Events in 2006

“A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION” 7.30pm Sat 9 Dec 2006

The Friends of St James’ Invite You

After a successful Autumn season of events which began back in September during the New Mills Community Festival, The Friends of St James’ final event of 2006 will be a lovely combination of music and readings to celebrate Christmas. This will be at 7.30 pm on Saturday 9th December in St James’ Church and Arts Centre, Spring Bank, New Mills. Having secured a booking with much in-demand choir ‘The Grace Darling Singers’, the Friends promise all their visitors an evening “to warm the cockles of their hearts”! The Singers will be performing a range of pieces – some well-known favourites, some which evoke Christmas in the style of years gone by. They will be interspersing the musical items with readings around the Christmas theme. For musical accompaniment and as a worthy ensemble in their own right, ‘The Four Graces’ quartet will add a delightful further dimension to the evening’s programme.

Talented Choristers

‘The Grace Darling Singers’ are sixteen serious musicians who specialise in demanding and sometimes out-of-the-ordinary pieces. To keep the audience on their toes for the Celebration evening, they will be including four items that invite audience participation, as well as a Christmas Anthem which culminates in a choir-and-audience finale. The choice of readings will be a mixture – some from well known and much-loved sources, others from modern and perhaps less familiar writers. Everyone asks about the odd name of The Singers: have they any connection with Northumberland and the sea heroine’s famous Farne-Isles rescue? The answer, apparently, is that when the chorale originally formed one member brought along a little known folk piece celebrating the said sea heroine. The Singers adopted the song in their early repertoire – and the name that went with it!

Beautiful Setting

Everyone who performs at St James’ remarks on its beautiful interior and excellent acoustic. The Preservation Trust hopes that it is now on the verge of acquiring the church in order to restore it and convert it into a purpose-equipped studio arts venue. To share the excitement of this prospect there will be mulled wine and seasonal refreshments at the Christmas Celebration.

Tickets

Adults: £5.50 and Concessions: £4.00. Bookable in advance from The Derbyshire Building Society, Union Road, New Mills, phone 01663 744003 or by phone from The Ticket Hotline 01663 746074. For help with transport please ring the Hotline number. Members showing their card obtain a discount on all pre-booked tickets. To become a member of The Friends of St James’ for the 2007 season contact Janet Allan on 01663 744233.

Tue 18th Jul - The Magdalen Whitewash - youth theatre - 11am

Mon 17th Jul - Where's Waldo? - youth theatre - 11am

Sun 9th Jul - Aitone - early music acapella - 7.30pm

“POETRY AND A LITTLE PIANO”

Fringe Artist for New Mills Arts Centre

The Friends of St James’ Arts Centre, Spring Bank in New Mills are delighted to have secured a booking with Buxton Fringe favourite Philip Holland. Intriguingly entitled “Poetry and a Little Piano” (- is that a very small piano or a few piano pieces interposed in the poetry?) the performance takes place at 7:30 pm on Saturday June 17th at the St James’ Church building on Spring Bank in New Mills. This is the last concert in the Spring Programme promoted by The Friends, although there will be more arts events in the Buxton Fringe programme at the centre during July (see the Fringe programme for details)

Poet and Pianist Extraordinary

Philip Holland is perhaps better known to Buxton audiences, where he has played in the Festival Fringe in 2004 and again in 2005. The opening lines of his Bio read “I am a 56 year old semi-retired dairy and sheep farmer, one time hotelier and former concert pianist, presently working part-time in partnership with my wife in our jewellery shop in Buxton…” Newly retired in 2003, he finally “hung up his wellies” and started to write poetry! He says he first decided to put pen to paper after a holiday in Rome in April 2003 when he was inspired by the wonderful Bernini sculptures in The Villa Borgese.

Established Poet

Philip is an established poet now; he has published two anthologies of his writings, with illustrations by his wife Patty. His poems have won awards and been short-listed at national level in a competition judged by a panel including the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion. As well as the Buxton Fringe, Philip gave three recitals at The Edinburgh Fringe in 2005, coinciding with the release of his second anthology, “More Poems”. Currently, Philip is facing a self-imposed challenge by pursuing an English and Creative Writing Degree Course with the Uni of Derby (Buxton Campus).

A Little Piano

From the age of six Philip learned the pianoforte. Having gained honours in the highest grade at both solo and duet, he went on to study with Fanny Waterman in Leeds – giving professional recitals with his sister as concert piano duettists – whilst still farming! He competed in most of the major Drama and Music Festivals in the North West and Midlands, broadcast for the BBC and gave many concerts for charitable organisations. As if this was not enough, he formed and ran his own choir and was often a guest conductor with local brass bands.

Enjoy an Evening with Philip Holland

This extremely accomplished performer is appearing for one night only in New Mills. Tickets are £5.50 and £4.00 for concessions – on sale at “Bookstop” Market Street New Mills (Tel: 744472) or The Ticket Hotline (Tel: 746074). For any elderly audience who would like help with travel, they should also ring New Mills 746074.

“TALKING HEADS”

Talented Actress:

One of the runaway best sellers at Christmas 2005 was Alan Bennett's “Untold Stories”, the masterful autobiography of Bennett's childhood in the Leeds / Bradford area.

Inspired by Bennett's delicious observations, Lancashire’s own Joanna Lavelle returns to the St James’ Arts Centre, New Mills, with two of his monologues from the first “Talking Heads” series, just as fresh today as when they were written and recorded for BBC television in 1988.

In "Bed Among the Lentils" life at the Vicarage is seen in a different light when the vicar's wife develops an unhealthy liking for the communion wine and the Asian grocer she meets on her shopping trips to Leeds. More of Bennett's skilful observation and plotting is shown in "A Lady of Letters", a poignant tale of correspondence that ends with the writer residing at an unusual address!

Joanna first became known to New Mills audiences with her interpretation of Shirley Valentine in 2004 and last year she returned with her own tribute show to Joyce Grenfell. This Spring's Alan Bennett “Talking Heads” revival shows the versatility and range of an accomplished actress who has previously played to full houses.

St James’ Arts Centre:

“Talking Heads” on Saturday March 18th (7:30 pm) marks the start of the Spring / Summer season of events at The James’Arts Centre on Spring Bank in New Mills. Having justly established a reputation for quality performances across the whole arts spectrum, from poetry to drama, from jazz to classical, from books to bellringers.

The Friends of St James’ are delighted to be promoting Joanna Lavelle to open their 2006 programme of events. On the previous two occasions when Joanna has brought her one-woman shows to New Mills the evenings have been complete sell-outs. Advance booking is strongly advised. Tickets cost £5.50 (or £4.00 concessions) and can be obtained from ‘Bookstop’ on Market Street in New Mills (N M 744472) or by phoning The Ticket Hotline (N M 746074). Anyone with transport problems can also ring the hotline for help. Reductions for group bookings can be negotiated via the hotline.