Ian Carmalt MA, Pianist 01227 762547 Contact Ian For your accompanying requirements  ] concert performances ]  ] exams ] auditions ] rehearsals ]  ] dancing classes and exams ]  Ian   has   been   playing   the   piano   for   the   Faversham Choral     Society's     rehearsals,     and     piano     or harpsichord    for    many    of    its    Christmas    and summer   concerts,   since   November   1996.   From spring   2002   until   the   choir   ceased   meeting   at   the end    of    2005,    he    added    duties    as    accompanist    for Chatham   Choral   Society   (a.k.a.   Medway   Cantabile)   to his weekly work. Here is a concert for Christian Aid in which Ian took part in May, 2021, and here is a recording of an FCS concert featuring Ian’s playing. He   was   born   and   brought   up   in   Birmingham,   where   he showed      early      interests      in      piano      playing      and composition,   and   studied   music   up   to   A   level   at   King Edward   VI   Camp   Hill   School   for   Boys.     After   leaving school,   Ian   worked   for   the   NHS   Supplies   organisation, keeping   up   his   musical   and   general   artistic   enthusiasm by     singing     in     choirs,     helping     to     run     musical organisations,     and     attending     a     large     number     of concerts, festivals and summer schools. Having   left   the   NHS   in   1993,   Ian   studied   at   Anglia   Polytechnic     (now     Ruskin)     University,     Cambridge, whence   he   graduated   with   a   BA   (1st   Class   Hons)   in Music.   During   this   period,   he   began   to   take   a   serious interest   in   accompanying   and   playing   chamber   music, which   led   him   to   move   to   Canterbury   to   study   at   Christ Church    College   (now   University)   with   Kathryn   Page   and Derek Hyde for his Masters degree in this subject. Ian   is   now   a   freelance   ensemble   pianist,   who   works   as accompanist   to   the   Faversham   Choral    Society,   and   as pianist   for   ballet   classes   and   exams   at   the   Margaret Giles    (Wye)   and   Page-Mason    (Broadstairs)   Schools   of Dancing,     and     at     the     Ashford     branch     of     Dance Warehouse .   He   is   active   as   an   accompanist   and   coach for   singers   and   instrumentalists   in   the   Canterbury   and East Kent area. National   lockdowns   as   part   of   the   coronavirus   pandemic caused    (possibly    temporary)    retirement,    but    also brought   a   new   interest,   namely   studying   pieces   of music   published   in   International   Piano    magazine. Here    are   Ian’s   recordings   of   several   of   these   and   a few works from his own bookshelf. In   2017   Ian   and   a   young   up   and   coming   singer Jack   Naismith   formed   a   partnership   that   during   its first   year   included   performances   in   Canterbury   and Herne   Bay   of   a   programme   featuring   Schumann’s Dichterliebe . In   August   2015,   Ian   was   the   music   director/pianist for   the   Arden   Theatre   (Faversham)   production   of The   Hollow   Crown ,   which   brought   back   memories of   performing   a   similar   role   at   the   same   theatre fifteen   or   so   years   earlier,   for   the   Young   Arden’s performances   of   Lewis   Carroll’s   Alice   story,   with music by Richard Addinsell. Until   their   singing   and   instrumental   competitions ceased   in   2011,   he   was   for   over   ten   years   an   official accompanist   to   the   Kent   Competitive   Festival,   but   by that   time   he   had   begun   to   appear   variously   as   pianist, composer,    folk    singer    and    speaker    in    Under    the Spotlight,    a    theatrical    offshoot    of    Faversham    Choral Society.   He   is   also   the   regular   organist   at   Sturry    parish church, near Canterbury. Outside   school   term   time,   Ian   was   for   three   years   a house    pianist    for    Music    at    Rendcomb ,    a    residential singing   course   that   culminated   in   a   concert   of   staged scenes,   and   was   re-instated   in   August   2012   as   part   of the     International     Summer     School     of     Music     in Shrewsbury . A   highlight   came   in   2005,   when   he   was   the   pianist   for Georgina   Colwell's   English   Song   Weekend    ,   in   which Ivor    Gurney    and    Margaret    Wegener    were    featured composers.     He     later     became     the regular    pianist    for    these    weekends, and   was   booked   for   a   music   theatre course       (cancelled       because       of insufficient bookings) in August 2008. In   the   2002   Canterbury   Festival,   Ian organised   and   performed   in   a   concert featuring    Brahms'    Liebesliederwalzer , Joubert's   Divertimento    for   piano   duet, and solo songs. His    interest    in    unusual    and    unjustly neglected        repertoire        (especially British)     has     led     Ian     to     introduce Alwyn's   Rhapsody    for   piano   and   string trio     to     numerous     chamber     music enthusiasts   at   summer   schools,   and   to perform   the   piece   at   such   schools   in Aberystwyth    (1999)    and    Winchester (2003). The    best    of    Ian's    compositions    are    available    from www.scoreexchange.com     .    For    an    autobiographical essay   about   his   compositions,   click   here    .   Here   is   a video    of   an   extract   from   his   performance   of   Pretty   Ring Time , from his Seasons in Ragtime . The   highlight   of   his   career   as   a   vocalist   was   performing a   tenor   part   in   Berio's   Sinfonia    for   Anglia   at   West   Road Concert   Hall,   Cambridge   (May   1996).   Ian   keeps   up   his interest    in    singing    by    turning    out    for    the    City    of Canterbury   Chamber   Choir    and   The   Canterbury   Singers   ,   whose   librarian   he   was   for   sixteen   or   so   years   and whose    catalogue,    along    with    those    of    many    other choirs, is available from www.gerontius.net   Stage   appearances   include   small   operatic   roles   such   as Dr   Crabbe   ( Peter   Grimes ),   the   tenor   soldier   worker   in Milhaud's   The   Abduction   of   Europa ,   and   the   sage   in Hindemith's   Hin   und   Zurück ,   all   at   Anglia   Polytechnic University.   Ian   has   also   acted   in   plays:   at   Anglia   in plays   written   by   fellow   students,   and   as   a   pianist   in Joshua   Sobol's   Ghetto ;   and   more   recently   as   Brother Plasterer   in   Terry   Pratchett's   Guards!   Guards!    at   the Arden   Theatre ,   Faversham.   He   appeared   at   the   Arden again   in   May   2006,   as   Lady   Macbeth   in   the   Farndale Avenue production of the Scottish play. Essays William Alwyn  Beethoven variations Brahms Piano accompaniment Other links and interests Canterbury Musicians Finzi Friends William Alwyn www.musicteachers.co.uk  www.uk-piano.org Humour  National Trust Friends of the Earth Scottish Country Dancing  Chamber music (summer school)

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