** Positive Points about Various Concerts **
Season - 11/12
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Have you tried the new wind / brass
BreveEasy long note practice
software? You can download a free version of this product developed by Roger
Swann from here.
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Roger Swann
has a beautiful 2 bedroom holiday cottage called Swann Cottage in Derbyshire. You can get information about renting it
here.
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4th Feb 2012 - 19:30 hrs - The Bardi
Symphony Orchestra- Claus Efland - Smaantha Ward (piano)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (Debussy & Rimsky-Korsakov)
Sandwiching Mozart's Piano Concert No. 21 "Elvira Madigan" between a
classic French impressionist work and a major splash of Russian romantic colour
emphasised conductor Claus Efland's versatility as a musician. This was a
contained performance with no flamboyance from orchestra or soloist. Trumpet
and horn playing were carefully balanced, never intrusive, the string playing
full of phrasing and dynamics without any sign of pomposity. Samantha Ward's
performance at the keyboard was of exactly the same vein.
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1st Feb 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Philharmonia Orchestra - Han-Na Chang -
Craig Ogden (guitar)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Virtually a full house braved below zero temperatures outside to enjoy
a first half of the warmth of Spanish music and a second half of American (more
precisely: USA) music conducted by the young (and very energetic Korean
conductor Han-Na Chang.
What attracted your reviewer to the concert was Charles Ives' The
Unanswered Question. Here the offstage trumpet was actually played on stage
with a mute. This allows rhythmic tightness to be secured - but is this really
critical in this piece? Ives' would have expected lack of synchronisation
caused by the distance introduced by placing the trumpet offstage. Still, the
trumpet playing (and indeed the rest of the orchestral tutti) was fine
enough.....
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28th Jan 2012 - 19:30 hrs - University of Leicester Sinfonia - Michael
Sackin
Clarendon Park Congregational Church, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (soloist in Andy Evan's Horn Concerto)
It was marvellous to have a chance to give the second performance of
the horn concerto by Andy Evans, in the presence of the composer. This piece is
a very worthy addition to the horn concerto repertoire and deserves further
outings. All the musicians in the orchestra had worked hard on the piece
(helped by Michael Sackin's generous allocation of precious rehearsal time to
the work) and the conductor's knowledge of the score was first class (as is
invariably the case with all works Michael Sackin tackles). It is not for the
soloist to attempt to judge the quality of the actual performance but it is
fair to record that the composer appeared very pleased with the whole
occasion.
Michael Sackin's wide musical tastes were represented by the inclusion
of two attractive, rarely heard, works by Sibelius (the Romance in C, op 42
given a particular fine performance) and Arriaga's D major Symphony
The concert venue was warm and well lit with a pleasingly lively
acoustic - it should be used much more frequently for performances.
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21st Jan 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
Knighton Chamber
Orchestra - Paul Jenkins, Jo Conqest (flute), Emily Cockbill (oboe)
Richard Attenborough Centre, University of Leicester
Paul Jenkins strikes the perfect balance between keeping the event
informal yet still retaining the audiences attention whilst the actual music
performance is taking place. His colourful but not garrish orchestral dress
code looks great (much less "stuffy" than outmoded dinner jackets).
Jo Conquest demonstrated her instictive musicianship in Mozart's G
major Flute Concerto K313. Light, effortless fluid fast passages and a smoothly
phrased slow movement were followed by a witty stroll off stage during the
final (orchestra only) bars of the piece.
The second highlight of the concert was "The Jester's Silhouette" by
Freya Waley-Cohen. She succeeded in creating a line through the work from a
single percussive strike (first heard on the woodblock). A second "theme" of a
pair of rising notes (again a very simple concept) was also introduced and
developed in a way that made good musical sense to the listener. Interestingly
the band seemed to play with greater accuracy in this work than at other times
during the evening.
Geoff Downs' playing of the notorious double bass solo in Stravinsky's
Pulcinella was top class.
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St Andrews Church, Countesthorpe
Roger Swann = Wine Cellar (simply handing out wines in the post concert
gathering - wines supplied by Evingtons Wine)
The Helix Ensemble's visit to St Andrews Church seems to have become an
annual event and many audience members were returning to hear the group play
again and in doing so were paying the ensemble the highest compliment.
