Pupils of all ages joined in making an evening of varied music in Street Parish Church last night. I shall try to give some account of the concert later, but for now I reproduce something about the surprise guest   more »

Video of two of the items   more »

It was not only a great evening of music making, held together by the immaculate accompaniments of Anselm Barker, but it was an historic occasion, when Street's new music venue opened to the public for the first time.   more »

You can hear the Air from County Derry (Danny Boy)   more »

Monday evening two big bands made the Parish Church vibrate to some old favourites. One band came from UWE and the other from over the road.   more »

To celebrate Michaelmas Day, a quarter-day, or St Michael and All Angels Day (29th September) David Parsons devised an evening of readings, song and instrumental music under the title of Angels and Devils, wonderfully supported by Helen Lunt (soprano), Janet Whitteridge (flute) and Mary Ellis (cello and readings).   more »

Strode Musical Theatre Society performed 'Trial by Jury' by Gilbert and Sullivan in the Parish Church this evening.   more »

It just so happens that this evening there's too much music to enjoy.

In the Strode Theatre it's the last ...   more »

Many people know Norman Parker's distinctive art, meticulously drawn or painted, inspired by the Surrealists and delighting in visual humour and optical tricks. His recent exhibition at the Rural Life Museum introduced his art to more people, and Street Bookshop tells me that reproductions of the Tor series sell well as greetings cards.

Many of us know Norman also as a thoughtful, modest and witty conversationalist, as well as a strong Christian believer, so we had high expectations of his illustrated talk on visual art and the Christian response to it. He gave us a wonderful evening.   more »

A level exams are not often a spectator sport, but Music A level includes a public performance which is recorded and the recording sent off to the exam board.

I was glad to be able to join an audience of 30 to 40 people in Millfield's Music School to hear Hoong Ern Ng play his 20 minute piano recital today.   more »

I hear that plans are being laid for another Children's Fest in the half term of the summer term.   more »

It's been playing wonderful music for four years, apparently, and this is the first time I've heard them. What kept me so long?   more »

Just got back from the Trafalgar Day celebrations in the Parish Church.   more »

Nina Fry as Chairman of Street Parish Council is gathering a representative from each organisation in Street for an hour on Tuesday 18th October to co-ordinate forthcoming events and activities.

Brilliant idea. I just hope that someone from each organisation bothers to turn up.   more »

I was enjoying a glass of wine after the Millfield concert this evening (see my review here) when I overheard   more »

Jim Nagel sent this email this evening. I can't go to the concert - got my granddaughter and her parents coming to stay the night! - so I pass on the message to you.   more »

On Saturday the Mid Somerset Orchestra gave a wonderful midsummer prom in the Strode Theatre, and yesterday pupils of Helen Lunt, Shirley Anthony and Jane Isaac entertained in the Parish Church.   more »

The local paper gave notice that there would be a programme on Radio 4 today about Rutland Boughton and the first Glastonbury Festivals, but didn't say what time it was. I remembered to turn to the Radio Times at lunchtime to see what time this evening I should listen, and found that it was just about to begin, at 1.30. A bit of luck.   more »

The folk at the Library have been extremely helpful, the present owners of Laurence and Clemence Housman's old house are turning up trumps, Millfield School is putting on a dinner that I'm sure will be up to their usual high standard, theatrical friends in Glastonbury are standing by to perform, and we await with some excitement the arrival of 20 members of the Housman Society from their headquarters in Bromsgrove and lots of other places, on Wednesday morning.   more »

Having set up the calendar of musical events I have now begun to make a web site devoted to Music in Street.   more »

To let music-lovers know what is happening in the village we have a new calendar of musical events.   more »

I haven't been home long, having sat enthralled, transfixed, by four superb Russian voices who gave a programme of Russian Church music and folk songs.

Just saying that gives no idea of the power of the voices and the skill of the singers, including their high tenor-cum-conductor Vladimir. My friend whispered after the first piece: "It's like listening to an orchestra!" The four voices filled every cranny of Street Parish Church with gorgeous sound.

It was a strange new world to me, and, I suspect, to almost all of those who filled the church. When someone is playing a Mozart Sonata my attention can wander, because I know what's coming. Listening to this Russian vocal music I never found my attention distracted even for a second. Even if I'd known the pieces, the sheer force of vocal interpretation would have compelled me to concentrate entirely on the music. The words meant nothing to me, apart from the occasional 'Alleluia!', but that hardly mattered.

