Christopher Sayles, piano: 29 October

Saturday, 29 October, 7:30pm
£12.50 (£11 in advance, tickets available here)

We are delighted to welcome international concert pianist Christopher Sayles to King Charles for a recital of Beethoven Sonatas. Through the evening, Christopher will introduce the music, talking about Beethoven's life and how he revolutionised composition for the instrument.

This is the first solo recital on the church's Yamaha grand piano since its renovation earlier this year.


Christopher Sayles was born in Caterham, Surrey in 1984 and began taking piano lessons at the age of seven. At the same time he became a chorister at St. John’s Church, Caterham Valley, where he eventually progressed to become Head Chorister, as well as obtaining the St. Nicholas Award (now Gold Award) in July 1998. Christopher was educated at St. Bede’s School, Redhill, where his passion for music greatly increased.

In 2003 he went to study music at Leeds College of Music, where he was given piano tuition by Marion Raper and Julian Cima. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Michael Grady Award for Piano Accompaniment. On completing his Bachelor Degree in June 2006, Marion Raper persuaded him to stay on to take his Masters and a subsequent career in music. His recitals of this time included Beethoven’s third piano concerto, Debussy’s “Pour le piano” and other works of reputable note.

On finishing his Masters, Christopher made his public concert debut in the Leeds International Concert Season in October 2007. His highly praised performance of the Brahms Op.79 Rhapsodies led to his being awarded the Robert Tebb Trophy for Outstanding Performance.

In the years following his studies at Leeds, Christopher moved back to Caterham, and was very active as a concert pianist, giving solo recitals in famous London churches, various music societies and cathedrals nationwide. In 2008 and 2010 respectively, he gained his Licentiate and Fellowship Diplomas at Trinity College of Music with distinction.

From 2009 to 2011 he was Director of Music at the United Reformed Church, Caterham. Christopher moved to Berlin in 2011 with his then girlfriend, now wife, Linda. There he continues his concert career, giving recitals in Berlin and Brandenburg, as well as teaching piano at the Musikschule Landkries-Oder-Spree, Schöneiche.

Programme
Sonata No.2 in A Major, Op.2 No.2
Sonata No.9 in E Major, Op.14 No.1
Sonata No.13 in E Flat Major, Op.27 No.1
Sonata No.14 in C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight'

The Schubert Ensemble, 13 October

Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival presents the world-famous Schubert Ensemble on Thursday 13 October at 7:30pm

We are delighted that the TWIMF return to King Charles to host this concert. Tickets available here at the discounted price for advance booking. Tickets for under-18s are just £5.

Since its first concert in January 1983 the Schubert Ensemble has established itself as one of the world's leading exponents of music for piano and strings. Regularly giving around 50 concerts a year, the ensemble has performed in over 40 different countries, has over 80 commissions to its name and has recorded over 30 critically acclaimed CDs. In the past few years the Ensemble has enjoyed a busy international schedule, with performances in Romania, Norway, Spain, Holland, Bermuda, the UAE and the USA, as well as a first visit to China. Two of its recent recordings were chosen as CD of the month by the BBC Music Magazine.     

This concert takes place in the middle of the Ensemble's series of piano quintets at Kings Place in London.

MORE INFORMATION
You can contact Music at King Charles by email at kcmconcerts@blueyonder.co.uk for tickets or if you wish to leave/join our mailing list. You may also follow this website to be sent updates - see the right-hand side of the page.

Archaeus Quartet: 8 October

Saturday 8 October, 7:30pm

Tickets available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/mkctw with a discount for pre-booking.

This concert is part of the Archaeus Quartet's three-year cycle of Beethoven's string quartets, demonstrating, as they put it, that "Beethoven journeyed further in his lifetime expressively, conceptually and emotionally than any other composer".

Formed in 1990, the Archaeus Quartet has performed in music clubs and arts centres throughout the UK, and at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London.
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Beethoven String Quartet in C minor Op.18, No.4
It has been suggested that Beethoven's C minor quartet is based on material from his earliest period in Bonn; whatever the truth, the work represents him at full power so far as he had evolved it around 1800, when the six Op.18 quartets were being composed.

Beethoven String Quartet in E minor Op.59, No.2 (1806)
The second Rasumovsky quartet gives vent, perhaps, to some of the nervous tension that begins
to show itself in the scherzo of the first. Like another even more tense later quartet, Op. 132, it has
a deeply contemplative slow movement.

Beethoven Quartet in F major, Op.135 (1826)
Apart from the second finale of Op.130, the F major quartet is the last substantial work Beethoven
finished. It is smaller in scope and lighter in character than the other late quartets. Profundity is not
always weight or elaboration, and the Lento is a piece as deep as it is seemingly simple.

(Extracts from notes by Robert Simpson)