Category Archives: News

New Sussex Opera update

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Next production: Offenbach’s The Princess of Trébizonde
After such a joyful production of Offenbach’s La Belle Hélène in 2019/20, we could not resist the temptation to follow it with another of his hilarious (but much lesser known) masterpieces. Postponed because of Covid, it is rescheduled for mid November to early December. It has all the wonderfully zany ingredients typical of Offenbach’s work: set in a travelling circus, the action begins as a daughter of the acrobat dusts a waxwork of Princess Trébizonde and accidentally breaks off its nose. She then has no choice but to instal herself in its position and to impersonate the statue. A visiting prince turns up and, naturally, falls in love with what he thinks is the waxwork…

Toby Purser conducts St Paul’s Sinfonia. Director Tony Baker, who has directed several NSO productions in the past, has created a new version in English.

We are finalising tour dates and venues. Keep up to date at
newsussexopera.org

Concerts resume at Snape Maltings marking the start of ‘Summer at Snape’

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Britten Pears Arts is thrilled to return to live music-making with audiences indoors at Snape Maltings from Friday 21 May, subject to the rollout of the government’s ‘roadmap’.

From 21 May to early September there will be a busy Summer at Snape programme, with concerts and events at Snape Maltings throughout the period. In May, June and July, Britten Pears Arts will again be offering short concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – usually with two performances a day – and bringing together musicians who would have performed at last year’s Aldeburgh Festival and Snape Proms, in addition to other star performers. In August Snape Maltings Concert Hall will host daily performances in the spirit of the Snape Proms from outstanding artists and ensembles from the worlds of classical music, folk and jazz.

The opening weekend from 21 – 23 May will feature the BBC Symphony Orchestra with pianist and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, a recital from Dame Sarah Connolly and pianist Joseph Middleton and pianist Nicholas McCarthy showcases repertoire for the left hand. There will then be a weekend of folk music from 28 – 30 May with Alden & Patterson and The Shackleton Trio, The Young ‘Uns, Honey & the Bear and Maz O’Connor joining singers from Britten Pears Young Artists with pianist Roger Vignoles to perform folk songs and their Britten arrangements. On bank holiday Monday (31 May) Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct the London Symphony Orchestra with solo pianist Yuja Wang.

In June, performances and repertoire will include activity which should have been presented last June during the Aldeburgh Festival, together with projects new to 2021. These will include several significant first performances of repertoire commissioned by Britten Pears Arts including music by Tansy Davies, Colin Matthews and Mark Anthony Turnage. There will be world premieres of music by John Tavener, John Woolrich and Stephen Hough and first performances of music theatre productions featuring Nadine Benjamin and Juliet Fraser.

A series of world premieres will feature new arrangements of the music of Benjamin Britten: Colin Matthews’ string orchestra versions of Double Concerto and Charm of Lullabies, Robin Holloway’s orchestration of the song cycle Winter Words in July with the tenor Nicky Spence, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Edward Gardner and a new chamber version by Joseph Phibbs of Our Hunting Fathers to be sung by the soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn and the Hebrides Ensemble in August.

The centenary of the horn player Dennis Brain will be marked by performances of Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn and strings and Canticle III: Still falls the rain, both of which were written for Brain. There will also be a performance of Britten’s In Memoriam Dennis Brain and music for horn by featured composer Tansy Davies (“Yoik”) and Peter Maxwell Davies (“Fanfare-Salute to Dennis Brain) performed by Ben Goldscheider.

Other performers will include Allan Clayton and Andrew Staples (tenors), Britten Sinfonia, Aurora Orchestra, Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Feargal Mostyn-Williams and Andrew Watts (counter tenors), Roderick Williams (baritone), Olivia Jaguers (harp), James Baillieu and Alisdair Hogarth (pianos).

Roger Wright, Chief Executive of Britten Pears Arts, commented, “Having helped to lead the way last year with our determination to keep on presenting live performance and supporting musicians, it will be an enormous pleasure and privilege to welcome performers and audiences back to our venues. As part of our distinctive mix of programming, we are proud to be presenting so many world premieres, as well as hosting established and up and coming musicians. We will remain flexible and ready to respond to changing circumstances, whilst keeping audiences, musicians and our colleagues safe. Our wide-ranging summer programme is part of our ongoing commitment to the creative community and to our audiences, as we continue to celebrate music’s unique power to transform lives and bring communities together.”

