March at The Apex 2023

Events at the Apex Theatre

1 Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3FD

Tel: 01284 758000

www.theapex.co.uk

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The Beat with Ranking Jnr

Wed 1 Mar, 8pm

One of the most popular and influential bands of the British ska movement, The Beat created an infectious dance rhythm that crossed between soul, reggae, pop and punk. Hits include ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’, ‘Hands Off… She’s Mine’, ‘Too Nice To Talk To’, ‘Stand Down Margaret’, and their serene cover of Andy William’s ‘Can’t Get Used To Losing You’. The Beat, with Ranking Roger’s son Ranking Jnr continue to perform all these classic hits in their dynamic live shows.

 

Britten Sinfonia

Thu 2 Mar, 7.30pm

JS Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 3

CPE Bach Cello Concerto in A minor

Dobrinka Tabakova Cello Concerto

Grieg Holberg Suite

Laura van der Heijden (cello)

Thomas Gould (director)

 

Kast Off Kinks

Fri 3 Mar, 7.30pm

Featuring former members of The Kinks; Mick Avory (Founding member of The Kinks & the original drummer on all the classic hits from 1964-84) and Mark Haley (keyboards/vocals, Kinks 1989-93, also played with The Rubettes); plus Mike Steed & Dave Clarke (formerly of the Beach Boys).

Expect all the hits, including ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’, ‘Sunny Afternoon’, ‘Lola’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’, and many more.

 

Bury Friendly Orchestra

Sun 5 Mar, 6pm

A water-inspired programme of music spanning 300 years; Malcolm Arnold’s evocative march The Padstow Lifeboat; Khachaturian’s Adagio from Spartacus which became the famous theme to the Onedin Line; Debussy’s En Bateau, evoking a dreamy, moonlit journey across silky waves; there’s also movements from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Handel’s Water music and a toe-tapping sea shanty suite. The concert concludes with Strauss’s famous waltz, The Beautiful Blue Danube.

10cc’s Graham Gouldman & Heart Full of Songs

Mon 6 Mar, 7.30pm

In between 10cc’s sell-out, bi-annual tours, the band’s co-founder Graham Gouldman takes his Heart Full of Songs project on tour, playing his songs in their simplest form, acoustically.

The band line-up comprises Graham, 10cc live band members Iain Hornal and Keith Hayman, and Dave Cobby.

Syd Lawrence Orchestra

Tue 7 Mar, 7.30pm

A rip roaring, Big Band musical extravaganza, directed by Chris Dean and packed with all your Big Band Favourites and a few new surprises.

The “Best Big Band in the Land” play the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, including ‘In The Mood’, ‘The Peanut Vendor’ and ‘Moonlight Serenade’, to name but a few.

Butler, Blake & Grant

Fri 10 Mar, 7.30pm

Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Bernard Butler (Suede) and James Grant (Love and Money) first joined forces at Celtic Connections earlier this year – with their natural camaraderie and beautifully crafted tunes, filled with melody, harmony and impeccable guitar chops, the show was a runaway, sell-out success.

They perform a selection of each other’s songs – each musician fronting one of their own songs in turn, with input from their co-players.

 

Bury Bach Choir: Carmina Burana

Sat 11 Mar, 7.30pm

Elgar: Sea Pictures

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

Elgar sets five poems in his wonderful song-cycle Sea Pictures, with music evoking the sounds and movements of the sea, and the threat posed by its unpredictable moods.

This will be followed by Carmina Burana, composed by Carl Orff in 1935 and 1936. It opens and closes with the instantly recognisable song “O Fortuna”, surely one of the grandest and most seductive pieces of choral music ever written.

Ministry of Science

Sun 12 Mar, 1.30pm

This year saw science lead the way in getting our lives back to normal. Now, the UK’s favourite science team are back and more explosive than ever!

Dive deep into the world of science and look at how science shapes the modern world we live in with a few loud bangs along the way!

Expect 20ft liquid nitrogen clouds, exploding oxygen & hydrogen balloons, fire tornados, hydrogen bottle rockets, ignited methane and even a self-built hovercraft!

 

Fat Cat Comedy Club

Sun 12 Mar, 8pm

See www.fatcatcomedyclub.com for line-up.

The Manfreds

Thu 16 Mar, 7.30pm

60 Years of Hits, Jazz & Blues: considered one of the finest and most respected bands from the 1960s era, their numerous hits were not just ‘pop’ songs – many were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz – a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance.

As a result, their records have a timeless quality and, 60 years on, The Manfreds, with original front man Paul Jones, will be performing many of their hits.