Jacques Cohen included a performance of his own "Elegy on a Floating
Chord" (Originally premiered in New York in 1996). This work seems a
(successful) exercise in building up musical ideas from simple parts, leading
as it does to a complex and dramatic climax.
E J Moeran's "Whythorne's Shadow" gave a chance for all four players of
the exposed wind instruments to demonstrate sensitive and lyrical playing in
this wistful work which seemed to end just as it was starting to sound
interesting....
The concert ended with a joyful and very energetic account of
Beethoven's 2nd Symphony. Jacques Cohen achieved some striking dynamic
contrasts and much effervescent playing from the group.
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6th Jan 2012 - 19:00 hrs - La Traviata
Verdi's La Traviata is a perennial favourite - but no wonder: it does
consist of one great tune followed by another from beginning to end.
It was fascinating to watch (from the front row of the left hand stalls
circle) Maurizio Benini conduct the orchestra and soloists. He used a score
which must be far to small to read, and only turned pages when there was a gap
in the action. The orchestra played the hushed opening almost a beat behind his
conducting - but moved much closer during the faster tutti sections. Benini
consistently gave discrete intonation hints to soloists, got visibily
exasperated when one soloist insisted on slowing the tempo, mouthed words
clearly (which were ignored) when the same soloist sang them incorrectly and
marked every bar for the band - even if some "marks" were ultra fast and ultra
small. He knew the score intimately and expected 100% attention from every
performer in front of him for 100% of the time.
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28th Dec 2011 - 22:00 hrs - Kingsize
A good fun evening in the limbo period between Christmas and New Year.
Plenty of noise and showmanship from this established band. Very tight playing
throughout with good punchy trombone sound.
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17th Dec 2011 - 19:00 hrs - Ockash Trust - Festival of Light - Sarah
Cresswell
Borrowash Methodist Church, Borrowash, Derbyshire
Roger Swann = horn (playing viola parts)
A somewhat unplanned participation in this happy traditional
celebration of Christmas through the medium of latern making and carol singing.
Much of the music was organised by the hard working Sarah Cresswell who
conducted a band of probably the widest age ranges your reviewer will play in
this season.
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16th Dec 2011 - 20:00 hrs - Christmas Concert - Clarendon Orchestra -
Anne Dixon - Mariko Terashi (piano)
Stoneygate Methodist Church Hall, Clarendon Park Road, Leicester
Anne Dixon's final concert with the orchestra she founded in 2006 had
an all pervading air of fun about it. Clearly all members of the orchestra were
enjoying themselves, happily oblivious of some fairly basic mistakes from time
to time but none the less providing pleasure for both themselves and the
audience.
It is to Anne Dixon's credit that she has attracted a large loyal
following of string and wind players and that the orchestra she has created has
sufficient inertia to carry on into pastures new following her retirement.
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7th Dec 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Cabaret
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, Leicester
Produced very much as a joint production by all departments of the
sixth form college, this was simply a fantastic event. From the hand made
illuminated "cabaret" table decorations to the night club wall paintings and
the overall marketing strategy this was far more than just a school production
of a good show.
Of course Cabaret (music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb) IS a
very good show, packed with good numbers but also very thought provoking in
it's overall moral. All performers were first class but inevitably one has to
particularly admire the four main roles: Hannah Bailey (playing Sally Bowles),
Ryan Byren (Cliff Bradshaw), Georgina Roberts (Fräulein Schneider) and
Henry Brown (Herr Schultz). The standard of the band (formed mostly from
college students) matched the quality on the stage.
It seems only appropriate to credit the major movers on the staff of
the college who, together, helped create this marvelous event: Dirctor: Sharron
Brannen, MD: Beth Williams and Choreographer: Bev Voice.
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6th Dec 2011 - 19:00 hrs - Leicesterhire Schools Music Service's "The
Lord Mayor of Leicester's Christmas Concert"
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
The usual full house that this annual event always attracts enjoyed
various Leicestershire Schools Music Service ensembles going through their
paces.
Christine Taylor navigated the Training Orchestra successfully through
a challenging version of the finale from Brahms' first symphony. Andrew Bound
achieved excellent results with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra
in the first movement of Elgars first symphony. The strings worked hard at
giving energy to the fast lively passages and bringing a good sense of phrasing
to the frequent lyrical melodies.
