WCB Comedy is back at The Auden Theatre and were bringing the big guns! Were thrilled to announce that headlining our return show is none other than the brilliant Paul The Sinnerman Sinha star of ITVs smash-hit quiz show The Chase. As one of the UKs finest stand-up comedians, Pauls sharp wit and dry delivery have taken him to every major comedy club in the country, with gigs spanning 18 countries worldwide. A Perrier Award nominee and Chortle Award winner, Paul has also racked up appearances on Just A Minute, The Now Show, The News Quiz, and BBC Radio 5 Lives Fighting Talk. Whether dominating the quiz world (hes ranked in the UKs top 10 quizzers) or bringing the house down with his stand-up, Paul guarantees an unforgettable night of laughs. Also appearing on the night: MC Justin Panks razor-sharp and riotously funny, Justin brings high-energy, off-kilter observations and a no-holds-barred delivery that makes him a perfect host for the evening. Ingrid Dahle a rising star with bags of charm and hilarious, offbeat takes on life. With a warm, playful stage presence and killer punchlines, Ingrids the act youll be telling your mates about. Marcus Birdman fresh from his Britains Got Talent 2023 semi-final success, Marcus is a master storyteller with darkly comic twists and smart, relatable humour thats been winning over crowds worldwide. Book now for an evening packed with top-drawer stand-up from a seriously talented line-up! Line-up correct at time of booking in the unlikely event of a change, acts of an equally high calibre will be provided.

Rolf Hind- piano Messiaen - Vingt regards sur lenfant Jsus Oliver Messiaens 1944 piano colossus is a monumental outpouring of faith and devotion as well as a virtuosic tour de force for pianists. These twenty glimpses of the infant Jesus highlight Messiaens unique and compelling compositional style, with the use of thematic links, colour in music, birdsong, and exotic scales. Prepare to take a spiritual journey through music second to none. Tickets - 23 (Under 18s - 10)

Kitchen Conversations - a rich baroque diet to nourish mind and soul Are you hungry? Join us in our imagined 'kitchen' to prepare and cook dinner for friends; therell be free-flowing food and wine leading to deep conversations, mystery ingredients providing sustenance and spice, a rich baroque diet to nourish mind and soul. NB Youll have to imagine that bit! The kitchen is the heart of the home. It was hidden away in Handels time but no less lacking in drama and passion, servants and cooks working hard to ensure a smooth-running household. Todays kitchens are positioned centre-stage, shared spaces for preparation, eating and drinking. Convivial food, free-flowing wine ... some juicy gossip... perfect ingredients for an enticing, entertaining, thought-provoking evening. Musical ingredients from: Telemann, Handel, JS Bach, CPE Bach, Rameau, Purcell, Errollyn Wallen.

Cantora - El Fuego Ins Alonso - soprano Oriol Guimer - alto Jorge Losana - tenor and director Llus Arratia - bass Marc de la Linde - viola da gamba Danniel Murphy - vihuela Desire, passion and sin burns in this celebration. Also does the hearts of the lovers and the flames of the spirit. The Virgin is tempted by the young man, but also gives birth to the divine redemption. The art of the Spanish sixteenth century is full of the contrast between fiery and devotion. It shows a world dwelled by demons, saints and people that lived the same feelings as we live today. Music and Literature in the courtly environment of the Iberian Renaissance will be our gateway to this world. Through the music of some of the most excellent spanish songbooks preserved throughout history, Cantora approaches to the souls of women and men who experienced vividly the fire of love, solitude, joy and sin.

Stile Antico - The Golden Renaissance A journey through Stile Antico's favourite music William Byrd - Exsurge Domine John Taverner - Audivi vocem de caelo Francisco Guerrero - A un nino llorando Michael Praetorius - Ein Kind geboren Thomas Tallis - In manus tuas Thomas Tomkins - O Praise the Lord Orlando Gibbons - Hosanna to the Son of David John Sheppard - I give you a new commandment Toms Luis de Victoria - Recessit pastor noster Cristbal de Morales - Jubilate Deo Orlando Gibbons - O clap your hands William Byrd - Retire my soul Giaches De Wert - Gaudete in Domino Jacobus Clemens non Papa - Ego flos campi Josquin des Prez - Salve Regina a 5 Huw Watkins - The Phoenix and the Turtle In this attractive and highly contrasted programme, Stile Antico selects one piece from each of its sixteen award-winning albums to create a thrilling journey through some of the greatest music of the Renaissance. Exuberant works by composers such as Byrd, Gibbons, Tomkins and Praetorius rub shoulders with tranquil motets by Taverner, Clemens non Papa and Tallis, and the alluring sounds of Huw Watkins virtuosic The Phoenix and the Turtle, written especially for the group.

