Category Archives: News
A Cappella Choir Concert by VIVACE!
In aid of Pevensey Parish Church Funds
St. Nicolas Church, Pevensey
Sunday 6th December at 2:30PM
A concert programme of seasonal music performed by Vivace! – a Sussex based a cappella choir of mixed voices. A wide range of music and song, from classical to comical, with something to suit all tastes.And always for good causes!
Tickets £10. Available on the door or in advance (advisable).
Interval refreshments available
Call 01424 216651 or online ‘www.wegottickets.com.
BBC ‘Last Choir Standing’ qualifiers
ROXANNA PANUFNIK COMMISSIONED TO WRITE OPERA
Garsington Opera has commissioned a ‘people’s opera’, Silver Birch, designed to be performed by professional singers together with community and children’s choruses aged 8 upwards. A dynamic creative team has been engaged to create the 70-minute opera including Roxanna Panufnik (composer), Jessica Duchen (librettist),Karen Gillingham (director) and Douglas Boyd (conductor). The work aims to appeal to the broadest audience of all ages and levels of opera experience.
During the 2017 season the ‘people’s opera’, which is part of Garsington Opera’s Learning & Participation programme, will be performed on the main stage following on from the successful community opera mounted in 2013.
Recruitment of the 150 participants has already begun in local schools and community centres. Devising workshops took place in which schoolchildren and members of the local population joined the creative team to explore the theme of war and its universal impact on families, as well as the significance to them of World War 1. Both the character and poetry of Siegfried Sassoon will play an important role within the piece, connecting the 2017 World War 1 commemorations with modern-day warfare. Performers will include 5 professional singers, 2 child soloists, 50 primary school, 40 secondary school, 30 teenage dancers, 40 adults, 17 professional and 20 youth instrumentalists.
Brighton Festival Chorus @ Christmas
Brighton Festival Chorus are pleased to announce that their annual Christmas Concert will this year be, for the first time, with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. It will be a joyous celebration of the very best of Christmas music, from traditional to modern, including all your best loved carols and festive favourites.
The concert will be at Brighton Dome on Saturday 12 December at 6 pm.
James Morgan, the Music Director of bfc, says, “It’s lovely to be part of what is becoming the start of the Christmas festivities for many families in Sussex – we get to perform all the well known traditional carols as well as introduce our audience to some fantastic new ones. The combination of symphony orchestra, organ, massed choirs and the audience singing together is always a very special moment in the year for us.” Tickets can be booked by calling the Brighton Dome Box Office on 01273 709709.
Prince Regent’s cello heads to Brighton Dome for special concert
311-year-old instrument to be played at Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra concert.
A cello once owned and played by the Prince Regent, later King George IV, is to feature in Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra’s November concert at Brighton Dome. The instrument, made in Naples in 1704 by Alessandro Gagliano, was allegedly given to George as a gift by the King of Spain. Considered a “very superior” player of the cello, the Prince Regent studied with the leading cellist of the day, John Crosdill, with the instrument itself kept at the Royal Pavilion.
Whilst little is known about Gagliano, the instrument itself was the subject of an article titled ‘Fit for a king’ by John Dilworth in The Strad in 1997. Dilworth wrote that the instrument ‘has a living quality which changes with the light, the season and the time of day’ and describes the wood, workmanship and tone as being of ‘the highest order, a level which Gagliano did not always maintain’.
The cello may have been one of the number of instruments in the possession of the Royal Family that were sold around 1913 as a contribution to the war effort. It came into the possession of Hills of London, who restored the instrument and retained it in their collection until it was bought in 1941 by Boris Rickelman, Principal Cellist with the London Philharmonic. Since then it has been in the hands of a number of players.
The instrument heads back to Brighton courtesy of the exciting young cellist Gemma Rosefield, who joins Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday 8 November 2015 to perform Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme”. The concert starts at 2.45pm, with a pre-concert interview with Gemma on stage taking place at 1.45pm. In addition to the “Rococo Variations”, the programme includes Elgar’s “Sanguine Fan” and Schubert’s “Symphony No.9 – the Great”.
Sussex University Organ restored
A Lunchtime recital offers the first opportunity to hear the Meeting House organ after major refurbishment
A lunchtime recital this week offers the first opportunity for students and staff to hear the iconic Meeting House organ being played after a major refurbishment. It also marks the appointment of D’Arcy Trinkwon, an international concert organist and the organist at Worth Abbey in West Sussex, as the University’s new organist. Mr Trinkwon’s first concert in the Meeting House chapel – a varied programme including Mozart’s Fantasia in F minor – will be on Wednesday (28 October) at 12 noon. Monthly recitals will then take place on the last Wednesday of each month – with the exception of December, of course.
