ILKLEY Concert Club is proud to present its programme for the forthcoming season of chamber concerts in the King’s Hall.

This 78th season, which runs from October 2024 to May 2025, will feature music from Eastern Europe by Janácek, Pärt and Tchaikovsky, from America by Amy Beach and George Walker as well as from England by Benjamin Britten and Henry Purcell.

Our song recital in March will feature songs by Sheffield-born Muriel Herbert left unperformed for many years until championed by her daughter, biographer Claire Tomalin, and we have a near-premiere when the Dudok Quartet perform British-Lebanese Bushra El-Turk’s new string quartet work in our February concert.

The season starts on October 9 with a piano recital by British pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen featuring music by Schubert and Mendelssohn as well as the first performance at the club of Janáček’s solo piano music.

November 20 sees the return of violinist Chloë Hanslip to Ilkley with her duo partner Danny Driver. Their programme ranges from Bach to Boulanger and takes in violin sonatas by Beethoven and César Franck.

There is a different sort of return in December for the Treske Quartet who, while studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, took part in our Autumn afternoon concert series in 2022. They impressed us then with their mature music making and we are glad to invite them back on December 11 to perform in our main series with a programme which includes string quartets by Beethoven and Benjamin Britten.

The first concert of the new year on January 8 features Ben Goldscheider (horn), Benjamin Baker (violin) and pianist Huw Watkins with a programme of horn trios by Mozart, Brahms and Huw Watkins himself, interspersed by Clara Schumann’s Romances for violin and piano and piano works by Brahms and Mendelssohn.

The concert on February 19 sees the Dudok Quartet come from Amsterdam to perform one of Mozart’s ‘Haydn’ quartets and Tchaikovsky’s third quartet as well as the new work.

The captivating stage presence and warmth of soprano Ailish Tynan will make for an entertaining evening on March 12 when, with her pianist James Baillieu, she performs French songs on the theme of Venice as well as a selection of Irish and English songs, including those by Muriel Herbert.

April brings a first for Ilkley as we welcome a recorder-accordion duo – two players, virtuosi of their own instruments, combine in a programme of music from across the centuries – Shards of light.

Our final concert on May 14 welcomes to the King’s Hall, the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, a group with a growing reputation, with a programme of piano quintet music which should round off the season in appropriate high spirits.

Concert Club concerts are held in the King’s Hall on Wednesdays at 7.30pm.

The brochure and application form for the 78th season is now available from the King’s Hall, Ilkley Library and the Tourist Information Office and during this week (from June 24) at Booth’s Store Ilkley.

All details can be found on our website at ilkleyconcertclub.org.uk where on-line application for season tickets can be made, or you can email admin@ilkleyconcertclub.org.uk for a copy of the brochure.

Season ticket applications need to be submitted as soon as possible and by 13 July at the latest.