ST CUTHBERT'S PARISH CHURCH
ST CUTHBERT'S CONCERT PLANNING GROUP
The group is made up of members of the church congregation and other members of the local community. We usually organise six to eight concerts, and other events, over the course of a year.
The group has been slowly building up a reputation for high quality events over the last few years, and we are delighted that the church is now also one of the venues for the Music at Paxton summer festival.
We are delighted to announce
PIANO QUARTET CONCERT
5th September 2026 at 7pm
Longridge Towers School, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 2XQ
Tickets £15 from Ticketebo
Those of you who came to our Amici concert in 2024, and/or our Candlelit Concert last year will be only too aware how lucky we have been to have two visits from the renowned violinist Gina McCormack (and the fellow musicians she brought with her on both occasions). She is now back to perform for us for a third time this September, in a Piano Quartet Concert, with three other highly acclaimed musicians.
GINA McCORMACK - VIOLIN Gina McCormack is well established as one of Britain’s leading artists, with regular performances as a soloist and chamber musician at venues across the country and abroad. She made her recital debut in London at the Wigmore Hall at the age of 21 and has appeared many times since then in both that hall and at the South Bank Centre, and at venues and Festivals across the country. Gina has performed as soloist with the Hallé and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the former Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Solo tours abroad have taken her to France, Norway, Denmark, the Czech Republic, South Africa and South America, and most recently to Austria and Switzerland. Gina has over twenty years’ experience as a quartet leader. For many years she was the leader of the Sorrel Quartet, with whom she was frequently heard on BBC Radio Three. The Quartet made twelve CDs for Chandos Records, including the complete cycle of Shostakovich quartets. Most recently, she spent two years as first violinist of the Brodsky Quartet, with a hugely busy concert schedule in the UK and abroad. Highlights were tours of Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. She made the tough decision to leave the group in February 2021, needing to be closer to home for family reasons, and returned once again to her solo work, continuing her long association with her regular duo partner, pianist Nigel Clayton. Gina McCormack is also well-known as a teacher, having spent 11 years as Professor of Violin at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (formerly Trinity College of Music) in London, followed by 7 years at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. She is currently a Professor of Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and also gives regular masterclasses both in the UK and abroad. Gina’s passion for dance has led to a long association with the choreographer Matthew Bourne, whose New Adventures orchestra she led for many years, being part of his very first iconic production of “Swan Lake” and so many other award-winning shows since then.
BENJAMIN FRITH (PIANO) Steinway Artist Benjamin Frith is one of the most versatile, respected and engaging pianists in the UK. A prolific recitalist and recording artist with over 80 recordings - from Scarlatti to MacMillan - and many acclaimed reviews, Frith is at the forefront of the craft of music making. Gold Medal winner of the Artur Rubinstein Piano Masters International Competition, Tel Aviv, and Top Prize Winner in the Busoni International Piano Competition, Frith has performed with many of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors. Zubin Mehta with the IPO and Mosche Atzmon with the Warsaw Philharmonic amongst some of Frith’s many memorable musical experiences. Renowned for his critically acclaimed recordings, including a classical chart topping John Field Piano Concerto cycle, Gramophone ‘Disc of the Year’ with C.V. Stanford’s 2nd Piano Concerto and Schumann Davidsbundler Op. 6 winning top recommendation in Radio 3 ‘CD Review’. In high demand as both soloist and chamber musician, Frith enjoys a busy and versatile career. As pianist in the Gould Piano Trio, he has toured extensively throughout North America; and as guest pianist in the illustrious Nash Ensemble he has performed and recorded (Hyperion) to critical acclaim. June 2025 saw the Naxos release of The Essential Benjamin Frith album. Solo tours have taken Frith to America, Europe, the middle and far East and Festival appearances include Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, Kfar Blum, Lofoten, Kuhmo, NCPA India. Upcoming solo tours to Japan. Current recording projects include the complete solo piano music of British composer Martin Ellerby and a Marschner Piano Trio cycle for Naxos. Benjamin Frith was a life student of the late Dame Fanny Waterman and lives in Yorkshire with his wife and piano duo partner, Heidi Rolfe. ‘Does any pianist draw a lovelier sound from the keyboard or phrase more naturally ‘ BBC Music Magazine ‘He possesses a formidable talent both musically and technically’ Gramophone