This summer’s overhaul of the organ – the most comprehensive since it was made nearly 50 years ago – involved several months’ work by expert specialists, who painstakingly removed and cleaned each of the 1,546 pipes and replaced the original 1960s wiring and electrical equipment.
Paul Hale, an organ consultant who advised the University on the project, describes the instrument as “a modern organ but inspired by historical sounds”, and adds: “It is one of the leading instruments of its period but now brought up to date.”
A cutting-edge wireless console (one of only two in the country) and MIDI system has been installed, which means, says Mr Hale, that the organ will “deal better with the uses it might be put to as music technology develops”. For example, the organ can now also be used to play any other instrument, so it would be possible to have a piece for organ and other sounds. Even before the latest enhancements to the instrument, it was considered by experts to be an excellent example of the school of neo-classical organ design and construction in Britain. “It is particularly important as the number of completely new organs made in this style was small,” explains Mr Hale.
Some of the organ’s visually striking features (including plate-glass enclosures with a black metal framework, as well as the black finish to the organ console) have been commented on by observers and constitute part of its iconic and now historic significance.
If you would like to see and hear the organ in its resplendent new state, do come along to Wednesday’s debut recital – and feel free to bring your lunch, too. The organ will of course also play a central role in the annual Carols by Candlelight, to be held this year on Sunday 6 December. In addition, a number of organ concerts and other events are being planned for 2016, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Meeting House.
And now that the historic organ has been brought into the 21st century, Mr Hale expects it to require nothing more than routine tuning for a further 30 years. In fact, he predicts that the renovation will “enable the instrument to perform reliably and musically for the next 50 years”.
Peter Copley performances
Recent compositions by Peter Copley can be heard as noted below
On Saturday 31 October at 5pm (please note the start time)
St Nicholas’ Church, Dyke Road, Brighton – a collaboration with the Riot Ensemble – music for flute, oboe, harp, percussion, violin, viola and cello.
The programme will be centred around Jonathan Harvey’s beautiful and haunting Death of Light, Light of Death (Jonathan Harvey was an enthusiastic supporter of NMB and an Honorary Members) and will include works by Helen Grime (Oboe Quartet), David Lang (Lend/Lease for piccolo and woodblocks) and NMB composers:
Peter Copley In memoriam
Phil Baker Sequentia III
Patrick Harrex … dreams, shadows, and smoke
Jonathan Clark Fragment for a Violin Concerto
Tickets (on the door) £10
On the 7th November, the Musicians of All Saints will give the first complete performance of ‘A Copper Garland‘ – six folksongs from the Copper family songbook freely arranged for string orchestra.
Saturday 7 November 2015 7.45 p.m.
All Saints Centre, Friars Walk, Lewes
Directed by Andrew Sherwood
Vivaldi Flute concerto Op.10
(Soloist Anne Hodgson)
Peter Copley A Copper Garland
Mozart Divertimento in B flat Major (K.137)
Janácek Suite for Strings
ENO’s new The Force of Destiny
Calixto Bieito directs ENO’s first new production of Verdi’s tragic love story The Force of Destiny in 20 years
Opens Monday 9 November at 7.00pm at London Coliseum (8 performances)
“The Quentin Tarantino of opera “, Calixto Bieito, returns to ENO with a new production of Verdi’s The Force of Destiny. A rarity in ENO’s repertory, the Company’s last new production of this powerful work was in 1992. ENO’s Music Director Mark Wigglesworth conducts.
This production of The Force of Destiny is a co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, a special relationship that has developed over the last ten years and has included a variety of spectacular, large scale and critically acclaimed productions including Satyagraha,Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic, Two Boys, The Pearl Fishers, The Death of Klinghoffer, Eugene Onegin and Madam Butterfly (directed by the late Anthony Minghella),which will return to ENO in May 2016.
Based on the Spanish drama Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino (1835)by Ángel de Saavedra, the opera tells the ill-fated love story of Don Alvaro and Donna Leonora. The Marquis of Calatrava, Leonora’s father, curses his daughter as he lays dying. Although his death is accidental Don Alvaro and Donna Leonora are forced to flee. Her brother Don Carlo di Vargas pursues them, determined on vengeance. Can Don Alvaro and Donna Leonora escape their fate?
