2025 / 2026 Season

26 Sep 2025 (StDenys) Great opera scenes

GRAEME KAY recently retired from 25 years as a BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 producer. Before that, he was a music journalist (editor of Classical Music magazine, Opera Now, and BBC Music Magazine). Tonight, he opens our new season with a search for drama, passion, calamity and calm in the world of opera.

 3 Oct 2025 (Online)  MEETING CANCELLED *

Technical issues caused PHILIPPA BAMBACH's talk to be cancelled. It has now been rescheduled to 31 Oct, replacing the talk originally planned for that day.

17 Oct 2025 (StDenys) Alfred Brendel - selected recordings

In tribute to the renowned pianist Alfred Brendel, who died this June at the grand old age of 94, SRMS Vice Chairman CHRIS TOPLEY will present a range of his best recordings.

31 Oct 2025 (Online)  A taste of Czechoslovakia *

This afternoon, PHILIPPA BAMBACH will provide an overview of three major Czech composers, as a taster session in advance of the wider exploration of Czech music she plans for her St Denys talk next April.

The above meeting was originally scheduled for 3 Oct but technical problems that afternoon caused it to be cancelled.

14 Nov 2025 (StDenys) Havergal Brian

This coming January will be the 150th anniversary of the birth of Havergal Brian. In addition to being a member of our society, Dr MARTIN GROSSEL is also the chairman of the Havergal Brian Society and is thus well placed to give us a survey of what he considers to be Brian's more approachable scores.

28 Nov 2025 (Online)  Richard Strauss

JILL MEAGER plans to dip into some of Strauss’s lesser known works for small ensembles which have maybe suffered because of the immense popularity of his large and impressive orchestral works.

12 Dec 2025 Chilworth Afternoon Xmas party

Darleen and David Anderson welcome all members to a Christmas party at their home in Chilworth.

 8 Jan 2026 (St D - Afternoon) Almost forgotten: Stalwarts of the early 20th century

The focus at the 2025 Three Choirs Festival was the British composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912). The main work presented had not been performed since its premiere in 1903. This afternoon, SRMS Treasurer DAVID PEARCE will attempt to give him some of the exposure he deserves, together with a few of his contemporaries who have similarly been ignored.

23 Jan 2026 (Online)  Members' choice

To facilitate presentation over Zoom, members are asked to submit their musical selections in advance to David Anderson. We would prefer each piece to be no longer than 12 minutes and a short introduction would be appreciated. The choice of what to play will be determined by the steam-powered SRMS random selection machine....

 5 Feb 2026 (St D - Afternoon) My American journey

The first talk to the society by CHRIS KETTLE is inspired by the 4 months he spent in 2006 taking part in a teacher exchange, teaching English at a high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whenever possible, he made weekend trips to cultural centres - three trips to New York, one each to Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Washington DC. This afternoon will be an armchair odyssey through some of the music he got to hear (not all of it American).

13 Feb 2026 (Online)  Songs without words

Songs without words, sung to a chosen syllable or hummed, are a familiar part of the training and exercise repertoire for classical singers. Known by the French word ‘vocalise’, they have also featured as art songs (most famously, Rachmaninoff’s Op.34, Song No.14), and as components of orchestral and operatic works. JAMES STEELE will play some of his favourite examples of the genre this afternoon, in what is his inaugural SRMS presentation.

26 Feb 2026 (St D - Afternoon) Carl Nielsen - Symphonist

In this presentation (which borrows the title of the best-known study of this under-valued composer, by Robert Simpson) SRMS President Michael Jameson will examine the symphonic output of Denmarks greatest composer, Carl Nielsen. One of the most original and distinctive voices amongst Europe’s late-Romantic/early-Modernist composers, Nielsen’s dramatic and often uncompromising orchestral scoring affords fascinating listening, and while many listeners will already be familiar with Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony, the Inextinguishable, many of its siblings remain largely unknown and are seldom performed outside of Scandinavia. This presentation aims to provide a brief chronological overview of each of Nielsen’s Six Symphonies.

Please note that there will be a £1.00 surcharge per person for this meeting 

13 Mar 2026 (Online)  The sea itself

Guest presenter PETER AVIS will be examining the way various composers have, over time, dealt with the infinitely fascinating subject of the sea in all its various states and moods.

27 Mar 2026 (StDenys) High definition - Part 10

In addition to SACD recordings and high-definition audio downloads, SRMS Chairman DAVID ANDERSON is always on the lookout for the best quality Blu-ray video recordings he can find. All videos will be displayed on a large screen using a digital projector.

10 Apr 2026 (Online)  Topley's assortments

Continuing a confectionery theme that began in January 2023, SRMS Vice Chairman CHRIS TOPLEY will once again dip into his bag of tasty musical treats to entertain us this afternoon.

24 Apr 2026 (StDenys) More Czech music

Following on from her online talk last October, PHILIPPA BAMBACH plans to focus on the rich musical history of a region in central Europe known by a variety of names over the years - Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, The Czech Republic, and Czechia. She might include a bit about Mozart’s visits to Prague and maybe also a brief reference to Frank Zappa...

 8 May 2026 (Online)  Celebrating the Proms

The BBC Proms, an internationally famous series started by the conductor Henry Wood on 10 August 1895, "at 8 PM precisely", will be presenting their 131st season this year. In this afternoon’s talk, SRMS Treasurer David Pearce, a regular attender at the Proms, will offer some highlights for our delectation.

22 May 2026 (StDenys) Members' choice

During this meeting, attendees will be chosen at random to present their own choice of music. Everyone is therefore invited to bring along a selection of their favourite recordings. The items to be played should last no more than 15 minutes and a short introduction would be appreciated.

 5 Jun 2026 (Online)  The enduring fascination of the Ballets Russes - Part 2

As our in house expert on the topic of ballet, BRIDGETT VANE continues exploring the story of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (1909 - 1929), arguably one of the most famous ballet companies in the world that had a groundbreaking impact on all the arts, especially music. Part 2 follows on from her talk last year, which covered 1909 to 1912.

12 Jun 2026 (StDenys) Mood Music

When you settle down to listen do you choose music that reflects your frame of mind or pieces that lift you out into a different mood? This evening JILL MEAGER will share with us some of her tried and trusted mood music.

26 Jun 2026 (Online)  Musical comedy

Dr MARTIN GROSSEL plans to entertain us with some choice selections from comedians of the past, such as Gerard Hoffnung and Anna Russell, whose work often featured the world of classical music.

10 Jul 2026 (Online)  Annual General Meeting

All members are asked to make their best efforts to attend the AGM. Important decisions may be made and votes may be taken that can fundamentally affect the future operation of the Society.