FRIENDS OF CLAINES CHuRCH

As part of the “Pull out all the stops” appeal for the Church Organ, Claines is hosting a Music Festival celebrating a five day feast of local musical talent from “cool to classical”!

There will be five days of lunchtime and evening concerts from folk to jazz, choral and instrumental, all performed in the wonderful setting of Claines Church.


All concerts are free admission with a retiring collection for the organ.


Make a day (or week!) of it,  join us for as many of the events as you like, there is something for everyone.


Full details follow below or select a day to see what’s on:

Des George enjoys playing jazz piano, but can play any style that is required, solo or with jazz guitar, bass, vocals and harmonica.

Des was sent to piano lessons at a very early age and progressed through the usual range of grades, extending abiilities to include classical organ, clarinet, sax and a range of electric keyboards and synths along the way.

He served an apprenticeship in local churches playing classical organ and a variety of clubs and pubs on the cabaret backing circuit and has worked  with many well known names in venues memorable and not so memorable.......


Great Witley Operatic Society is an amateur society which has its origins in the Worcestershire village of Great Witley, but now attracts members from a wide area including Worcester, Droitwich and Malvern. They will be performing items from their recent popular concert “The Romance of Novello’  which featured close harmony singing of such lush music including ‘Waltz of my Heart’, ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’, ‘We'll Gather Lilacs’ and ‘Shine Through my Dreams’.


John Wilderspin was born in Royal Leamington Spa and later studied chemistry at Durham University where he was also Organ Scholar of University College. He moved to Worcester in 1980 to take up a teaching post at RGS Worcester and since that time has been actively involved in music making in and around the Worcester area.

For over twenty years he has maintained a very close association with the Cathedral Voluntary Choir at Worcester, playing regularly for the choir as well as acting as its secretary. On occasions he has also directed the choir and has had the privilege of working with four of the cathedral's assistant organists.

Open Mic night is your chance to shine in the spotlight! If you have a wish to sing, perform, whether you are modern or Mozart, Tallis or trembling, pupil or prodigy, this is for you! Join in a fun and friendly evening and let us know if you have something to offer.

David Coulson studied at the Guildhall School of Music, but changed his mind about a career as a singer instead joining the Metropolitan Police which also gave him the opportunity to sing with the Met. Police Choir as a chorister and soloist. He performed with the choir in such prestigious venues as Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and the Royal Festival Hall. In 1988 he returned to his native Worcestershire, transferring to West Mercia Police and continued his singing with Hereford Police Choir. A baritone, David is the choir's principal soloist and is also much in demand as a soloist for major musical events around the region.


Granny’s Attic are now one of the hottest young folk groups in the country and, as the photograph shows, it all started in Claines several years ago ! Cohen, George and Lewis met at Bishop Perowne College and developed a shared passion for folk music. Their first gig was at Claines where they stole their name from the bric-a-brac stall opposite them! They are now an established and well known folk trio, each one of them a multi-instrumentalist and bringing their own compositions alongside traditional English folk music in a high energy and enthusiastic style. Granny’s Attic were finalists in the 2014 BB2 Radio 2 Young Folk Musician of the Year and now appear at most of the major folk festivals and clubs across the country. They have just released their second album “Off the Land” and will be performing a superb set of vocal and instrumental numbers from this and their previous album “Better Weather”.



Vanessa and Helena Gunter, are a mother and daughter from a talented Worcestershire musical family. Vanessa studied music at Trinity College of Music and now teaches at Kings School, Worcester, where her daughter Helena also studied. Vanessa has been Choirmaster at Claines for several years. They will perform a range of music from a variety of styles and periods with flute and vocals.

Shulah Oliver Shulah Oliver completed her Masters Degree in Performance with Distinction at the Royal Academy of Music in September 2006, having studied violin with Howard Davis. She was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music for her outstanding Final Recital. She has a passion for introducing audiences to rarely performed works or works of lesser-known British composers and performing their works with the hope of keeping their music alive and a part of our musical heritage. Shulah was a member of the prestigious European Union Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. She now freelances with orchestras such as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Swan and the Emerald Ensemble and is invited to guest lead several orchestras. Shula will be performing tonight with cellist Katie Sheldon and they will be presenting a range of well known classical and popular music.


Inspirational and innovative, the Astaria String Quartet continues to explore not only less well known works for string quartet, but also aspects of audience development with their exciting new programmes and the commissioning of new music by local composers.

Their busy touring schedule has seen the Astaria String Quartet performing throughout the UK, including recitals across Scotland for Enterprise Music Scotland and the ‘Argyll and Bute Concert Tours’, in Devon for Beaford Arts and in Shropshire for ‘Arts Alive’. They were first Selected Artists for the Making Music Concert Promoter’s Network during the 2013 / 2014 Season. They continue to develop their festival ‘Chamber Music @ Worcester’, which aims to create a vibrant, accessible and enjoyable environment, where people of all ages can interact with chamber music concerts and related events.

The Astaria String Quartets commitment to education and music in the community is reflected through coaching, master-classes, workshops and performances in both primary and secondary school settings as well as hospices and Camphill Communities. They particularly enjoy creating musical stories with a narrator for their annual Family and Christmas shows. Both the 'Snowman' and the 'Nutcracker' amongst others, have featured at these events.

Sauce City Jazz formed in the Mug House, Claines in 1992 for one fun night and are still playing 24 years later. They perform a range of traditional Dixieland and New Orleans Jazz in and around Worcestershire and are looking forward to a return to Claines where they will jazz away in the church. Toe tapping jazz and a few gospel songs will bring a roof raising close to the Music Festival.

Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th, Thursday 15th, Friday 16th

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