What’s On !…
Sunday 26th April
Raymond Burley • Guitar
ONGAR MUSIC CLUB CONCERT
If you find yourself at a loose end on Sunday 26th April I’d be pleased to see you at Budworth Hall, Chipping Ongar, Essex. CM5 9JG.
‘THE SEGOVIA LEGACY’ programme will include TANSMAN: ‘Mazurka’, DUARTE: ‘English Suite’ op.31, ALBÉNIZ: ‘Mallorca’ op.202, PONCE: ‘Variations on Folia de España and Fugue’ and MORENO TORROBA: ‘Castles of Spain’. The concert starts at 3pm.
Raymond Burley is one of Britain’s most experienced guitarists. As a soloist he has toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe, North and South America and the Far East. He has performed and recorded with many fine orchestras including the Hallé Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the English Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Raymond has premiered works by composers including Bernard Stevens, Reginald Smith Brindle, Gilbert Biberian, Tom Eastwood, Stephen Dodgson, John Duarte, Kai Nieminen and Mark Houghton. He had a close working relationship with John Duarte for many years, performing at his 60th, 70th and 80th birthday concerts and at his funeral.
Raymond Burley’s guitar duo partners have included Alice Artzt, John Mills, Gregg Nestor, John Feeley, Gordon Giltrap, Clive Carroll and John Etheridge; other partners have included actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft, mezzo soprano Jacqueline Fox, harpsichordists Stephen Bell and Gilbert Rowland, and keyboard player Rick Wakeman.
Raymond has given masterclasses and directed guitar festivals in the UK, Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Seattle, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, New York, Princeton, Dublin, Kowloon, Athens, Bremen and Lima.
Raymond Burley has numerous recordings to his credit, he also has a large number of guitar publications with Schott, D’Oz, Bergmann, PWM and Durand.
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ADVANCE DATES FOR YOUR 2026 DIARY …
Sunday 26th April
Raymond Burley, guitar 3pm
Sunday 17th May
Joanna Lam, piano – Essex Young Musician of the Year 2024 3pm
Sunday 28th June
Essex Young Musicican of the Year Preliminary Round 2pm
Sunday 5th July
Essex Young Musicican of the Year Semifinal (2pm) and Final (6:30pm) Rounds
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A brief history …
Ongar Music Club was founded in 1975 in the small market town of Ongar in Essex by a group of local music-enthusiasts. They presented numerous concerts, and in 1984 founded the prestigious Essex Young Musician of the Year competition, under the generous patronage of John Lill CBE. A great many past prize winners have gone on to enjoy successful professional careers.
In addition to presenting this renowned competition, the club continued to present concerts, and in 2019 launched a series of lunchtime concerts called Soundbites! With the restrictions of the Covid Pandemic the club adapted their programme schedule, and moved their concerts online. LIVELOUNGE was created, a season of concerts exclusively on YouTube, not only for members and friends of Ongar Music Club, but also as a Community outreach programme for Care Homes in the UK, bringing music into the homes of all those who are isolated due to Covid restrictions.
Many famous artists have performed in concert and given musical talks for the Club over the years. These include Yehudi Menuhin, John Lill, Dame Eva Turner, Sir Peter Pears, Stephen Kovacevich, Denis Matthews, Steven Isserlis, Richard Baker, Fritz Spiegl, Benjamin Grosvenor and The Fairer Sax. The Club was also instrumental in the formation of Ongar Jazz Club. It is this diversity of activity which has ensured the Club’s ongoing success.
