The opportunity is open to about 5 performers, to come and be coached by Julian for about 20-30 minutes each during the afternoon of the Saturday, followed by a small concert in the evening.
To apply or for further information, contact info@tunbridgewellsfestival.co.uk
Successful applicants will be enthusiastic musicians with a minimum standard of Grade 8. Pianists will be able to use the church's beautiful, well-maintained Yamaha grand piano, and other performers are welcome to bring their own accompanist, or else we would be happy to provide an accompanist by arrangement, either Julian or another experienced musician. Alongside improving their performances, the focus of the masterclass will be to help our performers really connect with the emotional element of the music and play from the heart.
There will also be a small fee for taking part, although allowances will be made for people on lower incomes.
About Julian
Julian Black read Music at Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he was assistant conductor to the Chapel Choir. He conducted the university symphony orchestras, and music-directed several operas including Hansel and Gretel, Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Gianni Schicchi.
After leaving Cambridge, Julian went on to study on the Repetiteurs’ Course at the National Opera Studio, working with artists including Susan Bullock, Richard Armstrong and Nicholas Cleobury. He founded his own opera company, Ardente Opera, in 2009, producing and music-directing four professional opera productions in London.
Then followed a year studying conducting with Paul Brough and working as a freelance opera pianist in London. Highlights included working with Sir Antonio Pappano on Keith Warner’s Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House, as the Assistant Conductor to Ollie Gooch for the world premiere of Tarik O’Regan’s opera Heart of Darkness at the Linbury Theatre, and accompanying performances for the English National Opera’s Young Artists scheme. Julian then took up a full-time repetiteur’s position at the Hamburg State Opera House, playing on productions including Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Falstaff and Don Carlo.
Having decided to leave classical music as a full-time profession at this point, Julian has spent the past years bringing together his classical background with his skills as an improviser and a love of meditation and spirituality. Alongside his work as a musician, Julian has a private craniosacral therapy private practice in Tunbridge Wells.
The latest in our Bank Holiday fundraisers is a fascinating talk by one of the organists at King Charles the Martyr, Gavin Barrett, with musical illustrations, some of which will be recordings and others played live on the organ by another member of the organ team, David Williams.
Bach saw his purpose, as musician, theologian and teacher, to illuminate the words of Scripture and to strengthen Faith. That his music is regarded by composers, since his death in 1750, as incomparable attests to its profundity. “Bach is the father and we are the children” said Mozart.
Free admission with a retiring collection for the Hall4All fund.
With the Mayor as a special guest (she remarked that it was likely to be her favourite event of her mayoral year!) the whole evening was a delight, rounded off by a tremendous tea very generously provided by the King Charles Cooks.
The choir comprises around a dozen boys and just six men – slightly smaller than the average cathedral choir. They provide music for royal events, of course, but their main duties are the Sunday services in the chapel at Hampton Court (which are open to the public).
It was wonderful to hear music composed in the age of the Stuart monarchs, which would have been sung in the chapels royal at the time. We were witnessing part of an unbroken English tradition, performed with great proficiency and decorum.
The professionalism and courtesy of the boys was remarkable. But there was no aloofness in our visitors (including the chaplain and chapel clerk). They were genuinely interested to visit the church and learn about our royal heritage, as well as being delighted by the welcome and hospitality we gave them. Tea and cake really do work wonders!
After the concert we held a reception in the hall which gave us a chance to publicise the Hall fundraising campaign. The Mayor said a few words in support, endorsing the importance of community spaces for the town, and she promised to spread the word more widely. All the profits from the concert will go to the fund.
Director of Music Carl Jackson retires this summer, but he expressed a confident hope that the connection between King Charles the Martyr and the royal chapel will continue for many years to come.
Just two days after the actual date (27th March 1625) when James I died and Charles I came to the throne, this event is accompanied by an exhibition of artefacts relating to the King and the church.
The concert is followed by a reception, with an opportunity to learn more about the Hall4All project, restoring the church hall to a viable and versatile community space.
‘Angel’s music in mortal’s dress’ – an illustrated lecture on the life and music of the influential Stuart courtier and musician, John Wilson (1595-1674).
Talk by Matthew Spring, with musical illustrations by the ensemble Galliarda.
Born in Faversham, Wilson was one of the most famous and prominent musicians and singers of the Stuart age; a man who was well known and well liked in the theatre, court, university, and the chapel royal. A prolific composer of over 300 songs, some of them from famous staged productions by Shakespeare and Fletcher that resulted from his long service to the King’s Men Company, for which he started his London career as a boy singer at the Blackfriars theatre. As the third Heather Professor of Music in Oxford he did much to rebuild music making in Oxford after the civil war, and we’ll hear some of his music and that of other leading lights of the early English Baroque.
FREE with retiring collection*, followed by TEA in the church hall.
To find out a little about this subject in advance, you can watch this talk Matthew gave in 2020 to the Lute Society https://youtu.be/rZcjDRhK8dY?
* "Pay as you can". For those able to do so, donations of £10+ suggested.
