Robert Plane (clarinet) and the Gould Piano Trio

2025 marks the 1350th anniversary of St. Wilfrid laying the first stone of Corbridge Church in Northumberland. This exquisite building is the home of the annual Corbridge Chamber Music Festival, which is directed by the Gould Piano Trio and clarinettist Robert Plane and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. To commemorate this historic event these artists have commissioned a new work from distinguished composer Piers Hellawell, a composition which will be inspired by Wilfrid’s commitment to the wider area of Northern England and Scotland. Piers Hellawell was Composer-in-Residence at the 2022 Corbridge Chamber Music Festival, and his particular brand of thought-provoking work, audience approachability and engaging pre-concert talks made him one of the most popular incumbents of this post.

Wilfrid was born in Northumberland and his life’s work is closely identified with this county. But he travelled widely, founding religious communities in Ripon, Chichester, Hexham, Melrose and elsewhere. St. Wilfrid’s Way is a 150-mile route that works its way in Wilfrid’s footsteps from Hexham and Hadrian’s Wall country to Edinburgh. The Gould Piano Trio and Robert Plane plan to retrace these steps, performing Piers Hellawell’s commemorative piece on the way, both in traditional concert settings, in more unusual ones such as on Lindisfarne (where Wilfrid began his studies) and in small, rural community settings.

During the Corbridge Festival 2025 there will also be an exhibition of artwork related to St. Wilfrid, created especially for the occasion by the artist and printmaker Jo Westgate. Venues on the tour are welcome to mount this exhibition alongside the concert.

Robert Plane and the Gould Piano Trio would be delighted to bring this event not only to locations along St. Wilfrid’s Way, but to venues in the north of England and the Scottish Borders more generally.  Although born in the North-East, Wilfrid also has a strong association with Sussex. In particular, he founded Selsey Abbey, the site of an existing monastery, during his five years in the county, which remained the Bishop’s seat until the Norman conquest, when it moved eight miles north to Chichester.

We would love to hear from you if you would like to book this event for either the summer of 2025 or the 2025-2026 season (ideally Autumn 2025 but open to discussion).