Catalan director Calixto Bieito returns to ENO to direct his fifth new production for the Company. Known for his distinctive take on classic operas, Bieito’s personal interpretation of The Force of Destiny is set during the Spanish Civil War. Sets are designed by Rebecca Ringst, costume design is by Ingo Krugler, with video design by Sarah Derendinger and lighting by Tim Mitchell.
Mark Wigglesworth conducts his second production for the Company since becoming ENO’s new Music Director in September 2015, leading an 80 piece orchestra and 80 strong chorus. His work on Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, ENO’s opening production of the 2015/16 season, has been critically acclaimed. The Telegraph said “the evening’s outstanding feature is the absolutely magnificent chorus and orchestra… Mark Wigglesworth conducts them in a masterly interpretation marked by extreme contrasts between silken sensuous pianissimi and boilingly thunderous fortissimi. The playing is as good as anything in London.” The Evening Standard commented it was “a triumphant debut as Music Director”.
Leading a world class cast is Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes-Jones making his role debut as Don Alvaro. Gwyn was most recently seen at ENO in Richard Jones’s Olivier Award-winning production of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg.
Making her ENO and role debut as Donna Leonora is soprano Tamara Wilson. A rising star, she recently made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Aida. She will also make her British debut in this production.
British baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore sings the role of Don Carlo di Vargas, Donna Leonora’s brother. His most recent appearance for ENO was as Germont in the revival of Peter Konwitschny’s acclaimed production of La traviata in February 2015.
Israeli born mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham makes her ENO debut as the gypsy Preziosilla. She has previously sung the role with Opera Australia in 2013 and performed with numerous opera companies including Glyndebourne, Aix-en Provence Festival and Berlin State Opera.
British baritone Andrew Shore is Fra Melitone. A versatile performer he is currently receiving rave reviews in the comic role of Dr Bartolo in the latest revival of Jonathan Miller’s production of The Barber of Seville.
Former ENO Opera Works singer Clare Presland will make her role debut as Curra. Clare is currently appearing as Sonyetka in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s five star production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, the Guardian commented that she “made a big impact in the tiny but critical role of Sonyetka”. She made her 2012 ENO debut as the Palestinian Woman in John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer and has since appeared in numerous productions with the Company.
Celebrated American bass James Creswell is Padre Guardiano. His previous roles for ENO include Pogner in Richard Jones’s Olivier Award-winning production of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and Sarastro in Simon McBurney’s production of The Magic Flute, a role he will reprise in its revival in February 2016.
British bass Matthew Best sings the role of Marquis of Calatrava. He is currently performing as Old Convict in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. His recent roles for ENO include Tiresies in the world premiere of Julian Anderson’s Thebansand Swallow in the revival of David Alden’s acclaimed production of Peter Grimes.
British baritone Nicholas Folwell as Alcade and Australian tenor Adrian Dwyer as Trabuco complete the cast.
The Force of Destiny opens on Monday 9 November 2015 at 7.00pm for 8 performances – 9, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27 November, 2, 4 December at 7.00pm.
Handel’s Favourite Tenor
NAXOS announces new recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen
In January 2015 the Hong Kong Philharmonic, under their dynamic Music Director Jaap van Zweden, embarked on an exciting journey to produce Der Ring des Nibelungen over four successive seasons. A major cast of international singers, including baritoneMatthias Goerne and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, took to the stage at the Cultural Centre in Hong Kong for the live concert recording of Das Rheingold. This first release in Wagner’s epic Ring cycle will be released on NAXOS in November. A short clip from the concert can be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Wagner’s Ring Cycle is at the pinnacle of our art form. Bringing it for the first time to the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and working together with the orchestra on this great music, will be a central pillar of my tenure as Music Director. I am thrilled that this first instalment, Das Rheingold, has been so faithfully and beautifully captured by the recording team. This release will serve as a document of a cast which would be the envy of any stage in the world, and of a great orchestra, making thrilling music together.
– Jaap van Zweden
January 2016 sees the live concert recording of Die Walküre, with Stuart Skelton as Siegmund, Heidi Melton as Sieglinde, Petra Langas Brünnhilde, Matthias Goerne as Wotan, Michelle DeYoung as Fricka and Falk Struckmann as Hunding. This disc is scheduled for release on Naxos in November 2016.