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Classical music fans will have a great 2012

Alan — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:34:09 +0000

Classical music fans in the UK are set to be spoilt for choice over the next few months, with some old favourites and some brand new pieces being performed by some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors.

Politics and classical music may not seem to a be a natural mix, but that hasn’t stopped several venues putting on performances inspired by real-life figures and real events. Prokofiev – Man of the People? is an exploration of the Russian composer’s life and music by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Southbank during January.

Another Russian is celebrated in Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony which is being performed by the Liverpool Philharmonic in a double-header with John Adams’ more modern piece, The Chairman Dances, a musical portrait of the Chinese leader Mao Zhedong.

Back in London, Black Angels, a response to the Vietnam War by composer George Crumb, is being performed by the Kronos Quartet at Hackney Empire while Esa Pekka-Salonen, along with the Philharmonia, is putting on Il prigioniero, the Dallapiccola composition that deals with fascism, at the Royal Festival Hall.

There are plenty of shows both inside and outside the capital for those who prefer to explore new musical creations, including the long-awaited new opera from Jonathan Harvey, Wagner Dream, which is on at the Barbican.

Also in London are new pieces from both Detlev Glanert and Wolfgang Rihm are being performed by English National Opera and you can expect an entertaining night out at London Sinfonietta’s take on Hommage à Klaus Nomi, a contender for the title of the campest opera ever written, by Olga Neuwirth.

Old and new collide with an innovative musical adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest by Gerald Barry being premièred by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group at London’s Barbican before they head home to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall at the end of April.

World-famous musicians are heading for the UK this spring, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra which will be making three appearances at the Barbican, each time with a different star conductor. Mariss Jansons and Bernard Haitink are appearing with the orchestra in May, while Nikolaus Harnoncourt opens the season on April 22.

Opera stars Mark Padmore, Kristine Opolais and Thomas Quasthoff will be singing a very special performance of Britten’s War Requiem in Coventry Cathedral to mark the 50^th anniversary of the show’s première. Accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, this promises to be a special performance and an emotional night.

Finally, the Olympics continue their bid for UK domination with an extensive programme of cultural events to run alongside the sporting competition. The Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music will feature a performance of L’Olimpiade by Vivaldi, with the same opera getting another outing at Garsington Opera in June.

The opening ceremony of the Games will be celebrated at the BBC Proms on the same night with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Daniel Barenboim, while the Royal Opera House is offering its own tribute to the London Olympics with a staging of the complete Ring Cycle by Wagner later in the year.

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Sibelius is still a huge challenge

Alan — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:34:37 +0000

Sibelius composed seven symphonies and even today they remain a challenge to modern orchestras as they explore sounds that are untraditional and that many orchestras are unpractised in. Many of the sounds that are explored in these symphonies are things that orchestras simply do not have to perform in any other piece of music.

The ambition of the works was outstanding and the BBC Symphony Orchestra have been attempting their performance, but because of the complexity they have recruited six different conductors in order to perform all seven symphonies in the best way. They have been doing performances since October and they will finished the run in May.

The symphonies were written over 25 years and smashed conventions at the time and many people regard them as one of the most important moments in the history of composition and 20th-century music.

Sibelius is the most famous composer in Finnish history and if you are walking through the streets of Helsinki then you will find many concert halls which have been named after the famous composer. Most of those that are not named after him will probably be named after one of his works. Today, Finland produces some of the world’s most famous works and composers and many people expect this is because of the intense influence that Sibelius had on the population of the country.

Sibelius was a great composer but his private life was rather strange. He was known as a very intense man but was incredibly charismatic. He was also a depressive and a hard drinker and this desperation comes through in many of his earlier works. Interestingly he finished his last piece in 1926 and never returned to writing music despite living three decades longer.

Those who listen to the seven symphonies composed by Sibelius can hear how he has put a great many of his emotions into them. There are moments of sheer beauty in his work but also times when the melodies are very restrained and these are quite telling of his changing moods and tempers.

Interestingly many people who knew him say that he might have composed an eighth Symphony at some point in his last 30 years of life, however, he was known for being very critical of his own work and it is expected that he burnt the eighth Symphony and it is never going to be heard.

