Music at the castle
- Four concerts given by the Nash Ensemble, Friday evening to Sunday morning.
- Takes place at The Castle at Taunton, one of the country’s finest hotels.
- Small hall and mingling with the musicians results in informality and a rare closeness to the music-making.
- On the doorstep of Exmoor and the Quantocks, some of the loveliest countryside in England.
Formed in 1964, The Nash Ensemble first played at the Castle Hotel in 1985. They return in 2008 with a young and vibrant Oboe and String trio.
The Nash can regularly be heard on radio and TV, at the South Bank Centre and the BBC Proms, are regular visitors to international festivals and have toured extensively throughout Europe and North America. It has built up a remarkable reputation as one of Britain's finest and most adventurous chamber groups, and through the dedication of its founder and artistic director Amelia Freedman – awarded a CBE in June 2006 – and the calibre of its players, the Ensemble has gained a similar reputation all over the world.
The weekend’s programme features classical masterpieces, punctuated by lesser-known neglected gems and some contemporary works, including a Jonathon Cole piece, specially commissioned for the ensemble.
‘In an exceptional concert… the Nash Ensemble showed why they are among today's most outstanding and enterprising groups.’
The Independent