SWINDON Recital Series (SRS) starts the New Year with two concerts in January, including Classical Cabaret on Saturday, January 14 at Swindon Arts Centre and Flute Sonatas with Sally Stocks on Wednesday, January 25 at the Wyvern Theatre.

Classical Cabaret explores the lighter (and darker) side of the early 20th century with Polly Leech and Jennifer Coleman singing songs that immediately conjure up the jazz age and its evocative poetry in settings by Poulenc, Satie, Weill, Gershwin, Schonberg and Brettl.

Mezzo soprano Polly, 23, is well known to Swindon audiences from her performance as Diana Dors in Swindon: The Opera, from her appearances in the Swindon Music Festival and the recital she gave for SRS two years ago.

She is currently studying for a postgraduate Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music whilst continuing to perform both in the UK and abroad.

Appearing with Polly is Jennifer Coleman soprano, also studying for a Masters degree at The Royal College of Music.

Jennifer has won numerous awards both here and abroad and future engagements include the title role in Handel’s Theodora with the RCM Oratorio Society and Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute with St John’s Opera.

This year she released her first full-length album ‘Songs of Love’.

Paul Turner will provide the piano accompaniment.

On Wednesday January 25, Sally Stocks will perform on flute two masterpieces of the 20th century – sonatas by Poulenc and Martinu (First Sonata for Flute and Piano). Doppler’s more folk based ‘Fantasie Pastorale Hongroise’ and Richard Rodney Bennet’s ‘Summer Music’ complete the picture.

She will be accompanied by Paul Turner on piano.

  •  Classical Cabaret is at the Arts Centre in Swindon on Saturday, January 14 at 7.30pm. Tickets £15, seniors £12.50, students £2.50, accompanied children 14 and under free. There is also a booking fee.
  •  Sally Stocks will perform at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon on Wednesday, January 25 at 1.05pm. Tickets are £6.
  •  Information about the recital series can be found at swindonrecitalseries.org