One of Britain’s best-known classical musicians is returning to the stage after a 12-year absence – and Armagh will be one of the first stops on his comeback tour.
Julian Lloyd Webber and his wife, fellow cellist Jiaxin Lloyd Webber, will bring Bach, Bows and Arrows to the Market Place Theatre in Armagh on Sunday, August 30, at 3pm. Tickets cost £35 and are available through the theatre’s online ticketing service.
The appearance forms part of a 12-date tour of Ireland, north and south. It will also mark Lloyd Webber’s first visit to Armagh, although he has performed in Ireland many times in the past.
A different kind of classical performance
Rather than a conventional concert, the afternoon has been designed as an informal entertainment show. Both Julian and Jiaxin will perform, with the programme combining music, conversation and personal recollections.
The first half will focus on Bach and the remarkable history of his cello suites. Lloyd Webber will explain how the works, now among the most familiar pieces in classical music, were not played for roughly 200 years. Jiaxin will illustrate the story with performances from the suites.
The second half will be more interactive. Audience members will be invited to ask questions, with the musicians expecting the discussion to develop differently at every performance. Video clips will also feature Lloyd Webber working with musicians including Elton John and Stéphane Grappelli, alongside classical performers.
Julian will read from his new autobiography, Bows & Arrows, and is expected to perform himself during the second half. The programme will include a piece familiar to Irish audiences, although the musician has chosen not to reveal it in advance.
The show will also include a nod to Ireland’s musical heritage. At the end of the performance, Julian will sign copies of his autobiography.
From forced retirement to the stage
Lloyd Webber stopped performing in 2014 after a herniated disc seriously affected the strength in his right arm. The injury ended a 40-year performing career almost overnight and led him to sell the cello he had played for three decades.
He subsequently turned his attention to teaching and supporting younger musicians, including running a conservatoire for five years. He has also worked on television projects introducing new performers and has written openly about the pressures of a career in music.
His return began with a special gala at Wigmore Hall in April, held during his 75th birthday year. The comeback follows the publication of Bows & Arrows, described in the source material as an honest account of his life, career, injury and return to playing.
Lloyd Webber has also confirmed this year that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite that, he is preparing to tour with Jiaxin, whom he has been married to for 17 years.
A career alongside musical legends
The Armagh performance will draw on a career that includes more than 60 recorded albums and a performance at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. Lloyd Webber was also the only classical musician selected for that ceremony.
His musical collaborators have included Elton John, Gary Moore, Philip Glass, Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli and Joaquín Rodrigo. His work with Elton John produced an instrumental recording of Your Song in 2003, while his collaboration with his brother, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, produced the album The Variations.
The 2013 recording Tale of Two Cellos, made with Jiaxin, became the UK’s number one classical album. Their Armagh appearance will give local audiences the opportunity to hear the couple perform together while also questioning them about their careers and experiences.
For Lloyd Webber, the smaller setting is part of the attraction. The Market Place Theatre format will allow the musicians to speak directly with the audience and create a more personal experience than a traditional large-scale concert.
Tickets for Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber’s Armagh performance are available online.