The most experienced of the six conductors that the BBC Symphony Orchestra has recruited is Neeme Jarvi who is possibly the most famous classical Estonian musician on the planet. He will be conducting one of the pieces in April and has commented, “The second symphony was a huge turning point for Sibelius and I’m delighted to be able to conduct it because it is always such a well-received piece by audiences, mostly because of the wonderful and very loud ending.”

Another conductor is Alexander Vedernikov who stated that he very much enjoys the Northern influence that comes from Sibelius having composed in Finland himself.

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National Youth Jazz Orchestra

Alan — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:36:35 +0000

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra last year held a sell-out concert that is still being remembered a year later and it seems as if the year has come around very fast and the second event is going to be held next week. The interest in the concert has already been enormous. The NYJO is an orchestra that features the best young jazz artists in the country and gives them an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of an audience.

The orchestra’s roots go back to the mid-1960s when the orchestra was founded by Bill Ashton. He was an Oxford graduate who wanted to give people who are under 25 years old an orchestra where they could practice jazz music. The orchestra has a focus on people who are good at sightreading and have technical proficiency and his orchestra has a legacy which continues to inspire young artists and audiences today.

There are 24 young people involved in the orchestra and every year they put on about 50 performances around the country. In total they have released 50 albums and toured internationally. In the past they have been selected to perform in front of the Royal family and also have been televised on numerous occasions.

Another main aim of the orchestra is to encourage people’s interest in jazz music and every year there are special events designed to get people interested in jazz. This show is going to feature a great deal of Christmas music including the Christmas Carol Suite from Paul Hart and a selection of music set to the famous Christmas book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

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Aylesbury Orchestra movie music concert

Alan — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:18:42 +0000

Aylesbury Orchestra will be performing a special concert in the New Year which will feature music from popular films including the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. John Beswick, the conductor famous for his work in the West End, is responsible for putting the show together and he has said that extra musicians have been involved to ensure that the music will be spectacular.

The leader of the orchestra for nearly a decade has been Mark Warner and he stated, “Normally we focus on classical music from the great composers but we thought it would be fun to do something a little bit unusual. We are hoping that this will attract an audience who do not normally come to our shows and maybe get more people interested in classical music.”

“There is going to be a lot of music that people are familiar with and we are very lucky to have John Beswick involved. He has such a great reputation on the West End that he is sure to be able to add a lot to our production.” Mr Beswick has previously been involved in conducting The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, among other productions.

The Aylesbury Orchestra was founded over 60 years ago and normally puts on three concerts a year. This special event will be taking place on 5 February and will involve over 70 musicians. The orchestra have been rehearsing since the start of November and there has been a really positive reaction to the idea. Mr Warner has further commented, “It was challenging to find the music but we have managed to source the complete score.”

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Elton John set to perform in Harrogate

Alan — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:59:59 +0000

Elton John set to perform in Harrogate

For one night only next summer, one of the most famous and successful recording artists in the world, Elton John, is bringing his band to Harrogate. This unforgettable live show will take place in the main ring at the Great Yorkshire Showground the Yorkshire Event Centre on Tuesday June 5^th, the extended Bank Holiday weekend to commemorate the Queens Diamond Jubilee.

The outdoor concert will take place in a fully reserved arena that has been specially created to give the thousands of fans attending to both sing and dance along with his much loved repertoire. The concert is expected to finish at around 9pm, which gives those attending the chance to get home in good time, considering this is the last day of that Bank Holiday weekend and many will be returning to work on the Wednesday.

Elton John said:

“The first time I played in Yorkshire was in August 1970 at the Yorkshire Jazz Folk and Blues Festival near Halifax. Anyone who was there will probably remember the terrible weather rather than the music! Since then I’ve played Leeds and Bradford several times, and last year Scarborough for the first time, but I’ve never played in Harrogate before. So I’m looking forward to my first summer visit to this famous English spa town, and you can expect a night of hit songs, dancing and fun – whatever the weather!”

Elton will become the first ever artist to play the Yorkshire Event Centre, Heather Parry, Managing Director said:

“We are delighted to be hosting what will be an absolutely amazing concert at the showground. Although in the past we’ve welcomed several world leaders, including Bill Clinton, a concert of this calibre will be a first for us.

Apart from being wonderful news for the region’s music lovers, it will also assist us in continuing our charitable work supporting the farming and rural communities across the North of England.”

As one of the greatest and most successful live artists, Elton’s spectacular stage shows continue to leave the competition standing! His live performance of over two hours will comprise many hits from an incredible back catalogue, including such classics as ‘Bennie and The Jets’, ‘Crocodile Rock’ and ‘Your Song’.

