DIARY
November 23, 2019
HCMF: The Fish that became the Sun
Octandre Ensemble
Solo Violin: Benjamin Marquise Gilmore
Huddersfield Town Hall
Frank Denyer - The Fish that became the Sun (Songs of the Dispossessed) (World Premiere)
The Octandre Ensemble collaborates with Consortium5, the New London Chamber Choir and students from Trinity Laban, including the Rubythroat vocal ensemble (coached by Linda Hirst) to bring to life Frank Denyer's epic 1-hour work. Written in the early 1990s for 37 musicians playing over 80 instruments distributed about the performance space, this ambitious piece is a most delicate, intimate spectacle.
November 02, 2019
Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony
South Birmingham Sinfonia
Organ - Nick Arden
Friend's Meeting House, Bournville
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78
South Birmingham Sinfonia is joined by guests from the local area as it hosts a 'play day', leading to a performance of the Organ Symphony.
Nevis Ensemble Mini Tour
Nevis Ensemble with Zea Mays
The Nevis Ensemble revisits Edinburgh and Glasgow, for a day-long tour, marking the start of a month of events leading up to Fair Saturday. The performances of the mini-tour culminate in a collaboration with Basque rockers Zea Mays.
August 30, 2019
Yorchestra 2
Yorchestra 2
Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, York
A programme of music inspired by movement and Scotland, including the second performance of Scottish composer John de Simone's The Tour.
Borodin - In the Steppes of Central Asia
de Simone - The Tour
Trad. (arr. Phil Cunningham) - Cathcart
August 17, 2019
Nevis Ensemble Outer Hebrides Tour
Nevis Ensemble
Hebrides Islands
The Nevis Ensembles undertakes its second major summer tour, to the Hebrides Islands. Repertoire will include music related to the Hebrides and to the theme of 'Tracing Lines'. The recipient of the Nevis Ensemble Commission for 2019 is Rufus Elliot, who is writing a piece related to the experience if hitch hiking.
July 12, 2019
Summer Dances
South Birmingham Sinfonia
St. Francis Church, Bournville, Birmingham
Tchaikovsky: Suite from Swan Lake
Khachaturian: Spartacus Suite No.2
Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre
Borodin: Polovtsian Dances, from Prince Igor
Rossini, orch. Britten: Soirées Musicales
April 01, 2019
National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Junior Orchestra
NYOS Junior Orchestra
RSNO Centre, Glasgow
Anniversary Overture - Malcolm Arnold
La Calinda - Frederick Delius
The Land - Elizabeth Maconchy
Marche Ecossaise - Claude Debussy
Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 8 in G Major - Antonin Dvorak
February 09, 2019
Brahms Double Concerto
South Birmingham Sinfonia,
Ruddock Performing Arts Centre, Birmingham
Violin solo - Michael Bochmann
'Cello Solo - Peter Adams
South Birmingham Sinfonia performs Brahms Double Concerto with Michael Bochmann, its Patron, playing the violin alongside Peter Adams' 'cello.
Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Brahms - Double Concerto in A minor
Dvorak - Symphony No. 8 in G major
December 06, 2018
Aberdeen Music Hall Relaunch Tour
Nevis Ensemble
Aberdeen & Perth
The Nevis Ensemble plays a 4-day tour along the road north east from Glasgow, culminating in appearances in Aberdeen, to celebrate the relaunch of the city's newly refurbished Music Hall. In line with its 'Music for everyone, everywhere' ethos, the orchestra will play in various settings, including the Aberdeen Children's hospital.
September 29, 2018
Composer Portrait: Rolf Hind
Octandre Ensemble
The Coronet Theatre, Notting Hill Gate, London
Hind: The City of Love
The third and final concert in the Octandre Ensemble's 'Way Out East' British composers series, as part of a residency at The Coronet.
Supported by PRS Foundation, Hinrichsen Foundation and RVW Trust.
July 31, 2018
Nevis Ensemble Inaugural Tour
The Nevis Ensemble is different. There’s nothing else quite like it in Scotland. Its vision is ‘music for everyone, everywhere’. And it means business.
Removing barriers to accessing orchestral music means bringing it to where people are, and when they are there. Just think; 40 young and energetic musicians run out of a bus, instruments in hand, and less than five minutes later the intrigued crowd hears something incredible and unexpected. Everyone leaves feeling uplifted and inspired, proud of the city to which they belong. Full-scale, 40-piece orchestral performances of the best, most diverse music you can imagine: popping up and surprising commuters first thing in the morning; entertaining residents in oft-forgotten parts of the city; guerrilla-style appearances in swimming pools; generating huge public audiences in public spaces.
Running in parallel to a fast-and-furious public pop-up performance schedule, is a carefully plotted patchwork of community-based performances. Partnerships with voluntary and third-sector organisations are nurtured to ensure the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society do not miss out. Our musicians hone their specialist skills in working with the very young, the very old, and those who face challenges in their lives, knowing that access to great live music provides a huge wealth of benefits, particularly to health and wellbeing, social cohesion, and the simple but powerful feeling of joy.
July 13, 2018
English Summer
South Birmingham Sinfonia,
Ruddock Performing Arts Centre, Birmingham
South Birmingham Sinfonia performs a concert intended to show the diversity of English 20th-Century music.
Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Delius - Walk to the Paradise Garden
Holst - Ballet music to "A Perfect Fool"
Butterworth - A Shropshire Lad
Strauss - Suite for Winds
Walton - Suite for "Henry V"
June 23, 2018
Composer Portrait: Frank Denyer
Octandre Ensemble
Soprano: Juliet Fraser
Violin: Sarah Saviet
Shakuhachi: Richard Stagg
The Coronet Theatre, Notting Hill Gate, London
Denyer: After the Rain
Denyer: Voices and Axe
The second in the Octandre Ensemble's 'Way Out East' series of of British composer portraits, part of a residency at The Coronet.
Supported by PRS Foundation, Hinrichsen Foundation and RVW Trust.
April 26, 2018
The Fish that became the Sun (Recording)
Menuhin Hall,
Octandre Ensemble with New London Chamber Choir
Solo violin: Benjamin Gilmore
In collaboration with the New London Chamber Choir conducted by Matthew Hamilton and violinist Benjamin Gilmore, the Octandre Ensemble will spend a weekend recording Frank Denyer's epic work The Fish that became the Sun.
Supported by PRS Foundation, RVW Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation.
March 04, 2018
Composer Portrait: Nicola LeFanu
Octandre Ensemble
Soprano: Sarah Dacey
Violoncello: Corentin Chassard
The Coronet Theatre, Notting Hill Gate, London
LeFanu: The Same Day Dawns
LeFanu: Deva
The first of three portraits of British composers, as part of the Octandre Ensemble's residency at The Coronet.
Supported by PRS Foundation, Hinrichsen Foundation and RVW Trust
March 22, 2018
Sonates pour divers instruments
Chamber Ensemble of RSNO players
University of Glasgow
RSNO chamber music event to accompany a study day looking at Debussy's unfinished project. Featuring new works by Drew Hammond, Thomas Butler and Adam Gorb.
July 21, 2017
Music at Thornham
Festival Ensemble
Thornham Summer Music Festival
World premiere of a new work by Octandre Ensemble guitarist and composer Sam Cave
Sam Cave - ...At the edge of his dreams
July 01, 2017
Adopt A Composer and A Young Person's Guide
St. Mary Brookfield Church, London
London Medical Orchestra
London Medical Orchestra collaborates with young composer Martin Humphries in the world premiere of his new work, as part of Making Music's Adopt a Composer Scheme (in association with Sound and Music).
Britten - A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Grainger (arr. Paterson) - Lincolnshire Posy
Holst (arr. Jacob) - A Moorside Suite
Humphries - Tilikum (WP)
Vaughan Williams - Five Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus'
February 11, 2017
LSO Soundhub Concert
LSO St. Luke's, London
LSO Soundhub
Leith - Sexton Blakes
Westwood - Extraversing
Horrocks-Hopayian - Bird Dance; The Ladies
New works by Phase II LSO Soundhub composers, Oliver Leith and Lee Westwood, and marking the culmination of Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian's Residency at Khadambi's House, 575 Wandsworth Road. Featuring video projections, the LSO Community Choir (conducted by Lucy Griffiths)
December 11, 2016
Winter Dances, Images and Tales
St. Mary Brookfield Church, London
London Medical Orchestra with the Barnet Wind Band
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (Op. 49)
Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kijé Suite Symphonique
Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre Poème Symphonique
Debussy (arr. Caplet): Children's Corner Suite
November 10, 2016
Online Orchestra Workshop
Online Orchestra educational workshop day in association with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Music by Jim Aitchison
October 09, 2016
Pierrot Lunaire
August 23, 2016
Iris Dreaming
Grimeborn Opera Festival, Arcola Theatre, Dalston, London.
Soprano: Joanne-Roughton Arnold
Octandre Ensemble
World premiere of one-woman opera, with support from Arts Council England and Creative New Zealand
Whitehead - Iris Dreaming (WP)
August 22, 2016
Iris Dreaming
Grimeborn Opera Festival, Arcola Theatre, Dalston, London.
Soprano: Joanne-Roughton Arnold
Octandre Ensemble
World premiere of one-woman opera, with support from Arts Council England and Creative New Zealand
Whitehead - Iris Dreaming (WP)
April 02, 2016
Layers of Love
Principal Sound Festival, St. John's, Smith Square, London
Octandre Ensemble
Webern - Concerto for Nine Instruments
Feldman - Routine Investigations
Vivier - Samarkand
Denyer - After the Rain
Mason - Layers of Love (UK premiere)
Savaskan - Green Plastic Vase
Concert recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in October 2016
November 12, 2015
Curiouser
The Asylum, Peckham, London
Octandre Ensemble
Soprano: Sarah Dacey
Mezzo-soprano: Joanne Roughton-Arnold
Cello: Corentin Chassard
Composer-curator collaboration project in association with new:dots. Click composer's name for web link.
Bloom - Alice's Dream Fragments (WP)
Fox - DaNCE
Graves - Sweet Flowers Grow (WP)
Wiegold (arr. Ashton) - Les Roses, songs 1, 2 and 5 (WP)
Ashton - Cow-wheat (WP)
Ravel (arr. Illean) - Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé: 1. Soupir
Illean - Artificial Night (WP)
July 11, 2015
Online Orchestra World Premiere
Truro Cathedral; Five Islands School, St. Mary's, Scilly Isles; Mullion School; University of Falmouth
Online Orchestra
Solo Violin: Philippa Mo
Archaic telecommunications machines: Aleks Kolkowski
World-first network performance: musicians separated by miles, playing together in real time.
Pickard - In Sea-Cold Lyonesse (WP)
Aitchison - Re-tracing (after Mark Rothko) (WP)
Reuben - Spiritus Telecommunitas (WP)