Three fundraising 'Peace and Freedom' concerts featuring the music of Mozart:
Edinburgh 26th January
Manchester 19th February
Cambridge 24th February
Click HERE to go to the special page on this website
A new year of music-making with Sheffield Chamber Orchestra
Laurence conducted his first concert as Principal Conductor of the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra (SCO) on 30th November to a very full audience. The performance included music by Rossini, Elgar, Caplet, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Handel, Svendsen and Mozart.
The next concert will be on Saturday 8th March 2025, when Laurence and the SCO will be joined by Ensemble 360's pianist Tim Horton for a performance of the Piano Concerto by Robert Schumann. The programme also includes Mozart 'Cosi fan tutte; overture, Delius 'On Hearting the First Cuckoo in Spring' and Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D.
Click HERE to go directly to the SCO website for more details.
2025 Wind Serenades - fabulous music-making for amateur woodwind and horn players
Wind chamber courses and a Bassoon Course at Higham Hall in the English Lake District, plus a brand new Wind Serenades venue in Normandy, France.
For more details, click HERE
Looking back on
SOLO CONCERTS in the recent past...
November & December 2024
Nine fund-raising concerts in support of peace and freedom
in London, Manchester, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridge and Essex
Waveney Sinfonia in Lowestoft, Suffolk
on 5th October 2024
Trinity Methodist Church, High Street, Lowestoft NR32 4HU, Suffolk
Programme conducted by Adrian Brown, including Mozart: Concerto for bassoon and orchestra in B flat, K.191 and Elgar: Romance for bassoon and orchestra, Op.62
The Othona Community near Bridport, Dorset on Thursday 20th June 2024
Laurence Perkins (bassoon), Yoshiko Endo (piano)
Programme included music by Vaughan-Williams, Elgar, William Hurlstone and Gilbert Vinter.
St. Mary's Perivale, London
on Sunday 9th June 2024
The Paul Reade Ensemble: Philippa Davies (flute), Laurence Perkins (bassoon), Jan Willem Nelleke (piano)
Glinka: Trio Pathetique / Paul Reade: 'Catalonia' for bassoon and piano / Jan Willem Nelleke 'Momentum' for flute and piano / Paul Reade 'Hobson's Choice' - a musical story for flute, bassoon and piano with narration
Watch / listen to the full live concert performance on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@stmarysperivale2842
Higham Hall, Bassenthwaite, Cumbria
on Thursday 25th April 2024
Laurence Perkins (bassoon), John Gough (piano) with contributions from Roger Birnstingl
The programme included a tribute to legendary bassoonist Roger Birnstingl who joined Laurence as tutor in this 5-day bassoon course. The performance included the Sonata by Arnold Cooke (written for Roger), plus music celebrating the Cumbrian Lake District.
Recitals:
Bishop Auckland, County Durham, 2nd June 2023
Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, 16th March 2024
Programme:
Elgar: Romance, Op.62 / Trad. Scottish arr Perkins: Three Hebridean Melodies / Vaughan Williams: Studies in English Folksong / William Hurlstone: Sonata in F / Richard Walthew: Introduction and Allegro / Paul Reade: Catalonia / Perkins: Darkness at Derwentwater / Gilbert Vinter: The Playful Pachyderm
Alnwick Playhouse, Northumberland on 30th April 2023
"As far as the eye can see..."
For programme details of "As far as the eye can see..." CLICK HERE to go directly to the webpage.
Boston Concert Club on 21st March 2023 in the Grammar School, Boston, Lincolnshire
Spring Serenade
A concert including music by Pierné, Paul Reade, Michael Haydn, Elgar, Weber and Ravel
Laurence Perkins (bassoon)
John Flinders (piano)
Barnes Music Festival, London, on Saturday 18th March 2023
A celebration of the music of Paul Reade
The programme included
'A Victorian Kitchen Garden' Suite
'Catalonia' for bassoon and piano
'Hobson's Choice' - a musical story
with
Philippa Davies (flute)
Laurence Perkins (bassoon)
Jan Willem Nelleke (piano)
Discover
the wonderful
musical world
of the
BASSOON!
"Perkins is a compelling advocate of the instrument"
International Record Review
Based in Manchester, U.K., Laurence Perkins is one of Britain's leading bassoonists. As a soloist, principal orchestral player and as a tutor, he is a tireless champion of an instrument which to this day is less well-known and appreciated than it deserves to be. With an extensive catalogue of solo recordings, a vast number of solo recital and concerto performances, and numerous education projects (national and international) promoting the bassoon, Laurence is continuing this work with new recordings, imaginative concert programmes and innovative projects.
Take a quick tour of some of Laurence's performances
and wide-ranging repertoire
(just a few seconds of each piece - click the 'play' arrow below)
Mozart: Concerto for bassoon and orchestra in B flat, K.191 - 1st movement excerpt (located at 0 mins 0 secs)
with Manchester Camerata, conducted by Douglas Boyd (duration of excerpt: 20 seconds)
A top recommended version in 'Building a Library' on BBC Radio 3 Record Review programme
Saint-Saëns: Sonata for bassoon and piano, Op.168 - 1st movement excerpt (located at 0 mins 21 secs)
with Michael Hancock (piano) (duration of excerpt: 24 seconds)
Gilbert Vinter: The Playful Pachderm (orchestrated by Laurence Perkins) - excerpt (located at 0 mins 46 secs)
with the New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp (duration of excerpt: 27 seconds)
Fauré: Piéce (orchestrated by Laurence Perkins) - excerpt (located at 1 mins 13 secs)
with the New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp (duration of excerpt: 31 seconds)
Gounod: Marche funèbre d'une marionnette (Funeral March of a Marionette - The Hitchcock theme)
(orchestrated by Laurence Perkins) - excerpt (located at 1 mins 45 secs)
with the New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp (duration of excerpt: 20 seconds)
Ibert: Carignane - excerpt (located at 2 mins 06 secs)
with Michael Hancock (piano) (duration of excerpt: 33 seconds)
Senaillé: Allegro Spiritoso (arranged and orchestrated by Laurence Perkins) - excerpt (located at 2 mins 39 secs)
with the New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp (duration of excerpt: 41 seconds)
Pierné: Solo de Concert - excerpt (located at 3 mins 20 secs)
with Michael Hancock (piano) (duration of excerpt: 42 seconds)
Richard Strauss: Duet-Concertino - 2nd movement excerpt (located at 4 mins 03 secs)
with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Sian Edwards (duration of excerpt: 60 seconds)
No. 4 in the U.K. Specialist Classical Charts in August 2018
Ganglberger: Mein Teddybär (My Teddy Bear)- excerpt (located at 5 mins 03 secs)
with the New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp (duration of excerpt: 27 seconds)
Elgar: Romance, Op.62 - excerpt (located at 5 mins 30 secs)
with the New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp (duration of excerpt: 57 seconds)
Weber: Concerto for bassoon and orchestra in F major, Op.75 - excerpt (located at 6 mins 27 secs)
with Manchester Camerata, conducted by Douglas Boyd (duration of excerpt: 39 seconds)
All recorded excerpts by kind permission of Hyperion Records Ltd.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Please see details and a statement on the CONTACT form on this website.