Tickets for this show will go on sale Friday 2nd December at 10am.

With a career that spans five decades, Elton John is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time. Along with his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin, Elton has achieved 35 gold and 25 platinum albums, 29 consecutive Top 40 hits and has sold an amazing 250-million records worldwide. He has been awarded numerous Grammy, Oscars, Ivor Novello and Brit Awards, as well as a knighthood from the Queen.

With a career that has kept him at the top of the charts for over 40 years, his lifework has amalgamated into more than that of just a recording artist. Through a partnership with lyricist Tim Rice came the music for both the feature film and Broadway stage production of ‘The Lion King.’

Elton also wrote the music for the stage production of ‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ and more recently

for the box office smash, ‘Gnomeo & Juliet.’ And just last year, Elton forged a collaboration with his long-time musical hero, Leon Russell, on the T Bone Burnett produced album, ‘The Union’.

His most recent project opened in September in Las Vegas with the return of Elton to The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, with a brand new show, ‘The Million Dollar Piano’, billed as “a gargantuan feast of music and imagery“. The Million Dollar Piano is set for a three-year residency at The Colosseum, and Elton’s second as a Caesars Palace headliner.

On October 8 this year, Elton celebrated his 3000th live concert since he began touring in 1969.

Full Event Ticket Details:

Yorkshire Event Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate

Tuesday 5 June

Reserved seat tickets are priced £80 and £55. Premium tickets are also available.

(Tickets sold subject to booking fee)

Hotline numbers: 0844 581 1317, 0844 847 2441

On-line: www.theticketfactory.com www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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Time To Grow from Ruhan

Alan — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:22:12 +0000

Time To Grow from Ruhan

Ruhan is best known to many for her role in Monkey: Journey To The West, the Damon Albarn penned Chinese rock opera. She has now released an album of beautiful songs that are both innovative and bold. ‘Time To Grow’ is a combination of musical elements and concepts from China along with Western formations to create an album that is quite unique in its musical form.

What this album does is superbly showcase the delightful tone that Ruhan’s voice possesses, as well as its extensive vocal range. Ten of the 12 tracks are sung in her native Chinese and two feature English translations, creating a truly international project which binds talents from such diverse countries as China, Sweden, Australia, Taiwan, the UK, the Faroe Islands and the US.

The writers on board for this album include Robert Wells, the renowned Swedish pianist, while the production mixing has been led by the renowned engineer Bernard Lohr, responsible for such productions as Mamma Mia and albums by Il Divo, Westlife and Celine Dion.

Ruhans road to musical stardom began early when aged four she learned to play the piano. Over the next 10 years she took parts in musicals, operas, TV shows and dramas before attending the Chinese Conservatory of Music to study singing. She then went on to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where she majored in bel-canto.

Her major performance credits include the theme song for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Dao Zai Fan Ye on Christopher Tin’s 2011 double Grammy award winning album, Calling All Dawns (Best Classical Crossover & Best Instrumental Arrangement).

In 2009, Ruhan won the First Prize at the 18th Discovery International Festival and second Prize for bel-canto at the prestigious Llangollen International Music Festival, held in Wales.

* Time To Grow is the first release of China’s “Earth’s Music” project, part of the 12th Five Year National Economic Development Plan.

Tracklisting:

1. This Is The Time 梦想 (mengxiang)

2. Let’s Fly Away 飞翔 (feixiang)

3. Time To Grow 成长 (chengzhang)

4. Wars Of Love 力量 (liliang)

5. If You See Me Now 思念 (sinian)

6. The World We Leave Behind 天堂 (tiantang )

7. No Me Without You 依靠 (yikao)

8. Still Missing You 弥漫 (miman)

9. Nothing I Won’t Do 相忆 (xiangyi)

10. Dancing On A Rainbow 彩虹 (caihong)

11. Time To Grow (English lyric)

12. Dancing On A Rainbow (English lyric)

* Digipak format

* 24 page booklet with lyrics in Chinese

with English translation

CD: SILCD6047

Release Date: 21st November 2011

Digital Album: SILED6047

Release Date: 22nd November 2011

www.ruhan-timetogrow.com/us

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Placido Domingo at the Royal Opera House

Alan — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 06:26:15 +0000

It has been 40 years since the Royal Opera House first saw Placido Domingo sing there and to mark this occasion they have had a celebration. Tickets to the event were sold for around £200 but even with this high price the event sold out on the same day. Many regard Domingo is one of the greatest opera performers for decades, and if not its greatest singer, certainly operas greatest actor.

