As well as the Queen’s Jubilee and Olympics, 2012 is a special year for Classical Partners as we celebrate 20 years since our inception back in 1992. Since those early days we have instigated hundreds, or rather thousands, of new romances and friendships amongst music lovers.

The past twenty years have seen a massive change in people’s ideas and perceptions about love and relationships. The internet now offers endless new ways of communicating but our experience tells us that it isn’t necessarily the easiest or most successful way to meet genuine, intelligent, ‘nice’ people.

According to recent figures the number of single adults in the United Kingdom will rise to 15 million in 2012 and although the divorce rate has fallen slightly of late, the number of divorcees in the over 60s age group has increased by four per cent in the last two years.

At Classical Partners we welcome people in their 30s/40s seeking a life partner with similar background, interests and outlook, and also many people in their 50s/60s/70s who find themselves newly single through divorce or bereavement and would like to meet new like-minded folk with whom to share their enjoyment of the arts and perhaps find a new soulmate.

Last year we launched a new online dating service – www.classicalpartnersonline.co.uk which is proving very popular, however many still prefer the personal touch associated with our traditional introduction service and informal, friendly social evenings hosted by Caroline and Dan.

Upcoming social events early this year include evenings at Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall and Royal Albert Hall, then later in the year our regular visits to the Proms, Opera Holland Park as well as theatre, exhibitions, drinks parties and much more. See our Events page – http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

Our first musical outing of the year to a packed Wigmore Hall on Sunday 15 January was hugely enjoyable, the audience seemingly mesmerised by the faultless and dynamic playing of young Polish-born string quartet Quatuor Apollon Musagète.

Wigmore Hall recital

After the recital we enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch in the Wigmore Restaurant and people must have been getting on well as we were the last to leave!

Next weekend we’re looking forward to an evening of laughter at The Old Vic with Michael Frayn’s classic comedy Noises Off – http://www.oldvictheatre.com

Best wishes for now,
Dan and Caroline

Over the past year many members have met a new partner and interesting friends through our introductions service and social events. This week we heard of our latest success – John from the Midlands and Sarah from London who are moving to Bath together: we wish them every happiness in their new life.

During the year we have visited many leading venues for the Arts including the Royal Festival Hall, Barbican, English National Opera, Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, West End Theatre, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, Cadogan Hall, Opera Holland Park, Hatfield House and the Wigmore Hall. As well as enjoying informal soirees in members’ homes.

Our regular monthly informal drinks on the South Bank continue to be popular with members and guests.

This year we also launched a new online service  – http://www.classicalpartnersonline.co.uk to supplement our introduction service and events.

Classical Partners now offers something for everyone –
• personal introductions
• regular informal social events
• online dating service

We are looking forward to our last social outing of the year at the Royal Festival Hall this Saturday – Messiah by Candlelight – which should get us into festive mood. After the break we have lots of exciting events planned for the New Year (see http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html)  and look forward to seeing you.

Best wishes

Dan and Caroline

After a delicious meal and couple of glasses of wine in the Barbican Lounge, we made our way down to the Stalls to enjoy this sell out concert. The programme was typical format – a rather strange modern work, Sofia Gubaidulina’s concerto for bayan accordion, sandwiched between two classics, Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony.

Not everyone in our party enjoyed the Gubaidulina – in fact from the interval chat I gather only two of us did! But everyone agreed that the Tchaikovsky was thrilling, even though Gergiev’s variations in tempo can sometimes be a little bizarre, as the critics have made mention of I see in this week’s reviews:

“Gergiev’s way with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony could not have been tauter or more darkly Russian in coloration. Most of the time he stood on the podium unimpassioned, seemingly bored. But the LSO’s superb players knew exactly what to do, facing the fate motif with fiery strength, neatly swelling and tapering phrases in the waltz, generally keeping the symphony’s neurotic display just this side of bearable” (Times)

Equally critical of the conductor – the Guardian’s critic, Ivan Hewett – “Gergiev’s performance had a bizarre mixture of impatience and sluggishness… the rare moments of genuine feeling were entirely due to the sterling players of the LSO”

Opinion often seems to be divided on Gergiev, but I’m sure everyone in the Hall last Thursday would agree that the LSO sounded magnificent. Our CP group certainly thought so and all had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, meeting new like-minded people and enjoying a memorable concert together.

We will be returning to the Barbican several times no doubt in 2012. Our next classical music outings will be at the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall. See our Events page for details – http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

Great applause for Eugene Onegin opening night

The ENO’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin opened at the Coliseum on Saturday night and our group from Classical Partners had a fantastic view of the performance from the Dress Circle slips.

