History - Cockermouth Music Society Shop

Origins

Cockermouth’s musical life has long been richer than the town’s size would suggest. Cockermouth Harmonics – a mixed choir which over the years has performed many major masterpieces of the choral repertoire – was founded way back in the 1800s. The town now has three choirs. But most relevant to the beginnings of the Music Society in the early 1990s, perhaps, is that Cockermouth (with a population of only approximately 7,000) by then had a classical record shop which had been in existence for forty years. The catalyst for starting a society aiming to promote regular chamber music concerts, however, was the creation of the Kirkgate Centre out of a derelict school building, and the society began life as the Kirkgate Music Society. Unfortunately the Centre only has seating for 110, and no room for the accommodation of a piano. Only two of our concerts actually took place there, and the transition to Cockermouth Music Society took place in our second year.

Our very first concert, a sort of testing of the waters on 26 February 1994, was in fact hosted by the United Reformed Church, the Kirkgate Centre not yet being available. A performance by a string trio (low cost was a factor in the choice of players) was not an obvious crowd-puller. But 153 turned up, way beyond the official capacity of the building. With the exception of those two Kirkgate Centre concerts, and the occasional use of Christ Church, the URC was to be our home for the next thirty years. In 1996, with the aid of a grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, we were able to acquire a Boston grand piano. And in 2014, this time with Arts Council help, it was upgraded to a Steinway model B. Lord Egremont has been a patron throughout. And in the early years our second patron was the late Robert Ponsonby, former controller of BBC Radio 3 and of the Proms festival.

David Lindley

Masterclasses & Workshops

Kathryn Scott and Martin Roscoe, both pianists, ran separate Masterclasses for local young pianists. We have also arranged Workshops in Cockermouth School, Fairfield Primary and All Saints Primary Schools.

Kathryn Stott: Piano Masterclass

Dante Quartet Workshop at Cockermouth School

Past Performers

Unless otherwise stated, ‘Trio’ means piano trio (piano, violin and cello) and ‘Quartet’ means a string quartet (two violins, viola & cello).

