Clonter

05/06/2026

💬 “James Pearson is in shattering form on these sessions.” - The Sunday Times

With only a handful of tickets remaining, this is your last chance to experience an unforgettable evening of world-class jazz at Clonter ✨

Joining us is one of the UK's most respected musicians and Artistic Director of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, James Pearson, alongside his trio:

🎹 James Pearson – piano
🎻 Sam Burgess – double bass
🥁 Chris Higginbottom – drums

They'll be joined by special guests:

🎤 Polly Gibbons – twice nominated "Best Jazz Vocalist" (BBC Jazz Awards & Jazz FM Awards)

🎷 Alex Garnett – saxophone
🎷 Alex Clarke – saxophone

An exceptional line-up of some of the finest jazz musicians in the country - a night not to be missed!

📅 Saturday 6 June
🕢 7.30pm
📍 Clonter Opera Theatre

🎟️ Ticket link in the comments below 🔗

04/06/2026

James Pearson & Friends 🎶

We’re delighted that not one, but TWO saxophonists named Alex will be joining James on Saturday night 🎷

First off, we have Alex Garnett, who has been one of the leading saxophonists in the UK and mainland Europe for over two decades ✨

We’re also thrilled to welcome locally born Alex Clarke Jazz to Clonter. Alex was a finalist in BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, winner of the Rising Star category at the 2019 British Jazz Awards, and is known as one of the most in-demand and versatile saxophonists to emerge on the British jazz scene ✨

📅 Saturday 6 June
🕢 7.30pm
📍 Clonter Opera Theatre

Find out more about our artists and buy tickets via the link in the comments 🔗

03/06/2026

🎤 Meet Polly Gibbons, guest vocalist for James Pearson & Friends this Saturday at Clonter.

Ahead of her appearance at Clonter, Polly will be featured on BBC Radio 3's In Tune THIS FRIDAY 📻

This is her song, ‘It's You and Not Me’, from her album ‘Songs With Strings’, recorded with the award-winning Carducci String Quartet and bassist Loz Garratt. The album's string arrangements were created by Polly's long-time musical collaborator, James Pearson.

Take a listen and come and see her live on Saturday evening with James Pearson & Friends 🎷

🎟️ Ticket link in the comments.

From the Visual EP, "Songs with Strings". The phrase "it’s not you, it’s me" is a cliché we’ve all heard, but this song flips the script."It's You and Not Me...

01/06/2026

THANK YOU to Anna Michels, Rosie Lavery and Neil Sutcliffe - who together make up The Bubblyjock Collective - for making the trek down from Glasgow, for their English debut, and to all those who came on Saturday evening 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎶

How to describe Saturday night’s show? It was all that a promoter could wish for – The Holy Grail - creating a sacred bubble in which people could dwell for a while before having it pricked and they are returned back to their ordinary lives.

And the repertoire they shared so generously, and sculpted so beautifully, with a masterclass in the art of introduction, making one able to engage and enjoy each piece, having had it set so personally and perfectly in context. And with that the gathered throng were transported from the windswept Outer Hebrides, to a hot sweaty tavern in Spain, via the star studded sky above us all ✨

The Bubblyjock Collective’s enthusiasm for their joint quest to unearth and share the works of ‘neglected’ Scottish composers, and female at that, was infectious.

The audience didn’t want to let them go, giving a sense that they knew that this was a very rare and precious experience, one that they may not have had or have again, or at least not for some time to come.

A couple with family in the Lebanon said as they left ‘thank you for taking our minds somewhere else, just for a few hours’. Job done.

💬 "An absolute delight. Lovely to have the opportunity to hear young musicians and rarely performed music. The new commission was especially good."

💬 "It was a brilliant concert, hugely entertaining, engaging and informative, and the highest quality musicianship. A very special evening, thank you!"

Until next time, Bubblyjocks 🤩

31/05/2026

🎤🎹 JAZZ IN JUNE – James Pearson & Friends 🎺🎶

📅 Saturday 6 June
🕢 7.30pm
📍 Clonter Opera Theatre

Just 40 tickets remain for James Pearson & Friends’ annual trip north!

James, Artistic Director of Ronnie Scott’s, will be joined by vocalist Polly Gibbons, saxophonists Alex Garnett and locally born Alex Clarke, alongside his fellow trio members Sam Burgess (double bass) and Chris Higginbottom (drums)✨

There’s still time to make an evening of it. Alongside your concert tickets, you can also book with the Royal Syrian Bites - we’re delighted to welcome back Kamal and the El Asfar family, who will once again be serving a spectacular Middle Eastern feast 🤩

Tickets and more information are available via the link in the comments 🔗

28/05/2026

Don’t miss The Bubblyjock Collective at Clonter this Saturday! 📣

Here’s a snippet of The Spanish Shawl by Marie Dare 🎶 featuring Neil Sutcliffe and ✨

Their brand-new project, QUINES, celebrates the chamber music and art songs of Scottish female composers. The programme features works by Helen Hopekirk (1856–1945), Isobel Dunlop (1901–1975), Marie Dare (1902–1976), and Claire Liddell (b. 1937), four extraordinary women whose music has not received the attention it deserves.

At the heart of the programme is a newly commissioned song cycle by Lisa Robertson, setting texts from Gerda Stevenson’s QUINES poetry collection. Written in the voices of overlooked women from Scottish history, these powerful songs bring their stories to life.

📅 Saturday 30 May
🕗 8pm
📍 Ramsay Room Session

Join us for a unique evening of Scottish music in the intimate setting of Clonter’s Ramsay Room 🎉

Link to tickets in the comments 🔗🎶

25/05/2026

As the bank holiday draws to a close, we are delighted to introduce the final member of the Bubblyjock Collective, though she is certainly no stranger to Clonter…

✨ Anna Michels ✨

Anna Michels, the founder of the collective, first came into Clonter’s life as the accompanist for Clonter’s Education Programme, Puck’s Adventure. She also returned to accompany the two singers who performed at last year’s Friends and Patrons Evening. We couldn’t be more delighted to be providing a platform for her passion project.

She has performed internationally as a soloist and collaborative musician and was one of the first students to be awarded a double bachelor’s degree from Maastricht Conservatoire in the Netherlands, studying both piano and music theory. An alumna of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Anna went on to earn a Master’s degree and Artist Diploma under the tutelage of Aaron Shorr.

📆 Saturday 30 May
🕗 8pm
📍 Ramsay Room Session

To learn more about Anna and Saturday’s concert, visit the link in the comments 🔗🎟️

24/05/2026

We’re delighted to welcome the next artist appearing with the Bubblyjock Collective next weekend…

✨ Rosie Lavery ✨

Rosie Lavery, sometimes known as ‘The Ginger Soprano”, is an opera singer and conductor born and raised in Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Alexander Gibson Opera Studio at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is a regular soloist and recital singer, performing across the UK and Europe. She is currently preparing for performances with Scottish Opera, Oxford International Song Festival and CoAlign Arts in collaboration with ENO.

For more information and tickets, visit the link in the comments 🔗🎶

23/05/2026

With only a week to go until the Bubblyjock Collective arrive at Clonter, we thought we’d introduce the band individually. First up…

✨ Neil Sutcliffe ✨

Neil Sutcliffe is a classical accordionist from Stirling and is passionate about promoting his instrument in the music scene in Scotland. Since completing his Bachelors degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Glasgow in 2021 with Djordje Gajic, he has been regularly performing, teaching and working with composers, storytellers and dancers.

For more information on Neil and to purchase tickets, visit the link in the comments 🔗🎟️