Lunchtime Music

Matthew Pandya baritone
Jonathan French piano

Hahn A Chloris
Liszt Pace non trovo
Holst Vedic Hymns (First Group)
Finzi It was a lover and his lass
Korngold Hey, Robin!
Quilter Hey, ho, the Wind and the Rain

Elliott Gaston Ross percussion
Percussion Ensemble
Alexander Henshaw
Andrew Woolcock
Iris Van Den Bos
Jordan Ashman
Aidan Hammond

Michael Laurello Spine
Keiko Abe The Wave

Songs for baritone and piano begin today’s lunchtime concert, from Hahn’s charming love song with its Bach-like accompaniment, to dramatic Liszt, and Holst at his most mystic.  Then a trio of songs to words by Shakespeare conjure images of Merrie England.  By contrast, the second half, showcases percussion in works by Ohio-based composer, pianist and recording engineer Michael Laurello, and Japanese composer Keiko Abe, a key figure in the development of the marimba.

Matthew Pandya (pictured) is a baritone based in Birmingham. Originally from Coventry, Matthew graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2023 with a degree in French and Music and is midway through an MMus in Vocal Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he recently performed the role of Pandolfe in a production of Massenet’s Cendrillon.

Matthew has a wide range of experience, singing regularly as part of the choir at Saint Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, as well as being an Ex Cathedra Student Scholar and a former member of the renowned Genesis Sixteen programme. In addition, he sings with the CBSO Chorus, performing at venues such as Symphony Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and Monte Carlo’s Grimaldi Forum, including recent solos in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.

Outside of classical singing, Matthew is a keen linguist, an avid sports fan and a national youth barbershop champion with Ami Quartet.

Elliott Gaston-Ross is a British/Irish percussionist and timpanist. Elliott was awarded the highest marks in his Bachelor degree in Percussion, Masters degree in Percussion and Masters degree in Orchestral Studies at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität Linz, Austria.

He also received an Advanced Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Elliott has won prizes in prestigious solo competitions including the TROMP International Percussion Competition Eindhoven 2018 (3rd Prize and Jan Pustjens Press Prize), the Percussive Linz International Marimba Competition 2015 (Semifinalist and Special Prize), the BBC Young Musician 2014 Competition (Percussion Winner and Concerto Finalist) and the Yamaha Music Europe Foundation competition 2023.

Elliott currently freelances with orchestras across the UK having appeared as Guest Principal Timpanist with the Aurora Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Guest Principal Percussionist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as well as performing regularly with the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).

Running time approx. 55 minutes