Full listings and tickets available online at www.snapemaltings.co.uk

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES RETURN TO LIVE CONCERTS

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CBSO to stage eighteen socially-distanced concerts at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall between May and July

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is to return to Symphony Hall Birmingham as restrictions are lifted to allow live performances for the first time this year, with concerts for socially-distanced audiences to take place each Wednesday from 19 May – 7 July.

A new acoustic screen has been installed at the rear of the Symphony Hall stage, allowing a larger number of musicians to play together while maintaining social distancing than has previously been possible; this means CBSO audiences will see possibly the largest orchestra performing regularly anywhere in the UK at this time.

Each programme will be performed twice, at 2pm and 6:30pm, to allow as many people as possible to join in person whilst seating capacity is still restricted due to Covid regulations.

Highlights of the concerts announced today include two programmes with Music Director Mirga Gražinyt?-Tyla, featuring the world premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel Symphony (16 June) and a programme of Weinberg and Mahler with mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill (23 June); Edward Gardner conducting Stephen Hough in Saint-Saëns’ energetic Piano Concerto No. 4 (19 May) and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.1 with Alina Ibragimova (7 July); the UK premiere of Julian Anderson’s major new cello concerto Litanies with Alban Gerhardt conducted by Kazuki Yamada (30 June); a concert showcasing one of the twentieth century’s biggest masterpieces, Shostakovich’s Symphony No.5, conducted by Nicholas Collon (26 May); Beethoven’s sparkling Piano Concerto No.2 with soloist Paul Lewis and conductor Chloé van Soeterstède (2 June); a programme of English music with tenor Ian Bostridge conducted by Michael Seal (9 June); and a special Friday Night Classics programme of Summer Classics with conductor Michael Seal and violinist Jonathan Martindale (Friday 2 July).

Stephen Maddock, Chief Executive of the CBSO, said: ‘We are so thrilled to be able to welcome audiences back to our home at Symphony Hall and to be able to share the joy of live orchestral music with them once more. Today we’re announcing our programme for eight weekly pairs of concerts from May onwards and we feel sure that the people of Birmingham and the Midlands will want to rush back to enjoy the glorious sound of full-scale orchestral music after more than a year in which we have all been denied this opportunity.’

For full concert listings visit the CBSO website

Holy Trinity Hastings Lunchtime Concerts

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The 30th series of the popular lunchtime concerts at Holy Trinity Church, Robertson Street, Hastings re-start on Wednesday 2nd June.

FREE ADMISSION with retiring collection
Wednesdays, June to August 1.10 p.m
and a special finale to celebrate 30 series
Saturday 4th September, 2.30 p.m.
The Sussex Concert Orchestra Conducted by Ken Roberts

Full details of the varied programme of performances by local performers can be found at

www.hthchurch.org

 

 

Brighton Dome launches new online music courses

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Having already inspired hundreds of children and young people to participate in music activities during lockdown through their Virtual Music Centre, Brighton Dome’s music education service have launched a new series of online music courses, accessible for all ages and abilities.

 

Brighton & Hove Music & Arts and East Sussex Music will be delivering three course styles to suit different skill levels. First is personal one-to-one tutoring sessions, with teaching available on 16 different instruments from keyboard, guitar, trumpet or saxophone to violin,  offering expert guidance every step of the way.

The second style of course on offer is a 10-week masterclass which specialises in song writing and production. Learning and participating as part of a group, this is a great opportunity to interact with other students and is a lower cost entry route to help learners get started. All that’s needed to take part in either one of these courses is an internet connection and a camera; upon completion, participants will earn themselves a digital badge, which could make an excellent addition to a musician’s CV.

The third type of course on offer are self-paced video courses available via instant video download; ideal for people with busy lifestyles, this course is designed to help people learn ukulele, drums or guitar at their own pace. The package is delivered in ten easy-to-digest sessions, alongside a support pack, to provide users with the perfect foundations to help them start on their journey towards instrument mastery.

All of these courses are available to residents in the UK, whether a beginner, intermediate or advanced performer.