Before the opera we met for complimentary glass of bubbly (offered to all ENO ticket holders) and delicious early evening supper at Cote Brasserie, just a few metres from the Coliseum.

Deborah Warner’s new production has been given the thumbs up by the critics, with 4-star reviews in the Telegraph, Guardian and Times.  Particularly singled out for praise are the ENO orchestra under Edward Gardner, the direction, set design and lighting.  And most of the central characters’ performances, notably Toby Spence’s as Lensky.

“Ravishingly designed by Tom Pye, costumed by Chloe Obolensky and lit by Jean Kalman, the show has been meticulously prepared.  I enjoyed and admired every soothing minute and can safely prophesy that it will be a big hit.”   Rupert Christiansen, the Telegraph.

“Tradtionally staged and passionately conducted, ENO’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s lyrical masterpiece is full of ensemble virtues.  The orchestra under Edward Gardner’s direction sounds virtuosic…. Warner’s direction is naturalistic and intelligent.  The duel, between the two men whose bond is rent asunder by wounded pride, is superb theatre; brutal and heartbreaking.”  Richard Morrison, The Times

It could be argued that some of the dramatic tension is lost in the English translation, but the music and staging in this production more than makes up for that.

What better way to spend an evening than enjoying good food and wine in the company of an interesting group of people all eagerly anticipating an exciting new operatic production – and the opera certainly didn’t disappoint.

Forthcoming musical evenings see us at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall, then in the New Year we will be at the Royal Albert Hall for a spectacular in-the-round production of Verdi’s stunning opera, Aida.  Can’t wait for that! 

Do look at our Events page for further details of forthcoming social evenings – http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

Established in 1992, Classical Partners has enjoyed outstanding success in bringing people together using their well respected introduction service alongside a varied programme of social events.

The new online venture  http://www.classicalpartnersonline.co.uk is part of Love and Friends database which has over 75,000 members of all ages and locations. But by joining Classical Partners Online you can search specifically for people with an interest in Music and the Arts.

You can sign up for Free, or take advantage of a special introductory offer of 3-months’ Full membership for less than £10 per month.

Or for information about Classical Partners introductions and events do give us a call on 01582 834334,

With best wishes
Caroline and Dan Boon

The quality of the performances seems to be better every time we go and the Hall’s marvellous acoustic enhances the recital even more. This week we were treated to the Kungsbacka Piano Trio, named after the Swedish town in which they gave their first performance and where they have established an annual festival. Their programme combined a couple of Beethoven’s most impressive works for piano trio along with a brand new work by Hans Henze which was equally stirring but in a totally different style. The packed hall seemed to lap it up.

Forthcoming treats on offer at the Wigmore Hall include the Nash Ensemble, Nicola Bennedetti, Paul Lewis, Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough. See http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on

After the recital we adjourned to the Bechstein Room downstairs for the complimentary glass of sherry that accompanies one’s coffee concert ticket and then in to the stylish and elegant but oh-so comfortable Wigmore Restaurant for a leisurely three-course lunch.

After a couple of hours of delicious food, wine and lively conversation, CP members went their various ways, eg one lady on to her choir rehearsal, and another small group of members were last seen heading towards Oxford Street, for a cup of tea and spot of shopping in John Lewis.

We will be back at the Wigmore Hall early in the New Year for another relaxing Sunday outing. Meanwhile members of Classical Partners have some great concerts, theatre and opera to look forward to. If you are interested in attending top class cultural events and meeting like-minded people at the same time – see our Events page for details of what’s coming up http://www.classicalpartners.co.uk/Events.html

As part of their first international tour with the Dude, the LA Philharmonic are playing two sell out concerts at the Barbican later this week and Classical Partners has secured 16 tickets for the second of these on Friday 28 January, featuring Mahler’s epic Ninth Symphony.

Classical Partners also saw Dudamel in 2009 at the Royal Festival Hall when he conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s 5^th Symphony.  Those who were with us that evening will I am sure remember what an exciting and moving concert it was, culminating in a long standing ovation for Dudamel and an almost unprecedented level (for a British classical audience) of whooping and cheering!

Dudamel seems to forge a very special connection with the orchestras he conducts and gets memorable performances out of his musicians.  He has a special wisdom and humanity for Mahler’s symphonies and, still only at the age of 29, has already twice conducted the Ninth (for which he no longer requires a score) with other orchestras. 

We should be in for a treat on Friday!

The informality of these events is proving very popular and will be continued in January.

As I left, I noticed that one couple who had met for the first time, were obviously enjoying each others company. Have they found romance? We will keep you updated.

If you would like to meet other music lovers have a look at our website.