WACIDOM

Saturday 6^th June 2026 – 1:45-2:30pm

Laurence Hughes – Cello, Thomas Henderson – Piano

Programme

Hermann of Reichenau Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen) – trad

J S Bach Prelude, Sarabande & Gigue, Cello Suite No.1 in G major BWV 1007

G F Handel Ombra mai fu

F Schubert Ave Maria

S Prokofiev Montagues and Capulets

L Bernstein From the musical West Side Story
i America
ii Maria

M Bruch Kol Nidrei

Biographies

Laurence Hughes was a chorister at Hexham Abbey before studying cello with Hannah Roberts at Chetham’s School of Music, where he won a scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music. After further studies in London, Laurence has enjoyed a career where he has sought to balance his professional academic interests with a love of making music. Recent chamber music collaborations have been with Caroline Pether, the Sterling Trio and Lucia Strings. Laurence also teaches cello and freelances with various orchestras, as well as directing the Ignatius Singers in the church of the Holy Name at Manchester University and the YLSS Orchestra.

Tom Henderson is from Cornwall and has established a reputation as a distinguished accompanist across the country. He studied piano with Melvyn Cooper at Warwick University. Tom is a Junior Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music working as a Repetiteur in the school of Vocal and Operatic studies. He is also an accomplished choral singer and currently sings with the Royal Philharmonic award nominated group The Sunday Boys, an LGBTQ+ low-voiced choir based in Manchester, and also performs with Manchester Chamber Choir and the Ignatius Singers. Tom was accompanist at the Stoller Hall in the world premiere of Michael Betteridge’s secular oratorio, ‘Stay as long as you like’. He also recently collaborated with Streetwise Opera at the Bridgewater Hall in their Re-discover Festival, a celebration of African and Caribbean heritage through the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness.

This is the last concert in our current series.

We at WACIDOM would like to thank you for your continued support and we look forward to welcoming you back to Holy Trinity on 26^th September 2026 when our recital will be Andrew Yang – Piano.

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Saturday 30^th May 2026 – 1:45pm to 2:30pm

Voluta String Quartet

Kaylee Ramella & Emily Ampt – Violin, Mari-Carmen Morris – Viola, Ruaraidh Williams – Cello

Programme

Antonín Dvořák String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op. 106
i Allegro moderato
ii Adagio ma non troppo
iii Molto vivace – Un poco piu mosso
iv Finale. Andante sostenuto – Allegro con fuoco

Biography

The award-winning Voluta Quartet is a vibrant, multi-cultural, Manchester-based string ensemble who met as graduates at the Royal Northern College of Music in early 2025.

As recent appointees of the RNCM Quartet Studio 2026-27 and winners of both the RNCM Hirsch Prize (2025) and Weil Prize (2026), the group works closely with local composers and engages with contemporary works as well as core classical repertoire such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Ravel. The quartet also collaborates across expanded ensembles, most recently performing Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s Clarinet Quintet for RNCM’s ‘Spotlight’ series.

The Voluta Quartet is enjoying a rigorous concert season in 2026, presenting lunchtime recitals around Manchester and beyond, a RNCM Spotlight concert, recording for Royal Northern Records, and performances for Streetwise Opera and Manchester’s progressive metal group, The Silver Chamber.

The group is coached by accomplished chamber musicians such as Donald Grant (Elias Quartet), Petr Prause (formerly Talich Quartet), Pavel Fischer (formerly Škampa Quartet), and Jennifer Langridge (RNCM Head of Strings Chamber Music, formerly Victoria String Quartet). They have also received mentoring from ARC Ensemble and NOVO Quartet.

Our next concert, which is the last of the summer series, is on Saturday 6^th June and features Lawrence Hughes, Cello and Thomas Henderson – Piano.

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We enjoyed the Outstanding Young Pianists – Sam Lord, Melody Zhao and Natalia Mei playing a superb selection of music to celebrate yet another milestone concert. At the end, Sam played ‘Happy Birthday’ and we learned that it was Melody’s 16th birthday today.

We also learned that Helen (who holds the donations basket after our concerts) has attended all 550 concerts.

Thank you to Alan (who takes photographs for us) for presenting us with this 3D printed embossed plaque.

Finally, thank you to the Committee who ensure that our concert programme is of a consistently high standard and that our audience receives a warm welcome to the concerts.

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WACIDOM is a voluntary run music society and charity that holds free lunchtime concerts on Saturday afternoons at Holy Trinity Church in Warrington Town Centre. All our concerts are funded by donations.

Our main aim is to offer opportunities to young student musicians, most often from the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School of Music, but sometimes further afield. We also support musicians at the start of their careers as they build repertoire, confidence and platform skills.

In 2024 we celebrated our 500^th free concert which was played by Patron, Leon McCawley and Patron, Sir Stephen Hough kindly offered to play a December concert, to bring our celebratory year to a close.

Sir Stephen asked that donations were to go to WACIDOM to support our work with young and aspiring musicians. He was there once!

Our location link. Our next/current series programme information. Previous concerts link.

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The page can be accessed from:

Main Menu (above) – Links – WACIDOM Facebook and then click on the logo or blue text.

Click here for a shortcut to the link.

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