 

Fleetwood Bac

Fri 17 Mar, 8pm

The world’s first Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band & the only one to replicate the classic ‘Rumours’ line-up. Fleetwood Bac have also been rated by The Times newspaper as one of the U.K.’s top 5 tributes, the sound, the look and the on-stage chemistry are all portrayed with the passion and energy that got the seal of approval from Mick Fleetwood himself.

 

Suffolk Sinfonia

Sat 18 Mar, 7.30pm

Spring Concert celebrating British composers, with Soirées Musicales by Benjamin Britten, followed by The Lark Ascending with local violin soloist Jonathan Acton, concluding with the Enigma Variations.

Elio Pace: Billy Joel Albums Show

Tue 21 Mar, 7.30pm

The award-winning Elio Pace and his amazing band perform two more classic Billy Joel albums in their entirety; ‘The Nylon Curtain’and ‘Piano Man’.

“Elio Pace is fierce! An accomplished musician and performer, his talent can be equalled only by his infectious enthusiasm.” – LULU

Juan Martin

Wed 22 Mar, 7.30pm

Voted into the top 3 flamenco guitarists in the world by Guitar Player USA, Juan Martin’s exquisite style captures a pure flamenco sound. His books for learning the guitar are now translated into many languages with his original book being referred to as ‘The Bible’ of flamenco guitar.

‘A giant of the flamenco guitar tradition’ The Times.

 

RAF Honington Voluntary Band

Thu 23 Mar, 7.30pm

Join RAF Honington Voluntary Band for an evening of popular classics, favourites from stage and screen and military pageantry in this coronation year.

RAF Honington Voluntary Band perform at the request of the Chair of West Suffolk Council and by kind permission of the Station Commander. All funds raised will support to support the Chair’s chosen charity for the year, GeeWizz.

Feast of Fiddles

Sat 25 Mar, 7.30pm

Peter Knight (Gigspanner, Steeleye Span), Brian McNeill (Battlefield Band), Ian Cutler, Tom Leary, Marion Fleetwood, Joe Brown and Garry Blakeley add their range of fiddle playing styles to the rock back-line of guitars, keyboards, sax and accordion – all held together by legendary drummer Dave Mattacks.

“Britain’s fiddling supergroup” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

 

Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra

Sun 26 Mar, 4pm

Mendelssohn The Fair Melusine

Mozart Clarinet Concerto (Matthew Glendening, Clarinet)

Haydn Trumpet Concerto (Christian Barraclough, Trumpet)

Mozart  Symphony No.38, ‘Prague’

The first of three ‘Celebration Sunday’ concerts from Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra in Spring and Summer 2023, celebrating the ultimate masters of the Classical style.

In this first concert, Leslie Olive conducts two well-loved concertos, together with a little-known treat of an overture from Mendelssohn and the extraordinarily dramatic “Prague” Symphony by Mozart.

 

Brodsky Quartet

Tue 28 Mar, 7.30pm

Alexander Borodin Scherzo in D from Les Vendredis

Karen Tanaka At The Grave of Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No.16 in F, Op. 135

Maurice Ravel String Quartet in F

Roachford

Wed 29 Mar, 7.45pm

Since ‘Cuddly Toy’ (a mainstay of radio airplay for over three decades) reached No.4 in the charts back in 1988, Roachford has released 10 studio albums, been a sought-after songwriter by the likes of Michael Jackson, Joss Stone and Chaka Khan, and toured on his own and with contemporaries including Terence Trent D’Arby and The Christians.

For the past nine years, he has been part of Mike + the Mechanics, but recently released a new solo album ‘Twice in a Lifetime’ and single ‘High on Love’ which earned 5 weeks of Radio 2 A-list airplay

Tommy Blaize & NYJO Present: Ray Charles

Thu 30 Mar, 7.30pm

Ray Charles changed the course of music history with his pioneering combination of gospel, jazz, and R&B. A prolific pianist, singer, composer and civil rights activist, he would become one of the most recognisable artists of the 20th century, his hoarse voice and passionate performances made him an icon, celebrated across the globe.

The 19-piece National Youth Jazz Orchestra return to The Apex with Tommy Baize, lead singer of the BBC Strictly Come Dancing band. In a career spanning 50 years, Tommy has worked with legendary and renowned artists, from Diana Ross to Queen, The Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse, Joe Cocker, and Stevie Wonder.

 

The Legend of Barry White

Fri 31 Mar, 7.30pm

William Hicks, “a big man with a big voice” delivers a phenomenal performance of all the greatest hits, ‘My First My Last My Everything’, ‘Just the Way You Are’, ‘Trouble With Me’, ‘Ecstasy’ and many more.

This live show comes complete with William’s live band and Motown trio the Supreme Dreamgirls.

Gladys Knight has said William is a “pleasure to work with”, while Soul and Motown’s prolific songwriter Eddie Holland recently said “William’s vocals and deliverance is so impressive, phenomenal”.

 

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