As the largest music service in East Sussex, Brighton & Hove Music & Arts have over 20 years’ experience teaching thousands of students, their music teachers are some of the best in their field, and have finessed a fantastic approach to learning an instrument online.

Peter Chivers, Head of Brighton & Hove Music & Arts, said:
‘’Music has the potential to transform lives. Whether it is through the enjoyment of mastering instrumental and vocal skills, the excitement of developing creative ideas, the experience of seeing and hearing world class musicians or the thrill of actually performing, getting involved in music can be a truly fulfilling and lifelong experience.’’

To find out more information on pricing, course dates and more, visit the Brighton & Hove Music & Arts website bhma.org.uk or call 01273 261 565.

THE HOUSE OF LIFE – Opera Holland Park

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Ahead of the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s birth in 2022, Opera Holland Park is releasing a performance of The House of Life. Leading British tenor David Butt Philip and the acclaimed pianist and accompanist James Baillieu were filmed for Opera Holland Park by Simon Wall at Leighton House Museum.

Contemporaneous with Vaughan Williams’s bracing Robert Louis Stevenson cycle, Songs of Travel, the song cycle The House of Life is an uninhibited and intimate celebration of mutual love. It draws together six of the most delicate, devoted and delirious sonnets by poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti: Love Sight, Silent Noon, Love’s Minstrels, Heart’s Haven, Death in Love and Love’s Last Gift.

James Clutton, Chief Executive and Director of Opera, says:
“David has graced the stage at Opera Holland Park many times, always with that dazzling voice and that golden talent. We had long been discussing ideas for possible recitals but when David suggested The House of Life, I wanted it to be the first in a new series of OHP recitals. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be there at the filming and hear the soaring music of Vaughan Williams, the alluring words of Rossetti and the partnership between David and James Baillieu, and to enjoy the experience of being transported away from 2021 to another time and place – a perfect place at that.”

The House of Life will be streamed via the company’s YouTube and Facebook channels at 7pm on Tuesday 13 April, with a suggested donation of £5. It will be available to watch on demand until 30 April.

Opera Holland Park would like to thank The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust for making this project possible.

HASTINGS INTERNATIONAL PIANO ANNOUNCES UK GOVERNMENT CULTURAL RECOVERY FUND AWARD

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It is good to be able to report this financial support from the Cultural Recovery Fund.
Ian Roberts, Managing Director of Hastings International Piano says “We are delighted that Hastings International Piano has been awarded a significant grant from the Government’s ‘Cultural Recovery Fund’ .

“We are determined to continue to produce our much-needed programme of learning and engagement and our world-class audience experiences in the town and I am grateful to my team, our trustees and our many friends and patrons who have continued to loyally support us during the pandemic. Hasting International Piano is also extremely grateful to Arts Council England, DCMS, Kowitz Family Foundation, MP Sally-Ann Hart and Hastings Borough Council for their ongoing support of our organisation”.

Hastings International Piano will present a new programme of concerts and educational events throughout 2021 and the next edition of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition will take place in 2022. Hastings International Piano Festival will return in 2023.

For further information please visit https://www.hastingsinternationalpiano.org

 

London Mozart Players perform the world premiere of Polo Piatti’s multi-faith oratorio Libera Nos

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Saturday 13 June 2020, 7pm

OPUS THEATRE, HASTINGS

 
  • The very first multi-faith oratorio to be premiered anywhere in the world 
  • Inspired by five major world religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam 
  • ‘Libera Nos’ is the final concert in the London Mozart Players 2019/20 residency in Hastings 
  • The work took over three years to be researched and completed 
  • Written for five soloists, a mixed choir, a children’s choir and a full symphony orchestra  
  • Performers include London Mozart Players, Hastings Sinfonia, Libera Nos Chorus & Hastings Music Centre Junior Choir.

After a sell-out concert at St Mary in the Castle in February, the London Mozart Players return to Opus Theatre for the final concert of their year-long residency in Hastings to perform the world premiere of Polo Piatti’s long-awaited Libera Nos at 7pm on Saturday 13th June.  