The City Musick - The Prince and the Piper Music in German Court and City 1520-1620 This concert bursts with the joyous sounds of German court and town bands in the long sixteenth century. The versatile players of The City Musick display the varied ways civic and court musicians adopted and adapted vocal polyphony for mixed ensembles of shawms, trombones, cornetts, dulcians, crumhorns, recorders, organs and regals. Repertoire comes from choir and dance books, prints and manuscripts, including the works of some of the titans of renaissance European music; from Ludwig Senfl and Paul Hofhaimer to Johann Hermann Schein, Samuel Scheidt, and Michael Praetorius. Tickets - 23 (Under 18s - 10)

Kate Semmens - mezzo soprano Steven Devine - piano and harpsichord Shakespeare set in time The beauty and rhythm of Shakespeare's words have inspired composers throughout the centuries. Kate and Steven take a snapshot of settings from the 17th and 18th centuries using one of Britten's Purcell arrangements to then bridge us to composers from the 20th century and beyond in a concert for voice accompanied by piano as well as harpsichord. Kate and Steven include lesser performed early works by John Weldon, Maurice Greene and John Christopher Smith as well as celebrating later works by Amy Beach, Madeleine Dring and introducing Ailsa Dixon and a new work by Peter McCarthy. Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)

Marco Mencoboni - harpsichord Toccami lAnima Marcantonio Cavazzoni - Madame vous avez mon coeur Giovanni Maria Trabaci - Durezze e ligature & Consonanze stravaganti Johann Jacob Froberger - Tombeau sur la mort de Monsieur Blancrocher Johann Adam Reincken - Suite No. 4 in C Major Louis Couperin - Suite in A Minor Jean-Franois Dandrieu - La Gemissante Johann Sebastian Bach - Aria variata alla maniera italiana BWV 989 The harpsichord: an instrument which, right from the fifteenth century, owns a boundless literature that peaked in the compositions of Gerolamo Frescobaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach. Bernardo Pasquini also used the term tastare (feel), but toccare has always been synonymous with playing keyboard instruments. The soul (anima) is the physical part of string instruments and is vital for the production of sound. Toccami l'anima is a programme dedicated to the harpsichord solo literature, ranging from archaic Marco Antonio Cavazzoni to the early Bach compositions. All that, passing through the wonderful intimacy of Johann Jakob Froberger and Johann Adam Reincken. Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)

Florian Mitrea - piano Sarah Gabriel - actress Tracing the Infinite: Liszt, Poetry, and the Human Quest Franz Liszt Annes de plerinage, Second book Italy interspersed with poems by Petrarch, Dante, and Shakespeare Pianist Florian Mitrea and actress Sarah Gabriel invite you to an exploration of the human condition, as expressed through music and poetry. At the heart of the evening is the complete Franz Liszts Annes de plerinage, Deuxime anne: Italie, a masterful cycle inspired by Italys cultural heritage, in particular its art and literature. In this music, the composer goes beyond painting landscape with sounds he delves deeply into eternal questions, such as the meaning of life, and into how his travels in Italy have inspired him to seek answers. A selection of poems specifically curated to accompany this music will include works by Petrarch, Dante, Shakespeare, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Geoffrey Hill. Through this dialogue of piano and verse, Italy emerges not just as a particular place, but as a timeless source of passion and inspiration, ultimately not about a particular country or people, but about the destiny of humanity as a whole. Tickets 23 (Under 18s 10)

Pippa Dames Longworth - mezzo-soprano Ian Rutherford Andrew Smith - piano Treasures A lock of Lord Wellingtons hair and a poison ring nestling in a display cabinet Where are they from? Who do they belong to? What is their connection to composers and to song? This recital is an exploration in Time, Artefact and Music and encounters amongst others, Purcell, Haydn and Rossini. Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)

Ferio Saxophone Quartet Anna Tilbrook - piano Body Language Johann Sebastien Bach - Fugue in G Minor William Byrd - Pavane and Gigue Barbara Thompson - Saxophone Quartet no. 3 Body Language Leonard Bernstein - West Side Story Suite Dimitri Shostakovich - Jazz Suite (arr. Iain Farrington) Pedro Iturralde - Memorias Join the Ferio saxophone Quartet for an evening of classical and contemporary music featuring works that showcase the brilliance of renowned composers. The concert opens with Bach's intricate Fugue in G Minor followed by William Byrd's elegant Pavane and Gigue. Barbara Thompson's Saxophone Quartet No. 3 'Body Language' is in the centre of the programme leading into the vibrant melodies of Bernstein's West Side Story Suite. The quartet are then joined by Anna Tilbrook in an arrangement of Shostakovich's lively Jazz Suite, arranged by Iain Farrington and Iturralde's evocative "Memorias" Tickets - 23 (Under 18s - 10)

