The Penguin who was Blown Away
Like this? How about…
The Duck with no Luck
Saturday 22 March 2026
St. John’s, Upper Norwood
Introduce your children to the magic of music with this interactive, animal-themed family concert.
Polly Ives
narrator/facilitator
Polly Ives enjoys a varied career as a concert narrator and presenter, workshop leader, trainer, teacher and cellist and is currently Resident Animateur (0-8 years) with Music in the Round. She has led numerous projects with Music in the Round over the last 16 years including Soundplay (a project focussing on speech and language development through music with 3-5 year olds) and Music Box for children and their families, and has presented numerous children’s concerts including The Chimpanzees of Happytown, Sir Scallywag and the Battle of Stinky Bottom and Stan and Mabel. She regularly works with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wigmore Hall and runs her own concert series for babies and toddlers in Sheffield called Concerteenies. She has worked with CBeebies, Royal Opera House, Southbank Sinfonia, the European Brandenburg Ensemble and Beatrix Potter Attraction. She has coached children’s and youth orchestras including the National Children’s Orchestra and the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra, and is Chair of Sheffield Young Singers. She has adjudicated at music festivals, performed live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, and plays regularly with Simply Strings Trio and Escafeld String Quartet.
Ileana Ruhemann
flute
Ileana Ruhemann studied at the Purcell school, Cambridge University and the Paris Conservatoire. She has been Principal flute of the BBC Concert Orchestra for over 30 years, a job she loves and appreciates for the variety of the work and versatility of the players. She has enjoyed a solo career alongside and has been committed to several chamber groups including Jeux, Fibonacci and Gemini. She has played as guest Principal flute of most of the orchestras in the UK and has had works written for her by composers ranging from John Tavener to Stanley Black. Teaching young children to play the flute and educational projects in schools and other communities have also played an important role in her musical life.
Douglas Tang
piano
Douglas Tang is a sought-after British conductor and keyboardist. Previously Assistant Director of Music of St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney and Chapel Organist of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, he has also worked at Hereford Cathedral and Croydon Minster aside from having held the prestigious position of Organ Scholar of King’s College, Cambridge. He currently works as a freelance musician conducting, performing, and accompanying around the UK. Born in Hong Kong, Douglas emigrated to England after having won the highest music scholarship to board at Harrow School. Transferring as a day pupil to Dulwich College on a music and organ scholarship, he originally was to attend conservatoire for the piano and flute – having achieved diplomas in both instruments. Discovering his love for the organ at a late stage, he subsequently read music at King’s College, Cambridge, having spent a gap year at Hereford Cathedral. As a performer, he has toured the world – performing in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, and the Sydney Opera House, to name but a few. He has also performed as a keyboardist with many of the world’s finest ensembles including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestra for the Age of Enlightenment, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Britten Sinfonia, amongst others. He is also a multiple prizewinner – most notably of the Brian Runnett Prize for Organ Performance and Musica
Britannica’s Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial Prize for Piano Accompaniment. Reviews have praised him on his affinity with Bach and romantic repertoire and he has been described as ‘one of the foremost musicians of his generation’.