Years	September	October	November	December	January	February	March	April
2025-26	Sirocco Winds Quintet	Kosta Popović (cello) & Valentina Wang (piano)	Palisander (recorders)	Trio Meister Raro (clarinet, viola & piano)	Gould Piano Trio	Brodsky Quartet	Martin Roscoe (piano)
2024-25	Marcus Farnworth (baritone) & Libby Burgess (piano)	Siping Guo (bassoon) & Apolline Khou (piano)	Marsyas Trio (flute, cello, piano)	Bone-Afide (trombones)	Mithras Trio	Leon McCawley (piano)	Alkyona String Quartet
2023-24	Frith Quintet	Maxim Calver (cello) & Kumi Matuso (piano)	Baroque Alchemy (recorders and keyboards)	Elias Quartet	Allison Trio	Sirocco Winds Quintet	Martin Roscoe (piano)
2022-23	Laura van der Heijden (cello) & Tom Poster (piano)	Louise Thompson (harp)	Haffner Wind Ensemble	Florilegium (early music)	John Paul Elkins (piano)	Mathilde Milwidsky (violin) & Andrew Zolinsky (piano)	Caducci String Quartet
2021-22	The Pelleas Ensemble (flute, viola, harp)	Britten Oboe Quartet	Leon McCawley (piano)	Gould Trio & Robert Plane (clarinet)	Jennifer Pike (violin) & Martin Roscoe (piano)	Patrick Hemmerle (piano)	Coull Quartet	Leo Popplewell (cello) & Antonina Suhanova (piano)
2019-20	The Temple Ensemble (octet)	John Paul Elkins (piano)	Maggini Quartet	Scottish Ensemble	Elizabeth Bass (harp)	The Zadig Trio	Leon McCawley (Cancelled - COVID19)
2018-19	Emma Johnson (clarinet) & John Lenehan (piano)	Chamber Philharmonia	Emanuel Bach (violin) & Luke Okros (piano)	Gould Piano Trio	Endellion Quartet	Northern Chamber Orchestra & Chloe Hanslip (violin)	Tom Poster (piano)
2017-18	Laura van der Heijden (cello) & Martin Roscoe (piano)	Anna Tsybuleva (piano)	Northern Chamber Orchestra & Viv McLean (piano)	Joglaresa (early Music)	Artington Quartet	Sarah Bennett (flute) & Daniel King-Smith (piano)	Rautio Piano Trio
2016-17	Leon McCawley (piano)	Coull Quartet	Manchester Camerata & Tine Thing Helseth (trumpet)	Nick Daniel (oboe) & Charles Owen (piano)	Endymion Ensemble	Alexandra Lomeiko (violin) & Antonina Suhanova (piano)	Sitkovetsky Trio
2015-16	Riyad Nicholas (piano)	Laura van der Heijden (cello) & Huw Watkins (piano)	London Mozart Players & Paul Archibald (trumpet)	18th Century Concert Orchestra	Martin Roscoe (piano)	Maggini Quartet	Fujita Piano Trio
2014-15	Leon McCawley (piano)	Souza Wind Quartet	Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment	Jennifer Pike (violin)	London Haydn Strings	Dante Quartet & Michael Dussek (piano)	Ellen Hydref (harp)
2013-14	The Fibonacci Sequence (string quintet)	Carducci String Quartet	Orchestra of the Swan & Huw Watkins (piano)	Jason Gillham (piano)	Adelia Myslov (violin) & Craig White (piano)	Kimon Parry (clarinet) and Tony Ingham (piano)	Frith Piano Quartet & Chi-Chi Nwanoku (double bass)
2012-13	Mark Bebbington (piano)	Pyatt Horn Trio	Shiry Rashkovsky (viola) & Alison Rhind (piano)	Kadinsky Piano Trio	Brodsky Quartet	Nordic Chamber Ensemble	Academy of Ancient Music
2011-12	Kathryn Stott (piano)	Atrium String Quartet	Tim Lowe (cello) & Annabel Thwaite (piano)	Katona Twins (guitars)	Matthew Trussler (violin) & Martin Roscoe (piano)	Frith Piano Quartet	Scottish Ensemble & Alison Balsom (trumpet)
2010-11	Academy of St Martin in the Fields & Morgan Szymanski (guitar)	Martin Roscoe (piano)	Claire Jones (harp)	Berkeley Ensemble (octet)	Sarah-Jane Bradley (violin) & Anthony Hewitt (piano)	Gould Piano Trio	Carducci Quartet & Brodowski Quartet
2009-10	Leon McCawley (piano)	Atrium String Quartet	Eleanor Fagg (violin) & Anna Tilbrook (piano)	Anthony Goldstone & Caroline Clemmow (piano)	Gould Piano Trio	Britten Sinfonia, Pekka Kuusisto (violin) & Mark Padmore (tenor)	Hannah Marcinowicz (clarinet, saxophone) & Richard Shaw (piano)
2008-09	Chiao-Ying Chang (piano)	Frith Piano Quartet	Northern Chamber Orchestra & Jennifer Pike (violin)	Fibonacci Sequence (piano, oboe, horn, clarinet, bassoon)	Rowena Calvert (cello) & Alison Rhind (piano)	Fujita Trio	Endellion String Quartet
