Archive for year: 2012

Preparations are well underway for this summer's production of Curlew River. In a collaboration with Tokyo University / Geddai, director David Edwards is presenting a double-bill of Britten's poignant church parable Curlew River alongside the Japanese Noh Theatre play Sumidagawa on which it was based. The principal roles of both works are taken by Japanese actors and singers, with a British chorus. Dominic Wheeler directs the music, and it's exciting to be assistant conductor and chorusmaster on such a rare project. Having assisted on RAO's production of Curlew River last year, and conducted another of the church parables, The Prodigal Son, for Ryedale Festival Opera the year before, it will be wonderful to return to this distinctive and absorbing music. In particular, it's a privilege to perform the piece in Orford Church, where Britten premiered it. We rehearse from mid-August and performances (Suffolk and London) are in early September.

The final stage of the Golden Fables 2012 project was a performance at Latitude Festival. With 35,000 festival-goers, endless performers, and a lot of mud, this was a little different to our usual fare!

Hugely enjoyable recital in the Etchingham Festival last night. Returning to the festival after last summer's first visit, it was a delight to be joined by Aoife Miskelly (soprano), John Slack (clarinet) and Matt Lowe (cello) this year. We presented a programme of Lieder by Schubert and Strauss, Schumann's Fantasiestücke with cello, English songs by Walton and Herbert, Schubert's sublime Shepherd on the Rock (for soprano, clarinet and piano), and ended with the Brahms clarinet trio. It's been a particular joy to perform the Brahms three times in the last six weeks – very differently each time!

Performing in Oxford always feels slightly like coming home, and performing with The Oxford Bach Choir last night that was doubly the case! Having been their rehearsal pianist for two and a half years as an undergraduate, and subsequently been their Rehearsal Conductor and conducted them in concert, it is a relationship that stretches back almost ten years! So it was wonderful to join them on stage at the Sheldonian Theatre as one half of the piano duet accompaniment (with the delightful Gavin Roberts) for Brahms' Requiem, and also to play Schubert's exquisite Rondo in A as a prelude to that. Particularly lovely to hear the choir sounding on such good form at the moment!

Rehearsals are well underway for a new project with The Berkeley Ensemble. Golden Fables 2012 is a cultural olympiad spectacular in Lincolnshire, directed by Susannah Tresillian; it draws together actors, video projections, community choirs, poet laureates, and us, in a celebration of the fables and heritage of Lincolnshire. We are performing two new pieces: Luke Carver Goss' The Drowned Moon, and Gabriel Prokofiev's The Ghost of Gunby Hall. Written for violin, cello, clarinet / bass clarinet, piano, and electronic track, with the actors' spoken script over the top, it's a rhythmically complex piece and requires a lot of rehearsal to fit everything together. We're enjoying the unusual addition of Gabriel and his laptop as part of the chamber ensemble setup!