James Platt -bass Michael Pugh -piano An English Summer Songbook A Soft Day, C.V. Stanford Op.140, No.3 from A Sheaf of Songs from Leinster John Ireland Songs Sea Feaver The Bells of San Marie The Cloths of Heaven, Elwyn-Edwards Trees, Rasbach Britten Folksongs The Ashgrove The Salley Gardens Vaughn Williams Songs Linden Lea Silent Noon Three Shakespeare Songs (First Set, 1905) Op. 6., Roger Quilter Come Away Death O Mistress Mine Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind Reverie op. 86., York Bowen (Michael Pugh) A Shropshire Lad, Arthur Somervell Loveliest of Trees When I was one-and-twenty There pass the careless people In summertime on Bredon The street sounds to the soldiers' tread On the idle hill of summer White in the moon the long road lies Think no more, lad, laugh, be jolly Into my heart an air that kills The lads in their hundreds Gurney Sleep F sharp Minor Prelude, Ivor Gurney (Michael Pugh) By A Bierside The Volunteer Organist, W.B. Gray & G. Spaulding The Lost Chord, Arthur Sullivan

Kinga Ujszszi violin Heinrich Biber Sonata No 3. (1681) in F major Johann Paul von Westhoff Campanella Biber Annunciation Mystery Sonata No.1 Biber Sonata No. 6 (1681) in C minor Johann Vilsmayr Partita No. 5 Biber The Assumption Mystery Sonata No.13 Mystery and Mastery offers a glimpse into the dazzling and expressive world of 17th-century violin musica period when the violin was emerging as a solo instrument of unprecedented virtuosity and emotional depth. This era marked an exciting chapter in the violins history. Composers, performers, and instrument makers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what the violin could express and achieve. Much of the music from this time draws inspiration from the stylus phantasticusa free, imaginative style known for its dramatic contrasts and inventive spirit, while slowly starting to move toward more structured forms. At the heart of the program are two contrasting sets of sonatas by the deeply religious violinist Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. His devotion is evident in every note of the Mystery (or Rosary) Sonatas, even in his unprecedentedly daring use of scordatura (alternative tunings). Biber draws on religious symbolism and narrative to create a deeply immersive experience equally for performers and listeners. In contrast, Bibers technically challenging sonata set from 1681, dazzle with virtuosic passages and intricate polyphony, exploring the limits of violin technique. Alongside Biber, the concert introduces works by Johann Paul von Westhoff, a contemporary of Biber, and Johann Joseph Vilsmayr, Bibers student. Both violinists are on the same path, exploring the violins expressive and technical possibilities, creating music that is both challenging and deeply moving. As you listen youll hear the violin as a voice of devotion, storytelling, and brilliance. From the bell-like clarity of Westhoffs Campanella, to the spiritual drama of Bibers Annunciation and Assumption sonatas, and the lively dance movements of Vilsmayrs Partita No. 5, each piece offers a window into a time when the violin was both a vehicle for personal expression and a symbol of mystery, mastery, and devotion.

Paul Archibald - trumpet Helen Reid - piano Bohuslav Martin - Sonatine Michael Nyman - Flugel Horn and Piano Cheryl Frances Hoad - Homages (Book 1) George Antheil - Sonata

Wihan Quartet Mozart - Quartet no. 23 in F major, K. 590, Prussian no. 3 Smetana - Quartet no. 2 in D minor Dvok - Quartet no. 12 in F major, op. 96, B. 179, American

Tom Carr - piano Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet before parting Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No.8 in Bb major, Op.84 Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)

Kitty Whately - mezzo-soprano Anna Tilbrook - piano Early 20th century songs by Debussy, Rita Strohl, Armand de Polignac, Lennox Berkeley, Rebecca Clarke & Madeleine Dring.

Summer School Choir Summer School Baroque Orchestra Members of Stile Antico Andrew Griffiths - director Handel - Israel in Egypt The culmination of the Summer School Choir course and the Summer School Baroque Orchestra Course. Handels mighty choral epic Israel in Egypt brings the choir centre-stage with its graphic word painting and multicoloured descriptions of the trials and tribulations of this old testament masterpiece.

