Music club set to finish what it started before 2020 lockdown

The Newport Music Club managed to attend the second concert in its epic series of Beethoven Violin Sonatas in March 2020 – with club members breathing a sigh of relief at the thought of finishing their season.

Today, more than two years later, the club is finding its feet again.

“We are thrilled to finally present the third and grand finale of the series,” said committee member Sally Wiggin.

“It will give club members a chance to regain their confidence.”

They had organized a very limited summer concert during the confinement but it was nothing on their usual scale.

Finally, the award-winning duo of Mary Hofman and Richard Ormrod, professional musicians well known in Newport classical music circles, return with Beethoven’s 9th and 10th Sonatas.

Sally added: “It’s been a long time coming, but finally music fans can hear some of Beethoven’s finest works performed live at Cozy Hall.

“Beethoven’s 9th Sonata was written in 1803, stands out for its technical difficulty, its unusual length – around 40 minutes – and its emotional scope.

“His 10th, written in 1812, has been described as ‘the finest of his violin sonatas, with ‘a quiet, ethereal beauty’ and ‘a research test for players’. Ms. Tann’s work has been described as “glittering and weightless, efficient and moving”.

The concert on May 14 will provide an additional treat for classical music fans, a new piece of music specially commissioned for this series from renowned Welsh composer Hilary Tann. Ms. Tann’s work is titled “First Light: A Meditation on Beethoven Op.96”.

The concert will take place at Cozy Hall, Newport on Saturday 14 May 2022 at 7.30pm.

In pre-covid times, the venue would seat around 80-90 people for Newport Music Club events. But things should be even cozier this time around with 50-60 people, to allow for social distancing.

The advice is to buy the tickets in advance so that the organizers know how many people are attending.

They will be available at the door in the evening, but organizers say they would hate to turn anyone away.

Tickets for this concert cost £13 for adults, students for £5 and will be available from Deli 45 and Hey Jude in Newport, or at Cozy Hall in the evening.

Customers should contact the music club on [email protected] or by telephone on 01952 812920 to confirm the number of adults and children accompanying them.

The members hope to be able to organize a new season of events starting in October and continuing until March 2023.