The folk songs in the second half were going to be a relaxation, I thought. And indeed some of them were; but even here there was human pathos, as well as humour. The arrangements, some witty, some tragic, gave the singers many chances to show their skills. In 'kalinka', the only Russian folk song most of us know, we clapped along with the accelerandos and were caught out by sudden changes of tempo, and it was all exhilarating and wondrous.

If you want to see the programme details, you can find them by going here, and following the link to Hermitage.

This week's Central Somerset Gazette carries one letter about last Sunday's concert at the Parish Church, and another about the exhibition of paintings by Norman Parker.

They echo my feelings exactly.

Exceptional night out

I would like to congratulate all those involved with the very excellent musical evening at Street Trinity Parish Church this Sunday evening (February 6). It was one of the most delightful musical evenings I have ever enjoyed in Somerset. The parish church was warm and welcoming with truly spectacular acoustics. It was a tranquil joy that I did not expect to find so close to home.

The Kokoro (Japanese for heart) contemporary music ensemble of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with COSMiC (the Strode theatre-based Centre Of Somerset Music Club) provided a musical night to remember for us all. Local parents and young people were learning and playing music with one of the best in the country.

We all enjoyed and will remember the surreal experience of the soprano, Bernadette Lord, singing with three ringing glasses of water. The Street Trinity Parish church was described tonight as the "Fastest growing music venue in the South West".

I cannot do it justice in words and would strongly recommend you visit for yourself. Put Saturday, April 23, in your diary for the St George's Day musical event. You will not be disappointed. You will very likely be enchanted.

Jim Mochnacz
Park Road
Street

Don't miss this show

Re: 43 Views of the Tor � Exhibition of paintings by Norman Parker.

Norman Parker's work has my greatest admiration.

Having painted the Tor myself for a number of years, I have never seen anything to equal his paintings for artistry, imagination and often humour.

My advice to all readers of this newspaper is to go along to the Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury, well before the exhibition ends on March 5.

Even if art exhibitions aren't your normal thing, you will enjoy the experience immensely.

The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am until 5pm, and admission is free.

John Morland
Dod Lane
Glastonbury.

Hywel helps another young violinist with tuning. 

A young violinist asks Hywel Jenkins for help in tuning. 

The first violins from the Cosmic/Kokoro string ensemble. 

Yet more string players from Cosmic. They made a splendid sound. 

More string players playing Peter Maxwell Davies. 

Part of the string group playing Maxwell Davies. 

More Cosmic singers and recorder players. 

Cosmic singers and recorder players. 

The Cosmic choir in performance. 

Mark Forkgen, conductor of Kokoro. 

Alistair Marshallsay, percussionist of Kokoro. 

The Cosmic choir practises, led by Mark Forkgen. 

Members of Cosmic in rehearsal. 

Bernadette Lord, soprano, thinking about things. 

Judith Brice, viola, and Roberto Sorrentino, cello. 

Kokoro musicians catch up with their reading while others rehearse. 

Mark Forkgen rehearses Cosmic 

Paul Searle-Barnes (harpsichord) of Kokoro. 

Maxine Willis of Kokoro, who is really a flautist but here plays the musical glass. 

Alistair Marshallsay and Alan Andrews of Kokoro 

Alan Andrews, Kokoro clarinettist. 

Kokoro - discussing tempo.

Kokoro - a moment of relaxation during rehearsal.

Kokoro rehearsing in Street Parish Church. They are playing songs by local composer Hywel Davies. The concert is Sunday 6th February 2005, with CoSMIC young musicians.

Conductor and soprano.

Kokovo rehearsing in Street Parish Church - they are musicians from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

That hastily-devised concert in Street Parish Church the other Friday raised over £600 in gifts, mostly gift-aided.   more »

Kay Wych had her camera at the dress rehearsal,   more »

I've just come back from an evening of two satisfying events   more »

I think I recognise the place from which this picture was painted. Do you?   more »

Another view of the Tor in the Street Self-Help Centre   more »

I spotted these paintings in the Street Self-Help Centre yesterday.   more »

An informal chat after this afternoon's meeting of the Street Society Committee brought together a number of ideas   more »

Jim Nagel has had a web page about Rutland Boughton's 'Bethlehem' and the Glastonbury production   more »