December’s concert highlights

CHRISTMAS came early for the weekly lunchtime concerts at St Mary’s in the Baum, with fantastic musicians bearing gifts.

The prize-winning guitarist James Girling (holder of the RNCM’s Gold Medal) showed himself equally at home with Albeniz, Rodrigo and Dizzy Gillespie.

He was followed by the local ladies’ choir More than Melody with a selection of seasonal musical offerings accompanied by Brian Milligan and conducted by Jonathan Gibson.

Finally, soprano Margaret Ferguson and pianist Jonathan Ellis, complete with complimentary sherry (or orange juice) and mince pies, offered classical and popular seasonal songs.

This concluded another bumper year of solo singers and choirs, instrumentalists on violin, guitar, flute, harp, oboe, cello, cornet, bassoon, clarinet, harpsichord and piano.

There was local talent of all ages with established professionals including students from the RNCM, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music and Cambridge, Manchester, Bangor, Nottingham Universities, coming from all parts of the UK and Ireland, Lithuania, Belarus, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Hong Kong, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Spain and Ghana.

There’s something for everyone at Rochdale’s music at lunchtime, Wednesdays at 12.30pm to 1.30pm at St Mary’s in the Baum.

Admission is £4 with refreshments available from 11.30am.