THE first of a new series of the Music Makers’ events took place on Saturday, July 17.

Roger Stephenson performed six short piano pieces for a delighted, if socially-distanced, audience of around 25 at Crediton Congregational Church, featuring music by Schumann, Chopin, Ravel, Shostakovich and Granados.

Tomorrow’s event (Saturday, August 7), presented by pianist and piano teacher Tim Matthews, will include works from different musical eras, including pieces by J. S. Bach, Franz Schubert, Thomas Dunhill, Arthur Benjamin, Francois Poulenc and some more contemporary composers.

Organiser of the Music Makers’ Paul Vincent said: “After lockdown, the new series is an effort to re-unite good locally-based musicians with audiences in an easy informal way.

"Anyone can just drop in and listen to a musical performance lasting little more than half-an-hour. There is no charge for admission, but an envelope is provided for donations to cover the musicians’ costs." 

The events are titled "Saturday 12 o’clock Pops" after a series of chamber music concerts at the St James’s Hall, London, in the late Victorian period, sponsored by a music publisher, where performances by leading musicians and chamber groups could be attended at low prices. 

The performances, starting at noon on Saturdays, take place on the first and third Saturdays of the month at Crediton Congregational Church.

On August 21 Daniel Toll, a Sixth form student at QE School, will give his first solo public recital, having recently achieved a post-Grade 8 diploma in piano.

On September 3, sisters Robyn and Dodie Bowman, from Exeter, return to perform a number of entertaining piano duets.