Final curtain falls for Chichester music group

An era closes this week with the final concert from Chichester’s Music on Sundays group.
Trio MartinuTrio Martinu
Trio Martinu

MoS spokesman Raymond Greenlees said: “Trio Martinu from Prague are playing us out in fine style at the end of their south-of-England tour. They themselves are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their foundation as an ensemble.”

The concert is titled Commemorative and Celebratory Concert and comes for Music on Sundays after nearly 20 years of making music in Chichester

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The trio’s members are Pavel Safaric (violin), Jaroslav Matejka (cello) and Petr Jirikovsky (piano). Last year they gave 30 concerts in Slovak as well as Czech cities and participated in the Martinu Fest, Prague Spring Festival and the International Music Festival in Piestany, Slovakia.

The programme for Music on Sundays at Christ Church in Old Market Avenue, off South Street, Chichester on February 22 at 2.30pm will be: Josef Suk – Elegie Op.23; 
Antonin Dvorak – Piano Trio in B major, Op 21; and Franz Schubert – Piano Trio in E major Op 100.

Raymond said the concert will be one of mixed emotions: “We feel we should celebrate the achievements of MOS at the same time as expressing sadness on its closure.

“The positives include: the promotion of good concerts at a reasonable price; concerts all the year round (except August); low-cost membership; a club atmosphere with many life members; and the ownership of our grand piano, a Bechstein bought in effect by the life members’ capital injection.”

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The piano will be donated to Christ Church who have housed the piano for several years free of cost.

“The difficulties include: finding good artists and paying low fees (we will compensate for this by donating our remaining funds to the Royal Society of Musicians who look after professional musicians who need help during illness and financial difficulties); finding new committee members capable of fixing low-cost performers every month; and filling the vacant posts of chairman, treasurer and secretary.”

Raymond said reduced attendances have recently been partly caused by Sunday afternoon parking charges.

Tickets for non-members are £10, students £5 available at the door at Christ Church, Old Market Avenue, Chichester or from Raymond Greenlees at 01243 527425, or chichestertickets.co.uk on line or 01243 813595.

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