Earworms 2016/17

We are very pleased to be able to issue the dates for our 2016/17 season.

We kick off on November 6th with the fantastic swing band 'The Locked Horns'  Have a listen to them here http://www.thelockedhorns.com/music.  We hope for some great music and will make plenty of space for dancing at the Phoenix in November.

On March 5th Earworms will decamp to The Mary Harris Chapel on the Exeter University campus.
We have been hoping to offer an organ recital for some time and are delighted that the wonderful organist David Davies has agreed to play for us.  He will need little introduction to any of you who have been at services in Exeter Cathedral over the last few years, where he was until very recently, Assistant Director of Music.  He is also an experienced choral conductor and gives recitals all over the world.  It will be an Earworms not to be missed.

On May 14th, back at Exeter Phoenix,  we welcome Devon County Junior Choir.  Again, we have been looking for a suitable date for a while which would work for the choir and their conductor Rachel Smith.  The choir is made up of children aged between 6 - 13, singing a wide variety of repertoire to a fantastic standard.  Rachel conducts several choirs including the recently formed DCJC North, the RMB Chivenor Military Wives' Choir and one of the  National Children's Choirs of Great Britain.

We will have Mervyn Bedford with us for all three concerts.
Tickets are still priced at £6 adults, £4 children and £18 for a family of four.  For the March concert, there is an additional booking fee of £1   All tickets are available through the Exeter Phoenix box office 01392 667080

String Quartet around the world

Last Sunday's Earworms took us on a world tour with the wonderful Divertimento string quartet. Music by composers including Debussy, Grieg and Monti, herding horses in some chinese folk songs and a bit of a nod to the Queen's 90th with Crown Imperial.  The quartet were joined by the delightful Alice Dunn for some singing and beautiful dancing.
A great finale to our current season!
We are currently planning the next season, so do keep an eye out for news of future dates.

June Earworms

We're looking forward to the next Earworms on June 12th. We will be joined by the Divertimento String Quartet with an exciting programme of string quartet music. Here is what they say about their programme -

Join Divertimento Quartet on their whistle stop tour of the world! Hear the stories that they tell in the very varied music that they play from around the world.

The journey begins in the UK with its folk music tradition….in Europe hear about the connection between Beethoven and the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte….next the Northern land of trolls and the music of Grieg….In mid Europe a famous gypsy dance which Lady Gaga used in one of her albums….in Russia a dance by Shostakovich….South America brings Latin dances…. travel as far as China for some folk music from different parts of the country…..then back to England for a rousing finale by William Walton

April Earworms

This month's Earworms on April 17th, 2pm features top british (devon in fact) folk duo, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman. Kathryn and Sean performed for us back in our early days and we are really looking forward to welcoming them back. With over 20 years of performing with many top folk artists, they are sure to be as brilliant and popular as they were when they performed for us in 2013.
Tickets (£6,£4,£18 family) are available from Exeter Phoenix box office https://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/bookings/?webid=5153
We hope to see you there!

Earworms' jingle performed by La Vie en Rose

Here is the brilliant performance of our jingle by La Vie en Rose from the February 2016 concert:

Happy new year to all of you - we're looking forward to Earworms 2016!
Tickets are now on sale for our first event of the new season.  Sunday February 7th, 2pm,  features the wonderful 'La Vie en Rose' at Exeter Phoenix. 
Tickets are available now from the Phoenix box office in person or by using this link   https://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/bookings/?webid=6055

We hope to see you there!

LA VIE EN ROSE is a group of musicians with wide-ranging backgrounds in classical, traditional jazz, rock, Western swing, blues and roots but brought together by a shared love of gypsy jazz. The band features David Jones (guitar), Laurie Light (guitar), Rebecca Willson (violn), Nick White (clarinet) and Mitch Humphrys (double bass).

David Jones has been playing gypsy jazz from a young age, has performed alongside the likes of Lollo Meier and Bertrand Le Guillou and is an endorsee of JWC Guitars. Nick White is currently playing 1st saxophone with the Chris Barber Big Band but is an equally accomplished clarinet player. Rebecca Willson holds several music degrees in both violin and piano, has studied with Tim Kliphuis, and regularly performs solo and ensemble work from Django to Dvorak. The rhythm section of Laurie Light and Mitch Humphries have played roots, blues, ragtime, jazz and swing in bands and solo for too many years to count.

Formed as a band at the end of 2014, they have since played a wide variety of venues and events throughout the South West including Exeter's Vibraphonic Fesital, Acoustica Festival, Nourish Festival, Velo Vintage, The Picturehouse 'Sofa Sessions' and film previews, The Clifford Arms Jazz Club, Fanzone for the Rugby World Cup, as well as at extensive private functions. They currently have a monthly residency at Exeter's Cosy Club and amongst other things are just signed up for an 11-night functions' run in December, New Years' Eve at the huge Cosy Club in Bristol, and a short tour in London in February 2016, including the Verdi Italian Kitchen at The Royal Albert Hall on Valentine's Day.