Top pianist heads back to county for special church recital

Pianist David Barnard will be returning from working in Austria to tinkle the ivories at a Swinton church.

Mr Barnard will be giving a special recital at St Margaret’s Church in Swinton on Sunday November 15, starting at 2pm.

The Sheffield-based musician’s performance will be called From Mozart to Anything Goes and will feature acclaimed Yorkshire-born soprano Sarah Fox as his special guest.

The recital promises an eclectic journey through several centuries of music and will go from Mozart and Purcell through Britten and French repertoire to the wit and glamour of Cole Porter and George Gershwin.

The concert will last approximately one hour, without an interval and there is no conventional ticket price as admission is by donation with audiences invited to pay what they can.

Mr Barnard said: “For me, the most important thing is that people feel able to come.

“High-quality live music should be something people can simply come in and enjoy. I’d much rather someone sat down, listened to some wonderful music and discovered something they loved than worried about whether they could afford a ticket.

“After three seasons in Austria, it feels very special to be performing again here in South Yorkshire. And with Sarah joining me, we can offer an afternoon that moves through several centuries and styles — there really should be something for everyone.”