Saturday 26 May 2012
St Mary’s Church, Barnes, SW13
A concert full of music that looks east – setting off on the Orient Express and taking in the sights of Armenia, Russia, China and Japan along the way!
Philip Sparke: Orient Express
John Williams: Viktor’s Tale (from The Terminal)
Alfred Reed: Armenian Dances
Leonard Bernstein: Slava!
Shostakovich: Festive Overture
Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Nigel Clarke: Samurai
Friedemann: Slavonic Rhapsody No. 2
Sunday 27 May, 4.30pm
St Paul’s, Covent Garden
City of London Symphonic Winds
Programme to be announced
For further information contact the Box Office: tickets@clsw.org.uk
OK, so Fabio Capello’s resignation has just been announced, so I won’t be making the headlines with my own particular exciting times, but there’s lots going on right now, and – given my prowess on Football Manager (“the most fun you can have with a database”) – I’m sure that my to-do list will shortly include “call the FA back about the job”.
In the real world, the new SE London orchestra with which I’m involved in founding is well and truly off the ground. It’s worrying/exciting/nerve-wracking, all at the same time – will anyone actually be interested in joining (other than dozens of flautists and clarinetists), will we be pissing off other groups, will we ever agree on when to hold rehearsals? Tricky.
We’re delighted, however, that things are off to a flying start with more people than we dared dream contacting us within the first two weeks. And plenty of them have strings on their instruments.
And, in other news, I am actually playing the trombone this week! Take cover. It’s a pleasure to be in the orchestra for the world premiere performances of Thelma by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – his ‘lost’ opera, being produced by Surrey Opera at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon. You can read Tom Service’s piece on the Guardian website for more info – he was at the dress rehearsal on Monday. The premiere is Thursday 9 February, with further performances on Friday and Saturday.
And it’s back to the wonderful City of London Symphonic Winds on Sunday, preparing for our 26 February concert. I know I pick the programmes, but why oh why did I think that Charles Ives would be fun? (OK, it will be fun, I know, but tricky for me!) Maybe less time on Football Manager, more with the score…
Sunday 4 December 2011, 2.30pm
Wathen Hall, Barnes, SW13
A charity concert in support of local charity FiSH, a neighbourhood voluntary care scheme in Barnes.
John Williams: The Olympic Spirit
Vangelis: Theme from Chariots of Fire
Arnold Steck: Sporting Occasion
Hammond/Bettis: One Moment in Time
John Williams: Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Leroy Anderson: A Christmas Festival
Irving Berlin: I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
David Barker: Scherzo from A Christmas Suite
Clare Grundman: Three Carols for Christmas
Slade: Merry Christmas Everybody
Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride
On Saturday 10 March 2012 Barnes Concert Band and I will be joined by a number of young soloists from around the area for a special concert.
The band wants to encourage young musicians to reach their potential and share the enjoyment of playing with a concert band. As such, a competition has been running for woodwind, brass and percussion players living in Richmond, Hounslow or Kingston to audition for this opportunity. Auditions took place in November 2011.
The concert on 10 March at Richmond Park Academy will feature the winners of the competition, each performing a solo work accompanied by the band. And now we know that the winners are:
The rest of the programme will be:
Leonard Bernstein: Slava!
Philip Sparke: Orient Express
Edward Gregson: Festivo
Frank Ticheli: Vesuvius
Morten Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium
Sunday 26 February, 4.30pm
St Paul’s, Covent Garden
City of London Symphonic Winds
Norman Dello Joio: Variants on a Medieval Tune
Adam Gorb: Awayday
Paul Hart: Cartoon
Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst
Charles Ives: Country Band March
Derek Bourgeious: Serenade
For further information contact the Box Office: tickets@clsw.org.uk
Thursday 15 December 2011, 7.00pm
St Michael & All Angels Church, Barnes
Christmas carols and a couple of Christmas favourites at St Michael & All Angels’ annual community carol service.
Friday 9 December 2011, 7.00pm
Barnes Pond
Christmas carols in the open (and cold!) air as part of the Barnes Community Association’s annual late-night shopping in Barnes Village.
On Sunday 4 December I’ll be conducting Barnes Concert Band in a celebratory concert in support of local charity FiSH, a neighbourhood voluntary care scheme in Barnes.
The concert is called ‘The Last Christmas before the Olympics!’ – the programme will be a joyful mixture of sporting hits and Christmas favourites. So, if you’ve ever wanted to hear Chariots of Fire in the same programme as Sleigh Ride, this is the concert for you!
The concert is at Wathen Hall in St. Paul’s School, and starts at 2.30pm.
Sunday 20 November, 4.00pm
St Paul’s, Covent Garden
City of London Symphonic Winds
Samuel R Hazo: Rush
Guy Woolfenden: SPQR
Nigel Clarke: Mata Hari
Richard Rodney Bennett: Elegy for Miles (soloist: David Quinlan)
Morten Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium
Philip Sparke: Dance Movements