Hannah Watson Emmrich- piano Notes from the Undergrowth Leo Janek - On an overgrown path book 2 no. 1 Jean-Philippe Rameau - Le rappel des oiseaux / The call of the birds Fannie Charles Dillon - Birds at Dawn Marion Bauer - White Birches Dora Pejevi - Bltenwirbel / A whirl of blossoms Bla Bartk - From the diary of a fly Joshua Borin - Grex Robert Schumann - Vogel als Prophet / The bird as prophet Franois Couperin - Les ombres errantes / Wandering shadows Maki Gajic Murata - Fireflies Emahoy Tsegue Mariam Guebrou - Evening Breeze Maurice Ravel - Noctuelles / Night moths Timothy Salter - Midnight Mushrooms Franois Couperin - Le rossignol en amour / The nightingale in love Margrit Schenker- Palme mit Schnee / Palm with snow Dora Pejevi - Nocturne A day and night in a forest ecosystem, told through a thematic programme of piano miniatures. With music foraged from the French baroque through to the present day, the programme follows a path through familiar territory and more overgrown corners of the piano repertoire: the brief, evocative nature of the pieces makes them a perfect introduction to composers who are well worth discovering. The concert will include new commissions by Timothy Salter, Joshua Borin and Maki Gajic Murata, tackling some less musically explored species including slime mould ('Grex'), fireflies and mushrooms! Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)

A celebration of the masterclasses and workshops from Week 2 of The Music Summer School and Festival, to include a performance of Shostakovichs Sinfonietta Op.110 (b) in the arrangement for strings and timpani by Abram Stasevich, the music originally heard as Shostakovichs 8th Quartet, directed by Leon Bosch.

Summer School Wind Band Steve Dummer - director A performance at the Theatre in the Woods to include Ernest Tomlinsons Suite of English Folk Dances and Jospeh Horovitzs Fte Galante. The concert will be preceded at 4.15pm by a performance of Vinko Globokars Tribadabum Extensif Sur Rhythme Fantme 3 on the Chapel Lawn, directed bySimon Limbrick which in turn heralds the procession to the woods.

A Solo Fireside Performance of Original songs in Cornish in the Holt woodlands Rooted in her Cornish heritage, Annas new body of work blends the Cornish language with full-bodied guitar tunings, and her rich, textured vocals which draw listeners into each songs journey. Annas music reflects her connection to the land, capturing the essence of her Cornish roots while offering a fresh, contemporary take on folk.

Summer School Chamber Choir Gavin Roberts - Director John Rutter - The Sprig of Thyme

Summer School Choir Summer School Orchestra David Temple - conductor James Platt - Elijah Mendelssohn - Elijah Tickets - 14 (under 18s - 10)

80 years to the day since the Hiroshima bombing, composer Stephen Montague directs a performance of his work in memoriam for the victims and survivors of the nuclear age, commemorating this sombre anniversary.

Summer School Baroque Orchestra Steven Devine - director Handel A Norfolk Overture (after HWV 64 and HWV 21) Graupner Entrata per la Musica di Tavola in G major, GWV 453 Bach Orchestral Suite No.3 in D major, BWV 1068 Tickets - 14 (under 18s - 10)

Wihan Quartet Anna Tilbrook - piano Dvok - Piano Quintet in A major, Op.81 Tickets - 14 (under 18s - 10)

Marcus Andrews - piano Ravel - Miroirs Liszt - Les jeux deux a la Villa dEste from Annes de plerinage, troisime anne Tickets - 14 (under 18s - 10)

Leon Bosch - double bass Micheila Connolly - piano Sonatas and Sonatinas W A Mozart - Sonata for double bass and piano K.304 (transcribed Leon Bosch) Ivor Hodgson - Sonatina: The Robin Philip Herbert - Sonatina for double bass and piano L van Beethoven - Sonata for double bass and piano Op.17 (transcribed Leon Bosch) Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)

The Desert Island Songbook Sarah Gabriel - soprano Steve Dummer - clarinet Florian Mitrea - piano Gavin Roberts - piano A long-awaited opportunity for long-term collaborators and friends, Sarah Gabriel (soprano), Steve Dummer (clarinet), Gavin Roberts (piano) and Florian Mitrea (piano) to perform together - with a relaxed concert of their absolute favourite songs of all time. Having spent much of their musical lives concocting pristine and tasteful programmes on fine themes, their brief for selecting music for this concert is: would they put it on their Desert Island Disc list? Having narrowed things down from an extremely long longlist, join them for their hotly-contested shortlist of rightfully beloved - and also inexplicably unfamiliar - music from the renaissance to the 21st century - by Hildegard von Bingen, Handel, Poulenc, Arlen, Gershwin, Weill, and others. Tickets - 14 (Under 18s - 10)