Hexham and District Music Society Marks 75 Years with a New Concert Season

Hexham and District Music Society has been bringing live classical music to the town since its very first concert, held on 5 March 1952 in Hexham's old grammar school. This autumn it begins its 75th anniversary season, with six concerts between October and April split between Queen's Hall Arts Centre and the Great Hall at Hexham Abbey.

Opening night with Emma Johnson

The season opens on Tuesday 20 October at 7.30pm at Queen's Hall, where clarinettist Emma Johnson is joined by pianist Gregory Drott. The programme pairs works by Mozart with a jazz tribute to the clarinet great Benny Goodman, featuring music by George Gershwin, which should make for a lively start to the anniversary year.

Society chair Joan Peugniez told the Hexham Courant: "From the very beginning, we've been bringing the finest classical artists to perform in Hexham."

The rest of the season

• Monday 30 November, 7.30pm, Great Hall, Hexham Abbey: guitarist Craig Ogden, with music ranging from Bach, Vivaldi and Rodrigo to Django Reinhardt.
• Sunday 24 January 2027, 3pm, Queen's Hall: members of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in a chamber programme that includes Louis Spohr's Nonet.
• Monday 22 February 2027, 7.30pm, Great Hall, Hexham Abbey: Flutes and Frets, exploring Italian music from 1400 to the present day on historic flutes, lutes, guitars and theorbos.
• Wednesday 10 March 2027, 7.30pm, Queen's Hall: the 75th anniversary concert, with the Piatti Quartet and pianist Simon Callaghan performing Dvořák's second piano quintet.
• Saturday 3 April 2027, 7.30pm, Queen's Hall: pianist Khrystyna Mykhailichenko plays Mozart, Ravel and Prokofiev.

Best for: Tickets for individual concerts and season tickets are available through the society's website at hexhammusic.net. Check there for prices and any changes to the programme.

Booking

Full details of every concert, plus information on season tickets, are on the Hexham and District Music Society website. The anniversary season was first reported by the Hexham Courant.