Dark nights and icy roads mean our January concerts sometimes get a thin audience. Not last night, though, when mild weather, a sparkling Mozartish programme and the pull of the name Royal Northern Sinfonia drew an audience of almost 280 to the Influence Church. And didn’t everyone, listeners and artists alike, clearly enjoy the recital of classical and neo-classical wind octets?

There’s a bit of a gap now until our next concert, by Trio Goya on 2 March. If you haven’t previously come across this period-instrument ensemble, that’s not surprising; their recordings are as infrequent as they are admired. Their Haydn came out way back in 2010, and now their recording of Beethoven’s Opus 1 Trios has been released by Chandos, to enthusiastic reviews in The Strad, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Classical Music (“one of the finest performances anywhere” - beat that) and on Amazon, where you can discover listeners’ enthusiasm and find more detail. If 2 March isn’t already in your calendar, block out the date now.

A large audience enjoyed a lively and entertaining performance last night from these top-quality Norwegian musicians. The quartet was new to most listeners, but its members made a lot of new friends with their varied and beautifully played programme.

Here's a nice comment from Juliet Jopling, the viola player: "What a great venue! A real pleasure to perform in. And we are so impressed and grateful for the quantity AND quality of your audience!"

Take a bow, everyone.

A very full house enjoyed a wonderful recital last night. Joanna MacGregor held the audience spellbound with a generous and wide-ranging programme of works from Beethoven to the present day. The concert attracted enthusiasts from well beyond our usual catchment area, and is sure to have created even more among any audience members who hadn’t heard this fine musician before.

UPDATE *** Several people have asked what the lovely encore was. We believe it was the performer's own adaptation of a piece by Astor Piazzolla. If you know otherwise, please let us know. ***

​Many thanks to the sponsors, Millgate House and Garden, and to Peter Denison-Edson and Hazel Smith, who helped provide the wonderful Steinway piano.

We were pleased to welcome a number of guests from local community libraries and information centres. (Pssst! We hope you’ll come back.)

​Photo: Jane Morris Abson

What a wonderful concert that was last night - a lovely example of ensemble playing. For this listener the standout part was the second movement of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet, with impossible sweetness from Alina Ibragimova on the violin's top strings and some delightfully liquid burbling from Annelien van Wauwe on clarinet. No, "burbling" is probably not a standard music-reviewing term, but it should be.

Some of you may have been disturbed in the first half of the concert by the deep bass thumping coming from a wedding marquee in the grounds of the Cricket Club. We do apologise. It's the first time this has happened to us, and it won't be a regular occurrence. At the first opportunity we asked for the noise to be turned down, and hope no-one was troubled by it in the second half.

In preparation for the concert on 29 September by the Chiaroscuro Quartet, we have now suspended Season Tickets sales online and through Castle Hill Bookshop. They will still be available (for £45, cash or cheque) at the concert itself.

Single tickets for the concert will continue to be available through this website until 17:00 on 29 September. After that time, they can be bought (for £15, cash or cheque) at the concert itself.

Sadly, our fellow concert society has had to postpone its 9 September concert to 14 October. So if you'd been planning to hear the New World String Trio in Carperby Village Hall, please see the WCS website for the new details.

Season Tickets for our 71st season went on sale today. Joanna MacGregor, the Chiaroscuro Quartet, Royal Northern Sinfonia and more - six superb concerts for just £45, less than half the price of the single tickets.

Details and easy online ordering are on our Home Page. Most of our members bought online last season. Or if you're in Richmond, you can collect from Castle Hill Bookshop (cash or cheque, please). 

Rather post a cheque? If you're on our mailing list, our printed programme and postal order form will clatter through your letterbox around 9 or 10 August. (But if by then you've already ordered online or at the bookshop, we'll save the stamp for another day! That means you'll miss out on our printed annual Newsletter, but you can download a copy here.)

However you join, welcome to our friendly, top-quality concerts.

With the Richmondshire Concerts season finished, and the Swaledale Festival packed away, what professional classical music is available locally between now and September? Here are a few suggestions:

• Sunday 16 June, 14:00-16:30, at St Agatha's, Easby. The superb viola player Susanna Pell (Fretwork, Dufay Collective, Rose Consort, etc.) will give an informal recital of 18th century music. "Drop in," she says, "bring a book, read the papers, knit...". Strawberries and tea. Free entry, donations to church funds.
• 21-30 June. A short way down the A1, the Northern Aldborough Festival has some delightful offerings, including the pianist Kathryn Stott and the wonderful young accordionist Bartosz Glowacki. If you haven't heard classical music on the accordion, you're in for a treat.
• Saturday 11 August, 19:30, at St Andrew's, Aysgarth. Martyn Jackson (violin) and Petr Limonov (piano) play Mozart, Suk and Schumann. Martyn performed for us recently as leader of the Allegri Quartet, and Petr accompanied the violinist Jennifer Pike in a very good recital at this year's Swaledale Festival. This concert is part of the Wensleydale Concert Series.

 The Annual General Meeting of Richmondshire Concerts heard of a successful season. Key points:

• The Chairman, Nick Reckert, reported a record number of members - 259 - in the Society's 70th year. He thanked Trustees for their good humour and hard work. The Annual Report was approved.
• The Concert Secretary, Anna Jackson, said she had had excellent feedback on the season's concerts. This was borne out in total audience numbers which also - despite one snow-bound concert - hit a new record..
• The Treasurer, Philip Wicks, reported Profit & Loss broadly in line with expectations; the Society had budgeted to draw on reserves in this anniversary season, and had done so, and was financially sound.

All Trustees were  willing to continue, and were re-elected with no changes of responsibility.

A list of Trustees is at the foot of this page. The Annual Report and approved financial results are available on request from chair@rsconcerts.org. 

Our Annual General Meeting will take place at 19:30 on Wednesday 13 June, in the Snug of the Black Lion Hotel, Finkle Street, Richmond.

The AGM generally lasts about half an hour. It includes a review of the season which has just ended - concerts, membership, finances - and a preview of the coming season. The meeting is open to all, members and non-members. If you plan to come, it would help if you would email info@rsconcerts.org, so we can be sure to put out enough seats.