Although he does not have the voice of his youth he has made good use of it as it has matured. His voice has become deeper and he now performs in more baritone roles. He has admitted himself that his singing is no longer perfect but the drama he puts into performances is still very much alive.

He is most famous for playing the role of Otello and his performance in the role was excellent. The start was a little weak but his ability to switch from vengeful to confused and finally to a broken spirit is excellent. The cast supporting him did very well and Francesco Meli put on a particularly noteworthy performance.

Many people have commented that since the days of Placido Domingo opera singers have simply not come close to him in level of talent. He belongs in a level of opera that very few people do today. He is admired throughout the industry for its commitment to opera and he’s not the type of performer who will claim illness at the last minute or make other excuses not to perform. The performance he put on for the celebration was as much about his singing as it was Verdi’s music and Antonio Pappano did a tremendous job as the conductor and altogether the production was a wonderful homage to one of opera’s greats who still gives his all.

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Abbey Road Studios announce 80th anniversary merchandise range

Alan — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:13:00 +0000

To celebrate the 80^th anniversary of the iconic Abbey Road Studios being one of the most famous and exclusive recording complexes in the world, they have announced a whole new range of exclusive products. This fabulous collection of luggage, accessories, homewares, stationary and clothing have been specially designed to mark this momentous occasion, and they are now for sale at the studio’s online store at www.abbeyroad.com/shop

The prices will range from £5.00 up to £30.00, and the top quality items in the collection will make the perfect Christmas gift for all fans of these legendary studios which have been the inception point of numerous landmark musical compositions as well as being pioneers in the advancements made in audio technology.

In addition to these goods there is also Music Trivia Game based around the Abbey Road Studios available from Tesco. The high calibre and prestige of the legacy attached to the Abbey Road Studios is appropriately reflected in way these unique items have been designed and manufactured.

The award-winning British designers Wild and ~Wolf are responsible for many of the gifts, and they have been awarded the prestigious ‘Gift of the Year Award’ for the past 5 years for the creations they have designed for the Ladybird and Penguin Books, the V & A Museum, Scrabble, Marmite and Mr Men/’Little Miss.

The inspiration for all of the products comes from within the walls of Abbey Road Studios: from the skills and talent of the engineers and the artists who record, mix and master, from the vintage and cutting-edge equipment including many pieces of kit invented, modified or just made better at Abbey Road Studios and from the studios unparalleled legacy at the heart of British music recording history. Giving music fans the chance to get a feel for the historical and inspiring spirit of the studios, the Wild And Wolf gifts feature stunning photographs of recording equipment that have been used to capture many timeless pieces of music.

In addition, stylish T-Shirts, Hoodies and Tote Bags are available featuring the Abbey Road Studios logo and 80^th anniversary commemoration.

Abbey Road Studios 80^th anniversary Wild and Wolf range – all featuring original imagery from the studios:

A5 lined notebook with ribbon bookmark and pocket. £9.95

Set of six Coasters packaged in a smart black and yellow case. £11.95

Padded Gadget Case: fits most digital compact cameras. £11.95

Phone Case: printed canvas protective phone sleeve to fit 11.6cm x 6.2cm. £9.95

Padded Laptop Sleeve: printed canvas to fit 13” laptops. £29.95

Printed canvas Wallet with leather interior. £29.95.

Bone China mug. £7.95

Pencil Set: six printed HB pencils with eraser, encased in a magnetic box. £7.95

* The above products are available online at www.abbeyroad.com/shop, www.thepodcompany.co.uk and instore at Waterstones.