Community, education and outreach lies at the heart of the London Mozart Players’ #LMPbytheSea residency, and this performance is no different. Bringing together an array of local talent and musicians from this world-class orchestra, Libera Nos is an inclusive performance that celebrates the power of music to unite communities across the globe. Scored for five soloists, a mixed choir, a children’s choir and a full symphony orchestra, this is the very first multi-faith oratorio to be premiered anywhere in the world.  

At the helm, Derek Carden will conduct the London Mozart Players, who will be joined by 100 musicians and singers from local orchestra Hastings Sinfonia, Hastings Music Centre Junior Choir, a new specially-formed choir – the ‘Libera Nos Chorus’, and an all-star cast of talented local soloists that include: Sharon Gamble-Tyner, Linda Grace, Matthew Scott Clark and Stephen Holloway. In preparation for the performance, the choirs involved will be coached in a workshop with renowned conductor and choral animateur Dominic Ellis-Peckham. 

Libera Nos, meaning ‘’Deliver us” in Latin, aims to convey and unite the traditional beliefs and spiritual messages of all main world religions using music and narrations inspired by Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  Written by the award-winning local composer Polo Piatti, Libera Nos was originally commissioned by the Musica Sacra organisation and took over three years to be researched and completed. Polo talks about the story behind this monumental work:  

‘Its message is based upon the observation that the world has become a deeply divisive, unjust and unhappy place because we continue disconnecting from each other. Only by looking for common ground and universal similarities we will find understanding and enjoy a better life for all of us on this fragile planet.’ 

Art Inspired by Science & Nature comes to Brighton Festival

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A walk in a magical forest and an immersive installation inspired by the Large Hadron Collider will transport Brighton Festival audiences into other worlds this May.

Fabrica gallery in central Brighton will be transformed into a ‘fairytale installation’ by internationally renowned contemporary artist, Olafur Eliasson from 18 May to 20 June. The Forked Forest Path is one of Fabrica’s most immersive and memorable exhibitions to date, as the gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Visitors will be immersed in a space filled with branches, saplings and thinnings, combined with a strong, earthy smell reminiscent of a forest floor. Each element works together to create the illusion of being lost in a dense wood. The artist is known for creating large-scale exhibitions that connect with the natural world to highlight issues such as climate change, including his epic recreation of the sun in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall in 2003. The Forked Forest Path is part of the Towner Collection on loan to Fabrica from Towner Eastbourne.

Set to arrive with a Big Bang, an art installation inspired by scientific research into the fundamental make-up of matter will open at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts (ACCA) in Falmer. Created by Brighton-based artist duo Semiconductor, HALO is a multisensory experience of matter formation in the early universe generated through projections and sound played out upon hundreds of vertical piano strings. Audiences enter an intricate mechanical structure operated by data from the ATLAS experiment at CERN which recreates the conditions shortly after the Big Bang.

The artwork follows Semiconductor’s residency at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, in Geneva, and was made with the help of physicists from the University of Sussex.

HALO at Brighton Festival is supported by Arts Council England, and co-produced by Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.

HALO is an Audemars Piguet Art Commission, curated by Mónica Bello and first presented in the context of Art Basel in Basel in 2018. In collaboration with CERN.

Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Festival commented:

“As Brighton Festival returns for 2021, we are delighted to partner with Fabrica and ACCA to bring these outstanding art works for audiences to enjoy for free this May. Both installations tell very different stories and offer us experiences to connect with the natural world, something we have all been craving over the last year of lockdown.”

Both venues are free admission and will be operating social distancing measures for visitors to enjoy the work safely and comfortably.

Brighton Festival begins on 1 May 2021, the programme will launch on 30 March at brightonfestival.org.

Hastings International Piano Announces The Celebration Series

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Hastings International Piano Announces

 The Celebration Series
An Exciting New Concert Series Celebrating New Talent in a New Year

Hastings International Piano is delighted to announce an exciting new concert series to celebrate the new-year, performed by prizewinning pianists from around the globe, who are all now rising stars in the classical music world.

As we look forward to the 2021 Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition taking place in Hastings in June, we are reminded of the unprecedented times we live in and how music has continued to be a force for good throughout the past year.

The Celebration Concert Series is a monthly online concert featuring a former Hastings prizewinner and will be streamed at 7pm on the second Tuesday of each month, with the performances from the UK and around the world.

Tickets cost £5 and your purchase will help support our charity’s work.