DUNCAN STRACHAN (CELLO) Duncan Strachan is cellist of the well-known Maxwell Quartet with whom he performs all over the world. Born in Dundee in 1987, Duncan grew up in Lochaber, in the west highlands of Scotland, where he began learning cello with Audrey Scott at the age of 4. Duncan then went to St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh, learning with Pat Hair. He subsequently read music at St Catherine's College, Oxford where he was a Leask Music Scholar and an Academic Scholar. He studied cello with Colin Carr, before continuing his studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Robert Irvine. As a chamber musician Duncan has worked with a wide range of ensembles prominent figures including Fidelio Trio, Red Note, Florin Trio, Lana Trotovsek, Ilya Gringolts, David Watkin and Benjamin Grosvenor. He has also worked with composers including Tom David Wilson, Simon Smith, Anna Meredith, Stuart MacRae, Rory Boyle, Michael Finnissy and many more to perform new works for cello. Duncan is also the Artistic Director of Loch Shiel Festival and a professor of cello at St Mary’s Music School. Duncan is also active as a composer and has received written music for numerous ensembles including GAIA, Maxwell Quartet, cellist Robert Irvine and Lochaber Music School. He co-writes and arranges the Maxwell Quartet’s own compositions.
CATHERINE YATES (VIOLA) Catherine Yates began her violin studies with Marion Hillier before learning with Malcolm Layfield and Lydia Mordkovich at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she now works as Deputy Head of Strings. The intervening years included twenty years as 2nd Violin of the Sorrel Quartet which had a busy performing schedule all over the world, broadcasted regularly for BBC radio and recorded many acclaimed discs for Chandos Records. In 2007 Catherine traded the small for the large, becoming Principal 2nd Violin of the Hallé Orchestra, a position she enjoyed for six years. She left the orchestra to devote more time to chamber music as both violinist and viola player, and also to education, taking up her role at the RNCM where she has a large violin class. She continues to play orchestrally from time to time, most often back at the Hallé and with Manchester Camerata, RLPO, Opera North and the Northern Chamber Orchestra.
The programme will include:
-
Mel Bonis "Soir" for Piano Trio
-
Mozart G Minor Piano Quartet
-
Clara Schumann Romance no. 1 for Violin and Piano, Op.22
-
Robert Schumann Piano Quartet
PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCERT WILL TAKE PLACE IN LONGRIDGE TOWERS SCHOOL AS ST CUTHBERT’S CHURCH IN NORHAM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR MAJOR ELECTRICAL WORKS
We have over the years hosted many local musicians, choirs and orchestras, from both sides of the border and further afield - a recent highlight was a candlelit concert given by the internationally renowned violinist, Gina McCormack in December 2025.
We are also currently part of the Highlights North Rural Touring Scheme (funded by Arts Council England), which introduces affordable quality cultural opportunities to rural communities - this relationship has provided local audiences with a wide variety of entertainment from international folk, reggae and tango, to one man theatrical events, comedy, drama, and dance.
We have also been involved in organising art exhibitions and installations in the church. In November 2025 we assisted with Silenced Bells-Distant Voices, a very moving memorial installation incorporating plasterwork bells sculpted by Keith Roberts, and choral music by John Casken.
Our Concerts and Charities Fund enables us to finance more ambitious events, and/or to make donations to local good causes, and to purchase equipment for use in the church, such as lighting and staging.
For more information, please contact stcuthbertsnorham@gmail.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sat 05 SeptLongridge Towers SchoolLeading British violinist Gina McCormack performs with Duncan Strachan, Catherine Yates and Benjamin Frith in a piano quartet concert at Longridge Towers School, presented by the St Cuthbert's Church Concert Planning Group.