2007-08	Kungsbacka Trio	Atrium Quartet	Britten Sinfonia & Jaqueline Shave (violin), Nicholas Daniel (oboe)	Debussy Ensemble (flute, viola, harp)	Divertimenti String Quintet	Andrew Brownell (piano)	Eleanor Fagg (vioiin) & Alasdair Beatson (piano)
2006-07	Margaret Fingerhut (piano)	Tasmin LIttle (violin) & Martin Roscoe (piano)	City of London Symphonia	McLean-Thorson-Strange Trio	Hilton-Perkins-Briggs Trio (clarinet, bassoon, piano)	Maggini Quartet	Oliver Coates (cello) & Jacob Fichert (piano)
2005-06	Nikolai Demidenko (piano)	The Hanover Band	London Mozart Trio	London Concertante (string sextet)	Jennifer Pike (violin) & Jeremy Pike (piano)	David Childs (euphonium) & Harvey Davies (piano)	McFarlane Quartet
2004-05	Amara Trio	Antil Siirala (piano)	James Boyd (viola) & James Kirby (piano)	London Flute Quartet	Chiao-Ying Chang (piano)	Ruth Palmer (violin) & Alasdair Beatson (piano)	Endellion Quartet
2003-04	Tamas Vasary (piano)	Fujita Trio	Nicholas Daniel (oboe) & Julius Drake (piano)	Paul Watkins (cello) & Huw Watkins (piano)	The Wakeford Ensemble (clarinet, violins, viola, cello)	Bobby Chen (piano)	The London Haydn Quartet
2002-03	Sam Haywood (piano)	London Mozart Trio	Morat Bisengaliev (violin) & John Lenehan (piano)	London Concertante (string ensemble)	Goldstone & Clemmow (piano duet)	Charotte Ellett (soprano) & Natalie Ann Murray (piano)	The Maggini Quartet
2001-02	Peter Donohoe (piano)	The Aurora Wind Ensemble	Lorca Trio	Lucy Wakeford (harp)	Tim Lissimore (piano)	Eimer Trio	Wihan Quartet
2000-01	Peter Katin (piano)	Toby Turton (cello) & Peter Hewitt (piano)	Leopold String Trio	Concanentes (Early Christmas Music)	Damian Thantrey (baritone) & Peter Hewitt (piano)	Nicholas Daniel (oboe) & Huw Watkins (piano)	Danel Quartet
1999-2000	Martin Roscoe (piano)	The Katona Twins (guitars)	Lucy Jeal (violin) & Julian Milford (piano)	Tapestry of Music		The Lude Trio	Vanbrugh Quartet
1998-99	Joanna MacGregor (piano)	The Maggini Quartet	London Wind Quartet	Malcolm Allison (viola) & Timothy Lissimore (piano)	David Sanger (organ)		Catherine Beynon (harp)	Vicky Walker (cello)
1997-98	Ilya Itin (piano)	Joanne Freeland (clarinet) & Judith Keaney (piano)	Saskia Trio	Sirinue (Early Christmas Music)	Pryor Mitchell (violin)	The Schidlof Quartet
1996-97	Empyrean Ensemble (flute, violin, viola, harp)	Victoria Brawn (oboe) and James Brawn (piano)	Cantamen Trio	Trevor Wye (flute) & John Wilson (piano)	Kreutzer Quartet	Sam Haywood (piano)	Young Artists (Royal Northern College)
1995-96	Nemo Brass Quintet	Ensemble Bash (percussion)	Vanbrugh Quartet	Tapestry of Music	Regent Wind Quintet	Jeux (flute, cello, harp)	Chethams School of Music
1994-95		Danel Quartet	Hannah Roberts (cello) and Simon Parkin (piano)	Tapestry of Music (Medieval Christmas)	Helen William (soprano) and John Graham Hall (tenor)	Les Trois (flute, harp, viola)	Lawrence Perkins (bassoon) & Michael Hancock (piano)
						Deakin String Trio

Commissions of new works:

To date six new works have been commissioned and given their première in Cockermouth. With the support of the Arts for Everyone (A4E) scheme the society commissioned:

Simon Parkin’s Quartet No. 3 – first performance June 1998 by the Chalabi Quartet (students from the Royal Northern College College of Music);
Errollyn Wallen’s Rhapsody, a piece for viola – performed by Malcolm Allison with Timothy Lissimore at the piano in December, 1998 and recorded live by the BBC;
Philip Wood’s Four Bagatelles performed by Martin Roscoe in September, 1999.
Philip Wood’s Piano Trio No. 1 – performed by the Lorca Piano Trio (Malcolm Allison – violin, Bovidar Vukotic – cello and Timothy Lissimore – piano)
Philip Wood’s Diversions for Cello and Piano performed by Rowena Calvert (cello) and Alison Rhind (piano) in January 2009, with funding from Cockermouth Music Society and Cockermouth Neighbourhood Forum (Cumbria CC).
Philip Wood’s Postcards, a piece for piano and orchestra, which was performed by the Papcastle Community Orchestra and sponsored by the Arts Council in 2014.