Classical Concert and Cream Tea: The Acer Clarinet Quartet

Christine was brought up in Leicestershire and played with the county’s youth orchestra before studying the clarinet in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the notable clarinettists Jack Brymer and Joy Farrell. Moving to Essex after college, Christine enjoyed playing freelance for musical theatre and The Southend Philharmonic for a number of years. Now a self-employed clarinet and saxophone teacher in Leicestershire, she has also enjoyed conducting various youth groups in the county over the years, including the Leicestershire Schools Music Service Training Orchestra, Junior Band, and the Junior and Senior Clarinet Choirs. Passionate about giving talented young players opportunities, she has also adjudicated on various competition panels, and has recently coached one of her pupils to become the Bardi Symphony Orchestra’s own ‘Young Musician of the Year’ (2024)

In previous seasons Christine has performed the Mozart, Copland, and Finzi clarinet concertos, Strauss Duet Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for four winds with the Knighton Chamber Orchestra, and Finzi 5 Bagatelles with Stamford Chamber Orchestra. She also regularly plays with The Bardi Symphony Orchestra, the Helix Ensemble, and is a founder member of The Beaufort Wind Quintet and The Acer Clarinet Quartet.

Christine is committed to music education and offering access to music in Leicester for everyone. She is on the Board of Trustees for both The Bardi Symphony Orchestra and Leicester International Music Festival, helping to create educational partnerships and opportunities for young people.

Verity Morris studied the clarinet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then at the Royal Academy of Music. She has been performing in public since the age of nine, sometimes as a soloist, sometimes as a member of an orchestra and in every sort of ensemble in between. She has worked with the following ensembles for over ten years; Welsh National Opera, PM Contemporary Music Ensemble, The Welsh Sinfonia (principal) and Latitude. She has been privileged to work with many distinguished musicians such as Pierre Boulez, Owain Arwel Hughes, Andrew Mariner, Thea King, Angela Malsbury, Jose Carreras and Bryn Terfel. Chamber music is her passion. Venues for solo and chamber music recitals include: Barbican Hall London, Artworkers Guild London, Braithwaite Hall Croyden, St. David’s Hall Cardiff, Cheltenham Town Hall, British Embassy Brussels, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, New Radnor Music Club, Royal Holloway University Music Club, Rhymney Valley Music Club, Hinckley Music Club, Bangor University, British Music Information Centre London, Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea and Late Music Festival York.

Anne Mortimer gained a clarinet diploma with distinction in 2015. Anne teaches clarinet and saxophone at Catmose College in Oakham alongside a private practise. She has directed various clarinet, saxophone and single reed choirs and can be regularly found travelling the U.K. to meet up with like minded colleagues to rehearse and perform in chamber groups. More recently, Anne has enjoyed performing with Leicester Symphony Orchestra, Leicestershire Sinfonia, Rutland Sinfonia, Bardi Wind Orchestra and regularly guests with Rutland Big Band as clarinettist/lead alto for their Glenn Miller evenings. 

Peter Fielding studied clarinet at The Royal Manchester College of Music, being one of only a very small number to gain a Performers Diploma with Distinction (ARMCM dist.). He was Principal Clarinet in D’Oyly Carte Opera Company before joining The Welsh Philharmonia (Orchestra of Welsh National Opera) as sub principal clarinet and later as principal Bass Clarinet whilst still playing clarinet as required. After 38 years with the Orchestra he retired in the summer of 2009.

He was a Clarinet and Bass Clarinet tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and a member of the tutorial staff at Cardiff University School of Music for thirty years, until moving home to the Midlands in 2015. Peter is still playing, teaching and adjudicating.