David Hill MBE and David Ponsford

David Hill makes a very welcome return to Stockbridge Music, this time playing the harpsichord, performing with David Ponsford in a programme of music for two harpsichords.

The programme includes some of Bach’s greatest concertos and sonatas arranged for two harpsichords exploring the composer’s compositional processes, and revealing new insights and characteristics of the music. After their recording of Bach’s Trio Sonatas, David Ponsford and David Hill received the following five-star review: ‘The recording conveys a compelling sense of dialogue and sociability between two virtuoso musicians equally at one with the material.’

Renowned for his fine musicianship, David Hill is widely respected as both a choral and orchestral conductor. His talent has been recognised by his appointments as Musical Director of The Bach Choir, Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society, Associate Guest conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Principal Conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum, and International Chair in Choral Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music. He was Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers from September 2007 to September 2017 and is a former Music Director of Southern Sinfonia.

Dr David Ponsford held the Greenwood Exhibition at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and was fortunate enough to study organ with Peter Hurford, Lionel Rogg and Piet Kee, and harpsichord with Kenneth Gilbert and Gustav Leonhardt. His first post after graduating from Cambridge was Assistant Organist at Wells Cathedral. Later, he studied for a PhD on performance practice in French Baroque organ music with Professor Peter Williams. For 17 years he delivered courses in Performance Practice and Notation & Editing at Cardiff University, as well as conducting the University Chamber Orchestra and the University Choir. He has also given several series of lectures at Madingley Hall, Cambridge. In 2021, he was appointed as an organ teacher at the Royal Academy of Music.

Programme

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): Concerto in D minor (RV 565/BWV 596, arr. DSP)

[Allegro] – Grave – Fugue
Largo e spiccato
[Allegro]

J. S. Bach (1685-1750): Sonata in G (BWV 1038, arr. DSP)

Largo
Vivace

J. S. Bach: Sonata no. 5 in C major (BWV 529, arr. DSP)

Allegro
Largo
Allegro

Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in A minor (RV 522/BWV 593, arr. DSP)

Allegro
Larghetto e spirituoso
Allegro

INTERVAL

J. S. Bach Concerto in D minor (BWV 1043, arr. DSP)

[Allegro]
Andante
Allegro assai

J. S. Bach Sonata n. 6 in G major (BWV 530)

[Vivace] – Lente – Allegro