Another resoundingly successful Chamber Music Course run by the Berkeley Ensemble! Participant numbers have quadrupled in the three years the course has been running, and they continue to rave about it. Wonderful music and hospitality and a lot of laughter! A glorious few days of coaching.
There is now a dedicated Libby Burgess: Pianist Facebook page. Do take a look, and ‘like’ to be kept up-to-date.
An exhausting and exhilarating few days recording at Champs Hill with Clare McCaldin (mezzo) and Catriona Scott (clarinet). Clare talks here about the disc:
An insightful write-up here from Clare McCaldin of our recent rehearsal retreat in Somerset, preparing for next week’s recording at Champs Hill. We’ve constructed a programme of madwomen for this disc (ranging from Purcell to Ned Rorem via Wolf and Brahms), taking as our starting point Stephen McNeff’s Vivienne, written for us and premiered last year – see here for more on the piece.
A few days of wonderful chamber music – Elgar’s ravishing war-torn Piano Quintet with the Hampden Quartet, and then Beethoven and Ravel trios in a newly-formed piano trio with Jamie Campbell and Cara Berridge.
Two delightful song concerts in London this week: Brahms’ Four Serious Songs and Richard Rodney Bennett’s Songs Before Sleep (settings of nursery rhyme texts) with bass Oliver Hunt took the phrase ‘the sublime to the ridiculous’ to a new level; and then Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben with mezzo Ciara Hendrick was in a venue so cold we had to perform, glamorously, in coats and scarves. Inspiring to start the year with a week of such wonderful songs.
Back from another workshop weekend conducting the Laetare Singers in the depths of the Somerset Quantocks. It was great to return to work with them for fourth time, catching up with familiar faces rather than always meeting new ones. Joined this time by assistant conductor Oliver Walker (Head of Choral Music at Solihull School), we worked on music ranging from contemporary items by James Macmillan, Alex L’Estrange and local Bristol-based composer David Bednall, to Rheinberger and Palestrina. What a happy combination of good scenery, good food, and good music.
Southwell Music Festival has released a series of performance films from last year’s festival. Enjoy the whole selection here; meanwhile here are three to whet your appetite:
Gurney: Sleep
Live performance from the Southwell Music Festival 2014, from a programme entitled ‘To Those Who Died’, marking the centenary of the outbreak of The First World War.
State Chamber, Southwell | 24th August 2014
with Marcus Farnsworth (baritone)
Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer Op 52 (ix) Nein, es ist nicht auszukommen (x) Schlosser auf, und mache Schlösser
Live performance from the opening ‘Chamber Classics’ concert of the inaugural Southwell Music Festival.
State Chamber, Southwell | 22nd August 2014
with Alison Rose (soprano), Carris Jones (mezzo-soprano), Nick Pritchard (tenor), William Townend (baritone), James Baillieu (piano)
Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge (ii) From far, from eve and morning
Live performance at the Southwell Music Festival 2014.
State Chamber, Southwell | 24th August 2014
with Andy Staples (tenor), Hannah Dawson (violin), Natalie Klouda (violin), Ruth Nelson (viola), Karel Bredenhorst (cello)