Additional Abbey Road Studios 80^th anniversary merchandise:

White or black T-Shirts: made with 100% supersoft ringspun cotton – tailored for a fitted look. £15

Tote Bag: 100% cotton tote bag. £5.00

Black or dark olive unisex zipped Hoodie: made with 80% combed cotton and 20% polyester. £30.00

* The above Abbey Road Studios products (and more) are available online at www.abbeyroad.com/shop

Also available: Abbey Road Studios Music Trivia Game: test your knowledge of Abbey Road Studios’ recordings and history with this highly acclaimed board game.£19.97

* purchase at Tesco stores and Tesco Direct online :http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.211-9610.as

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Air Studios set to offer guitar recording masterclass

Alan — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:19:59 +0000

This is the very first time that AIR Studios has opened its doors to the general public for this type of event

AIR STUDIOS TO HOLD GUITAR RECORDING MASTERCLASS, PROVIDING UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO LEGENDARY RECORDING FACILITIES
- Session features performances and demonstrations from world-renowned musicians -

The AIR Entertainment Group, an umbrella group which incorporates both the Strongroom Studios and AIR Studios has announced that they are to hold a Masterclass in guitar recording. This will take place on 26-27 Nov. at the famous recording facilities belonging to AIR Studios at Lyndhurst Hall in Hampstead.

Thismasterclass, which is being run by the new training division in the AIR company, is open to anyone that wants to improve their knowledge as far a music production and the techniques involved in professional sound recording. Those who attend will also get the chance to meet world renowned engineers, musicians and producers and learn from them.

The chairman of the AIR Entertainment Group is Richard Boote, and he has said of this event that AIR studios are famed throughout the world as being one of the main places that renowned musicians choose to create and then record their music. This new course, along with the ones that are planned to follow it, have been designed so that their in house recording expertise can be shared.

He added that as well as this, those who attended could share the experiences and views of highly respected musicians, engineers and producers and the masterclass was open t o anybody who has as interest in music production or sound recording. This is the first time that the doors of AIR Studios have been opened to the public and they are expecting a huge response.

The guitar recording masterclass, led by celebrated producer Tony Platt, AIR Studios’ Rupert Coulson and Pro Tools specialist Rob Kelly, covers the techniques and processes required to obtain professional, studio-quality guitar recordings across a broad range of genres.

The guest lecturer is Professor Dave Fisher, former Director of Tonmeister Studies at the University of Surrey, and the course will also feature performances, demonstrations and Q&A sessions with several well-known guitarists including Elliott Randall (Steely Dan, The Blues Brothers), Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music, Brian Eno) and Leo Abrahams (Imogen Heap, Paul Simon).

The course costs £450 per person, which includes lunch and light refreshments, a goody bag, and a daily prize draw offering attendees the chance to win some fantastic products courtesy of partners Avid, Hughes & Kettner, PRS Guitars, sE and Waves. The draw also includes two B+W Zeppelin AIR iPod docks.

Booking information and further details can be found at www.airstudiotraining.com

Future courses will include an overview of modern music production techniques and a drum recording masterclass. More details will be available in the coming months.

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Charlene Soraia is the new voice of Twinings

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:51:34 +0000

The modern woman today finds herself split between dozens of tasks that all demand her attention, so much so that by the end of the day she has little time for herself. Twinings recognises the fact that women are now faced with more demands than ever and address this issue in their new advert titled ‘Gets You Back to You’.

Featuring an animated tale of a woman escaping from herself for a few precious moments and rowing away into serenity, the advert itself is enough to make you believe the Twinings promise that all it takes is ten minutes to gain a little piece of mind.

The new Twinings advert with Charlene Soraia is almost a small piece of art in itself, given the fact that it was carefully constructed and layered to be a truly emotive piece of cinematography that grasps your attention and holds it there. In fact, if you close your eyes after viewing it, you almost can see yourself having the same exact experience; which of course is going to leave you grabbing a cup of tea so that you can take ten minutes to picture the experience, making the advert one that is also brilliantly effective.

Outside of the clever animated illustrations of Psyop that help craft the magical journey of the woman in the advert escaping from herself, the ad is also notable because it features new and rising artist Charlene Soraia’s voice which is melodic, soothing, and inviting to listen to. Soraia is singing the background tune for the commercial that sets the mood for the voyage in a new cover of The Calling’s ‘Wherever You Will Go.’

The melody richly ties together the emotion of the video and helps viewers escape into fantasy land with the animation for the minute it takes to view the video. Soraia herself is also one to watch given the fact that she is an accomplished musician who has been playing the guitar since age 8 and offers a brilliant voice to match her musical talent.

Self-taught, the expressive song writer has just finished work on a collection of songs that are also worth checking out if you need a bit more than ten minutes with a cup of tea to calm back down after a long day. Instead, brew yourself a kettle and relax to cool vibes of Soraia and the gentle tones of Twinings.

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