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In League With Extraordinary Gentlemen

8 October 2011 19:30

Tickets £12 (£8 Concessions)

Book Now 01732 870279

www.pilsdonatmalling.org.uk

Alastair Penman

Alastair Penman is a recent graduate of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge University, where he received a music tuition award and the inaugural Dudley Robinson Award to help him further his musical career.  During his time in Cambridge, Alastair held the role of principal saxophonist with the Cambridge University Chamber and Symphony Orchestras, CUMS 1 and the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra, Big Band and Swing Band, also performing on clarinet with many of these groups.  In these roles he had the pleasure of working alongside conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Baldur Bronnimann, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Stephen Cleobury, David Hill and many others, as well as collaborating with Jazz greats such as Mike Gibbs, Mark Nightingale, Steve Waterman, Gareth Lockrane and Issie Barratt.  These events have seen Alastair perform at many of the UK’s top venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Symphony Hall and King’s College Chapel (Cambridge).

Alastair’s first major solo performance was of the soprano saxophone concerto Under the Veil by Nigel Wood, in an arrangement accompanied by the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain saxophone ensemble, directed by Gerard McChrystal.  This was followed by performances as a soloist with the Buckinghamshire Youth Wind Orchestra and more recent performances include the premiere of Ashok Gupta’s Jazz Mass with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, under the direction of Tim Brown.  Future engagements include a performance of Eric Coates saxophone concerto “Saxo-Rhapsody” with the West Wycombe Sinfonia in 2012, celebrating the composer’s 125^th anniversary.

Alastair also has a strong interest in jazz music and has been featured as a soloist with various groups at such prestigious events as Montreux and London Jazz Festivals, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and jazz clubs abroad including Casa del Jazz (Rome) and Budapest Jazz Club.

In a more intimate setting Alastair has given many solo recitals exploring the contemporary saxophone repertoire.  Recent recitals have included venues such as Trinity College Chapel (Cambridge), Selwyn College Hall (Cambridge), The Bateman Auditorium and as part of the prestigious Kellaway Recital Series at St Catharine’s College (Cambridge).

Alastair has recently been awarded a postgraduate scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music where he will continue his studies with Rob Buckland and Andy Scott.

 

Sally MacTaggart

Sally achieved a bachelor of music with first class honours from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2010 studying with Rob Buckland and Andy Scott.

During her time at the RNCM she won the Woodwind Creative soloist competition and she has taken part in masterclasses with world class musicians including Vincent David, Otis Murphy and the Habanera Saxophone Quartet. She has featured as a soloist in the North West New Music festival, the RNCM Chamber Music Festival and the Alexander Goehr Festival. During her final year at the RNCM, she gave her Wigmore Hall Debut, performing Composition on A’s and G’s for solo soprano saxophone by Alexander Goehr alongside performing with the RNCM New Ensemble. Sally was selected to perform Soprano Saxophone concerto Crazy Diamonds Shining by Peter Meechan with the RNCM Wind Collective and during the Summer was invited to perform the Michael Ball Concerto for Alto Saxophone with the Canford Wind Orchestra.

Sally led the Absolution Saxophone quartet for over 4 years, mostly during her time at the RNCM. She had success with the group being selected as Park Lane Group artists, Royal Overseas League Finalists, and being shortlisted for the Tillet trust and musicians on the Live Music Now! scheme. During time at the RNCM they were RNCM Chamber Ensemble of the Year 2009, twice winners of the Trevor Wye Memorial Competition and winners of the RNCM Concerto Competition. Sally is currently a member of the recently reformed Quadrophonia Saxophone Quartet who are currently finalists in the St.Martin in the Fields Chamber Music Competition.

Sally has taken part in numerous unusual and extrovert performances including being one of the 9 soloists in the premiere of Rachel Stotts massed saxophone commission Several Worlds with over 100 saxophones as the accompaniment. She will also be a soloist at its second performance at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in St.Andrews.

Sally is also Principal Soprano Saxophone with the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and in 2009 she was sponsored by Saxtet Publications to perform as a soloist with them in the World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok and the Klassiek op Locatie festival in Holland.

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