The new style Horsham Music Circle season in 2019/2020 proved successful even if shortened by the Coronavirus pandemic resulting in two concerts being postponed. With the musicians we work with facing a hugely difficult time ahead we hoped to support them in the future with our concert promotions when safe to do so. Over the last 6 months we have been saddened to have news of the death of both our
past Chairman Dr John Stoddart who was in office for 17 years before his retirements in 2019, and more recently Brian Harmsworth. Brian was the son of the Circle’s founder Grace Humphery OBE. After her retirement he took over the running of the annual concert series. During the 70s he brought many outstanding artists to Horsham who were at the start of their careers including cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, Howard Shelley, John Lill, Barry Douglas and the Endellion String Quartet all of which are at the forefront of classical music today. So the Music Circle is now in its 79th season 2020/2021 and so far It has certainly been a different one to any we have held in all these years! There has been much to consider in its planning under the fluctuating Covid-19 guidelines. Initially it brought a small return to live events in the Autumn with Lunchtime Organ recitals and it had been hoped that 2021 would see concert settings getting nearer to the norm. We lined up a series of concerts for the start of 2021 with The Sharpenhurst Quartet, already postponed three times, Steve Dummer, clarinet, joined by cellist Pavlos Carvalho and pianist Warren Mailley-Smith, Judith Templeman offering a violin recital with Heejung Kim, piano, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust young pianist Dominic Degavino in recital and for our 79th Anniversary concert soprano Helen Whittington and friends presenting ‘Aspect of Opera’. Unfortunately the first three concerts have had to be postponed until the autumn. April and May could still bring us some live performance so we wait in anticipation but still being prepared to change plans if necessary. To see more information look at our website at https://www.horsham-music-circle.org.uk
