Star-studded music season unveiled at venue dubbed the 'Rolls Royce of village halls' near Wigan

For the the eagerly awaited programme for Parbold Douglas Music’s 49th season of live performances has been announced.

Critically-acclaimed international stars including pianists Janina Fialkowska, Benjamin Grosvenor, Ashley Wass and the legendary Peter Donohoe will all be taking to the concert grand Steinway at the Auditorium of Parbold Village Hall for recitals through to next summer.

The venue has been described as the “Rolls-Royce of village halls” for its brilliant acoustic which further enhances the first class instrument on stage.

The season isn’t purely the reserve of piano recitals though. For instance the Christmas concert will feature Prince Bishops Brass, while another keyboard wizard and Parbold regular, Martin Roscoe, will this year be part of a piano trio. Grosvenor will in fact be in duet with much-feted violinist Hyeyoon Park, while pianist Lucy Parham’s programme celebrating the life of Rachmaninov (whose 150th anniversary it is this year) is joined by the TV and film actor Tim McInnerny as narrator.

And it all begins on the evening of Saturday September 9 with Classico Latino: seven musicians who blend the smooth sound and virtuosity of the classical tradition with the distinctive rhythms and melodies of Latin-American music.

The group formed in 1998 following a chance encounter between Colombian pianist Ivan Guevara and English cellist Graham Walker.

Since then, Classico Latino has developed its uniquely powerful blend of Classical finesse and Latino flair, releasing five albums and entertaining audiences from Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London to the foothills of the Colombian Andes.

Drawing on the familiar bolero and tango as well as less familiar styles such as pasillo and joropo, the concert will feature a wide selection of songs that tell the amazingly varied stories and emotions of Latin America. The group will perform music from their latest album, Havana Classic, which was Runner-up Album of the Year in the 2019 UK Latin Awards.

Laced in and out of the season are performances of music by Rachmaninov, marking his aforementioned anniversary.

Parbold Douglas Music is a charity run on a not-for-profit basis, by a team of volunteers drawn from the local community. Founded in 1973, our live performances are unique in the North West in presenting concerts in an intimate auditorium where audiences can get thrillingly close to world-class musicians.

Tickets for each concert are priced from £22 to £25 and just £5 for young people and students (a price which has remained constant for over 15 years). Free car parking is also available. Tickets can be booked by visiting the website www.parbolddouglasmusic.org, emailing [email protected] or phoning 01257 498452.

All concerts take place on Saturdays and begin at 7.45pm. The season is as follows:

September 9 – Classico Latino

September 30 – Janina Fialkowska, piano

October 21 – Anna Tsybuleva, piano

November 11- Hyeyoon Park, violin and Benjamin Grosvenor, piano

December 9 – Prince Bishops Brass

February 17 – Roscoe Piano Trio

March 16 – Elégie: Rachmaninov - A Heart in Exile, with Lucy Parham, piano and Tim McInnerny, narrator

April 20 – Ashley Wass, piano, and students from Yehudi Menuhin School

May 25 – Andrew von Oeyen, piano

June 15 – Peter Donohoe, piano.