Welcome to “TBS”! We run chamber music concerts in Farnham with top professional musicians. All our concerts are open to the public and you can register to attend from this website. We are a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
Entrance to our concerts is FREE and our concerts are funded primarily through retiring collections and donations. We especially welcome young people and their attendance is supported by CAVATINA.
Conservatoire Concerts in Godalming, which used to be part of TBS, is now a separate charity, see conservatoireconcerts.org.uk , as is Farnham Sinfonia see www.farnhamsinfonia.org.uk
The original Tilford Bach Society, with its current Music Director Adrian Butterfield, runs the Tilford Bach Festival and is a separate charity.
Musicians: Please read: A word to our musicians
Please always check the website shortly before the concert in case of any last minute changes beyond our control.
Our Next Concert at the Spire Church
Please note that PER HOUR evening parking charges have been introduced Mon-Sat in Central and South Street car parks, but not in Waggon Yard
Spire Church, South Street, Farnham, GU9 7QU
7-30 pm Saturday 16 May
Simorre String Quartet
Sophie Langdon – violin
Anna Szabo – violin
Paul Martin – viola
Emma Vidgeon – cello
Programme
Haydn: Quartet in D major Op.20 No.4
Goldmark: Quartet in B flat major Op.8
Beethoven: Razumovsky Quartet in F major Op.59 No.1
The Simorre Quartet has featured for four years at Musique dans Le Gers, a French Festival near Toulouse. Formed by Paul Martin, the viola player, in 2022, the four players have gone on to enjoy every August in Simorre and the surrounding area, working together intensively in the UK beforehand, and then in France. This will be the fifth appearance of the Simorre Quartet at Musique dans Le Gers – and the first appearance here in Farnham.
Repertoire includes the classics: Haydn, Beethoven, Borodin, Debussy, Ravel, and Mendelssohn, plus modern commissions by Gary Carpenter, and this year, by a talented British composer, Ruvi Meda.
Sophie Langdon is one of Britain’s leading violinists. She has enjoyed 45 years of performing and teaching in Britain and abroad, active as soloist, chamber player, orchestral leader and teacher. As a soloist, she has appeared with many of Britain’s major orchestras, all the BBC orchestras, and the Berlin Radio Orchestra. Her recording of Smyth’s concerto for violin and horn, on Chandos, is considered definitive. CD recordings on Chandos, ASV and Naxos received enthusiastic reviews for Smyth, Goldmark chamber works and the complete Spohr works for violin and harp.
Sophie has been Professor of Violin and Academic Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music for 35 years. Her past students are active all over the world.
In 2020, during Lockdown, Sophie ran an informal concert series from Her Studio in the garden – this resulted in the formation of her UK string quartet, the Ardenti Quartet, who have since recorded tracks for silent films written by Stephen Horne. Recent chamber activities have been in the UK, China and France each Summer, at Musique dans Le Gers. Sophie has lead the Bath Philharmonia for 25 years.
Sophie has enjoyed living in Farnham for 28 years. www.sophielangdon.com
Anna Szabo, violin, is a busy freelancer, playing with BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC NOW, and regularly doing film and TV recordings. She studied at the RNCM, afterwards joining the Hallé Orchestra at the age of 21. Later she had the privilege of touring with Leonard Bernstein, being the first orchestra to be allowed to play Shostakovitch in Moscow in 1988. Interestingly, both Anna and Paul studied with Elizabeth Turnbull, and Anna met Emma at Pro Corda chamber music course at the tender age of 9 or 10!
Paul Martin, viola, is based in Simorre, France. Paul wears many hats and excels in many different categories. From top of the pops to the BBC symphony orchestra, from recording Harry Potter to touring the world for 10 years with the Balanescu Quartet. Before moving his base to France, Paul was much in demand in London doing film and TV work – he has appeared in numerous well known film scores over the years including Lord of the Rings, James Bond, Harry Potter and the Talented Mr.Ripley. From teaching at Trinity College to running a Music Festival, Paul brings passion and expertise to all things musical.
Emma Vidgeon, cello, grew up in Weybridge, Surrey and started playing chamber music from an early age at Pro Corda (The National Association of Young String Players) forging a passion for this genre. After studying at the Royal College of Music she has continued to enjoy a career spanning nearly 40 years, playing with leading orchestras and ensembles in the UK and abroad, from the Star Wars in Concert World Tour to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and amongst others, plays regularly with the English National Ballet Philharmonic, Bath Philharmonia and The Alina Chamber Orchestra.
Please register to attend. It helps us to plan and we can contact you in case of any last minute problems. Please note that we do not request any payments associated with registration and if you receive such a request it will be a scam and should be ignored.
Entry is free but there will be a retiring collection at each concert with a suggested minimum donation of £15-00 per adult from those who can afford it. Donations are not expected for children & students or from parents who are bringing young children. Music lovers who are unable to make a donation are still most welcome. We want to make quality music accessible to all especially to families with children who are our next generation audiences.
The following links are provided for anyone who prefers not to donate by cash at the concert or who wishes to make an additional ad hoc donation.
Donate £5 Donate £10 Donate £20 Donate £30 Donate £40 Donate £50 Donate £100
If you do not wish to use Paypal please post a cheque payable to “Tilford Bach Society CIO” to TBS, 1 Adams Drive, Fleet GU51 3DZ or make a transfer to Tilford Bach Society CIO Account at Lloyds 38264060 Sort Code 30-90-89. Please put “Farnham” in the reference box.
Please click HERE to sign a Gift Aid Form increasing the value of your gift by 25%, if you have not already done so. The forms are valid for ALL Farnham and Godalming concerts, including the Sinfonia, and need to be completed only once as they remain valid until you tell us to stop using them.
2026 Future Concerts
5-00pm Sunday 31 May
NB: One hour later than normal because of events at Gostrey Meadow
David Pinoit – cello & Ben Schoeman – piano
Bach, Saint-Saëns, Rachmaninoff
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Summer Sunday Concerts at Farnham Pottery
4pm 9 August: Sofia Ros – Accordion
4pm 23 August: Amanda Cook – Guitar
4pm 6 September: (tba)
4pm 20 September: (tba)
Other concerts
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Donations to support Farnham Concerts
The following links are provided for anyone who prefers not to donate by cash at the concert or who wishes to make an additional ad hoc donation.
Donate £5 Donate £10 Donate £20 Donate £30 Donate £40 Donate £50 Donate £100
If you do not wish to use Paypal please post a cheque payable to “Tilford Bach Society CIO” to TBS, 1 Adams Drive, Fleet GU51 3DZ or make a transfer to Tilford Bach Society CIO Account at Lloyds 38264060 Sort Code 30-90-89. Please put “Farnham” in the reference box.
Please click HERE to sign a Gift Aid Form increasing the value of your gift by 25%, if you have not already done so. The forms are valid for ALL Farnham and Godalming concerts, including the Sinfonia, and need to be completed only once as they remain valid until you tell us to stop using them.
Next Godalming Conservatoire Concert
See their website: www.conservatoireconcerts.org.uk
Major Sponsors
We are hugely grateful to our major sponsors:
