Once again local musicians will provide music to entertain visitors at the annual Ceramics in Southwell market.
Musicians will be playing throughout the day in Market Square. This is a free event.
Following an open call earlier this year, we’re pleased to share the full programme for the day.
10 – 10:45am: Higgs Bo’sun
Higgs Bo’sun are five musicians who have been involved in the amateur folk scene for many years.
The group began as the instrumental core of a large community shanty group called the Trent Navigation Company. They generally perform songs and tune sets from the traditions of the British Isles, with a few from further afield such as Canada and Scandinavia.
The musicians all sing and play multiple instruments, including fiddle, bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, melodeon, Anglo concertina, whistle and percussion.
11:15am – 12pm: Artisan Singers
(David Machell & Katharine Dryden)
The Artisan Singers, Katharine Dryden and David Machell, will mainly be performing vintage popular music and jazz.
Katharine began singing at the age of 14 and went on to study with the famous mezzo-soprano Constance Shacklock. She is a professional singer and singing teacher, known for her warm tone and the deep sincerity of her performances. An accomplished classical singer, who also specialises in vintage songs of the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s in the persona of “Kitty Mai – The voice of a nightingale”. Katharine is a well-known as a recitalist throughout the region.
Former Cambridge Choral Scholar and Head of Music at Nottingham Girls’ High School, David Machell holds several national and international awards for composition and is widely published. He has written for many local ensembles, notably a Horn Concerto for the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, a series of cantatas for Music for Everyone, a Gloria for the Nottingham Bach Society, and a series of innovative choral items for Carlton Male Voice Choir and Ian Watts’ choir Lyrical Songbirds. His organ works are regularly performed by international recitalist Paul Hale, and he is President Elect of the Nottingham and District Society of Organists.
12:15 – 1pm: Ain’t What You Do
Ain’t What You Do is a group of singers from the Grantham area who perform a cappella music in a mix of genres, including blues, pop, gospel, and jazz.
All members have been singing for many years but formed AWYD after a larger group ‘Choir Invisible’ closed some 12 years ago. The group regularly sing for charity and raised over £800 last year for The Samaritans.
1:45 – 2pm: Sebby Caulton
Sebby Caulton is an 11-year-old violinist, pianist and singer who loves to make music.
He is the recipient of the music scholarship at Nottingham High School and plays in Nottingham Youth Orchestra and for East Midlands Strings.
Sebby is particularly fond of chamber music and regularly plays in quartets at Rosin Academy and Nottingham Chamber Music Festival.
He will be performing Chanson de Nuit by Elgar and Toreador by Bizet.
2:15 – 2:45pm: Songbirds
Songbirds is a group of eight talented ladies who love to sing and entertain. They encompass a wide range of experience, with members including classically trained musicians, singers and songwriters.
Songbirds’ repertoire embraces a variety of genres and eras, often in three-part harmony. They cover musicals, contemporary music, pop, and country from the 1950s to the present day, as well as some classical music.
Along with staging their own concert this summer, they are appearing at a number of public and private engagements. They also help raise funds for charity.
3:15 – 3:45pm: Farnsfield Rikorders
Farnsfield Rikorders was formed in 2022 as an offshoot of Southwell u3a Recorder Group, and comprises of eight players of retirement age.
The players all wished to meet more frequently, play more demanding pieces for their own pleasure and create new arrangements for the u3a group.
Members play six of the recorder family, from the Great Bass to the Sopranino. They meet one morning each week and have a repertoire of around 300 pieces ranging from the 13th century to contemporary, and genres ranging from early, medieval, madrigal, Playford, traditional British folk, easy listening, film music, country, jazz, barbershop, celtic and more.
4 – 4:30pm: Louise Spencer
Prominent UK musician and composer Louise Spencer is a classically trained harpist, pianist and singer exploring electronic and ambient music.
Her recent collaborations include ambient harp soundscapes and orchestral music featuring the harp, as well as her own solo piano and solo harp releases.
Hailing from Nottingham, she frequently tours the country and showcases her diverse styles spanning classical, electronic, jazz and pop music.
Today she will be performing a mix of styles including light classical, contemporary classical, pop arrangements, film and musicals on harp.