Live Music at The Firs

Volante Strings Violin and Piano Duo

An all English programme of music by Elgar and his contemporaries. Performed by Jennie on Violin and Josie on Piano, both members of our resident Orchestra The Volante Strings.  

Programme to include Elgar’s Chanson de Matin , Chanson de nuit, Salut D’amour, Mot d’ amour and Canto Populare.

They will be performing on Friday 21 June and Friday 5 July at 11.30am and 1pm. This is a free concert but donations are warmly welcomed and go towards our performers. No booking necessary seats are on a first come first serve basis.  

An Audience with Corinne Frost 

Come and listen to Corinne playing solo cello including Elgar and other English music. Corinne will interact with the audience with lively ancedotes.

Corinne Frost, co-principal cellist of the English Symphony Orchestra said “It’s a privilege to bring live music to The Firs and to be a part of The National Trust’s guardianship of Elgar’s Birthplace. The Carice Room has a lovely acoustic and seats 50 people. There’s a tea-room, pretty gardens and of course the Birthplace cottage.  Altogether a place to visit regularly for live music, history, refreshments and lots more!”

Performances will take place  Saturday 29 June &  Friday 26 July all at 12 noon. 

Please note we previously used to have two performances of An Audience with Corinne but this has changed starting from the 7 June performance. 

Free concert but donations towards Corinne are warmly welcomed.  

Worcester Young Voices in concert

WYV comprises two groups.  Little Voices (aged 5 – 7) for children at the beginning of their musical journey will demonstrate some of their singing games and songs while Main Choir (aged 7 – 16) will entertain you with wide range of songs some in unison and some in parts.

They will be performing on Saturday 6^th of July at 11am. Parents of the WYV children will be in attendance so spaces are more limited than usual but we have 60 seats in the Carice room so visitors are more than welcome.

The concert is free but donations are warmly welcomed and go towards the WYV.

WYV is a community not-for-profit choral group based in St George's Square, Barbourne, Worcester. WYV provides opportunities for enthusiastic young singers, both girls and boys, aged 5 – 16.  Who present a small number of concerts during the year which delight parents, grandparents and friends.

WYV is led by Carol Green, an experienced choral leader who believes that singing should be open to all children and should be at the backbone of music education. She has practiced this through her own teaching and has also inspired children and teachers in and beyond Worcestershire through her work as animateur for numerous projects inspiring children to sing with enjoyment and to a high standard. She founded the Malvern Junior Choir in 1990 and conducted it until 2007 when she left to form the Junior Choirs at Worcester Cathedral, where she was also singing outreach officer until 2013. She also aims to disseminate good practice in schools in her work as Senior Advisory Teacher for ‘The Voices Foundation’ (www.voices.org.uk) enabling primary schools to develop a progressive music education through the voice. Carol was delighted to be asked to lead Worcester Young Voices from its launch in 2013.

Carol also directs The Hills Singers, (hillssingers.com) an SATB chamber choir based in Malvern, and the Malvern Sing for Pleasure choir designed for all adult singers regardless of previous experience.

Summer Romance

This well-established duo is a joyful collaboration of two inspiring artists renowned for their colourful interpretations of some of the greatest works for cello and piano. 

This programme includes pieces by Elgar, Delius, Vaughan Williams, Faure, Squire, Goltermann, Eccles, Bridge and Butterworth with an emphasis on love, romance and sparkle. 

Performing Friday 12 July at 1pm tickets are £8 and pre-booking is advisable through emailing Kirsty.Bothma@nationaltrust.org.uk or ringing 01905 333 330.  

Cellist Corinne Frost was a member of the Philharmonia orchestra for seven years, and today is co-principal cello in the ESO as well as an active soloist and ensemble player. She was instrumental in establishing the ESO’s widely praised series of Care Home Concerts and serves as a Governor of the Elgar School of Music. Corinne is an Associate of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and enjoys teaching both at Marlborough College and privately.

Pianist Janine Parsons completed her studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire, having gained a B Mus (Hons) degree and a Post Graduate Diploma. She studied piano with Frank Wibaut and Professor Malcolm Wilson. As soloist she gave her debut recital at the Purcell Rooms, London and has since given concerto performances including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Chopin’s piano concerto no 1 with The Worcester Philharmonic Orchestra; Haydn’s piano concerto in D Major with Volante Strings and Mendelssohn’s concerto in A Minor with the English String Orchestra.

Programme to include: 

Eccles Sonata 7.5

Delius Romance 6

Elgar Salut D’Amour -3

Chanson de Matin -2

Nimrod-4

Banks of the green willow - 6

VWilliams- 6 Studies in English Folk Song 9

Goltermann - La Foi 4

Faure- Sicilienne 3.5

Squire- Tarantella- 3

Bridge- Scherzo- 3

Summer Serenade by The Hills Singers 

An afternoon concert of varied music from The Hills Singers, to raise the spirits and reflect the summer holiday mood.

The Hills Singers is an SATB chamber choir with up to 24 members based in Malvern, Worcestershire. Membership, which includes those who come from much further afield, all share an enjoyment of a wide range of music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, both serious and light.

The choir gives five or six concerts every year. Last year the choir visited Mariánské Láznĕ and gave five public performances, as cultural ambassadors to Great Malvern’s twin-town in the Czech Republic.

The Hills Singers will be performing Summer Serenade in the Carice room Sunday 14 July at 1.45pm for 45mins approx.

Downside Up

A 45 minute performance of Classical and Jazz music, Theatre and Poetry by Corinne Frost & Stephen Warner (ESO)

Downside Up offers you an eclectic mix of music for cello and double bass with guitar, clapping, piano & voice thrown in at no extra cost. From Bach, Gounod, Telemann and Rossini to Gershwin, Myers and Reich - Downside Up has something for everyone - Classical, Jazz, Theatre and Poetry. Fun and enlightenmant for all. 

Performing Sunday 8 September 1pm tickets are £8 and pre-booking is advisable through emailing Kirsty.Bothma@nationaltrust.org.uk or ringing 01905 333 330.