Academy of St Thomas celebrates 30th summer concert at Salle church

Celebrated cellist Alexander Baillie will be directing the 30th Salle church programme. Picture: Submitted (Image: Archant)

The Academy of St Thomas returns once again to Salle Church, near Reepham, to mark their 30th concert in the rural church.

The celebrated cellist Alexander Baillie will be directing a programme in which he will play two favourite works in the repertoire; Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major and Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.

In addition, there will be the first performance of an Elegy by Kenneth Leighton especially arranged for cello and orchestra by the soloist. The orchestra will begin the concert with Mozart's Divertimento for Strings and Faure's Pavane.

These much anticipated concerts in the mid-summer musical calendar attracts a large audience and their picnics in the glorious surroundings of the quintessential English setting of this magnificent Norfolk church bordered by the village cricket green.

Academy of St Thomas performed their first concert at Salle Church in 1981. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant © 2014)

The first Salle concert was performed in 1981, directed by the late violinist Hugh McGuire. Concerts in 1986 and 1988 under conductor Julian Webb presaged an annual mid-summer concert from 1990.

Previous soloist/directors have included John Anderson oboe, Fionnuala Hunt violin, Philip Dukes viola, Hannah Perowne violin, Lorraine McAslan violin and Alexander Baillie cello.

Past conductors have included Paul Hoskins, John Forster, Mark Forkgen, Simon Bowler, and Matthew Andrews.

The Academy of St Thomas was founded by Ivan Cane in 1973 and attracts players from across Norfolk, along with loyal and enthusiastic audiences for its repertoire ranges from baroque chamber works to 20th century masterpieces.

• Academy of St Thomas, Salle Church, Reepham, Norfolk, June 24, 7.30pm, £17-£10, £5 under-18s, 01603 626414, www.ticketsource.co.uk/AST