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4th Dec 2011 - 19:30 hrs - The Tudor Choir - LOROS Singers - 4Tissimo
Strings - Paul Jenkins - Rosie Curtis (oboe)
Fraser Nobel Hall, University Road, Leicester
The Tudor Choir always sound like they enjoy singing under the
direction of the ever enterprising Judy Dodd. Here joined by the LOROS Singers
and five string players they chose a programme that concentrated on the women's
voices. They really took off when they came to perform two songs by Elgar (The
Snow and Fly Singing Bird).
A guest appearance by oboe solist Rosie Curtiss (playing Albinoni's
oboe concerto) provided a contrast to the vocal items. The finale seeming
particularly joyful with it's jaunty syncopation.
The presence of a fair sized audience meant that a reasonable sum was
raised for LOROS. The Tudor Choir deserve
commending for the continued good work they do raising funds for
charities.
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St Wystan's Church, Repton, Derbyshire
Roger Swann = horn
Two things characterise Richard Roddis' work with choral groups, his
skill in encouraging clear diction, prononciation and phrasing to the sounds of
the text (no matter what language) and his enthusiasm for presenting less often
performed repetoire.
Both characteristics were in abundance in this concert. All three items
were very loosely related to Christmas. Finzi's In Terra Pax formed the centre
piece of the event, sounding unbelievably "English" and featuring the strong
presence of solo tenor Andy Ward. The concert also included "Lux Aeterna"
written by Washington State born composer Moretn Lauridson and including some
very technically challenging chords structures for the choir that they tackled
with ease.
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26th Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra- Claus Efland - Jenny Saunders (sop) - David
Morris (ten)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
Claus Efland proved his ability to handle the English sense of humor in
this "Italian Opera Gala", helping the good sized audience to enjoy the evening
with some witty banter. The event was basically a medley of good tunes covering
most of the Italian Opera "hits". Within this remit Claus Efland employed a
wide range of orchestral playing styles and dynamics which kept the orchestra
on their toes.
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23rd Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Philharmonia Orchestra - Christopher Von
Dohnanyi - Melanie Diener (soprano)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
This was an absolutely exhilerating concert from the first notes of Don
Juan (Dohnanyi making light of this notoriously tricky opening) to the final
bars of Till Eulenspiegal. The world class string sound was audible at all
times (the brass being tight and exciting but always controlled and in balance
with the whole orchestral sound) and the fiddle solo playing of Zsolt-Tihamer
Visontay was lyrical and persuasive.
Dohnanyi allowed all the detail of orchestral colour to be heard. This
in turn enabled the musicians to show the virtuosic quality and precision of
their playing and also emphasised what a master of orchestration Richard
Strauss was.
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19th Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs, The Derby Bach Choir - Richard Roddis -
Leigh Woolfe (mezzo sop) - Christopher Maltman (bass)
Derby Cathedral, Derby
Roger Swann = Horn
Husband and wife as soloists (with Christopher Maltman agreeing to sing
the small baritone solo in Durufle's Requiem at the very last minute) were
backed up by the Derby Bach Choir rising to the challenges of the complex
music. It was great to hear Elgar's (rarely performed) "The Music Makers".
The event was marred by a screaming child in the audience durig the
Elgar, a mobile phone going off during the Durufle and the hushed silence at
the end being interrupted by creaking floor boards as someone was walking
around.
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4th Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Heart of Darkness - Opera East - Conductor
Oliver Gooch
Opera East's first performance at the Linbury Theatre, this chamber
opera by Tarik O'Regan with a libretto by Tom Philipps closely drawn from
Joseph Conrad's novel, featured some excellent singing from all the cast.
Particularly worthy of mention is the voice of Alan Oke playing Marlow (the
captain).
All the girls in the audience appreciated the lithe oiled hulk of
Morten Lassenius Kramp (Mr Kurtz).
The music (tightly played by the orchestra under the baton of Oliver
Gooch) was atmospheric and moved comfortably between a variety of styles (an
enjoyable minimalist section accompanying the arrival of the rivets dance, for
example).
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29th Oct 2011 - 20:00 hrs - The Flying Dutchman - Conductor Jeffery
Tate - Director Tim Albery
Wagner's fantastic score was presented here with an emphasis on the
desolation of the Dutchman (with much darkness in the scenery reflecting the
despair reached as the opera concludes). Real water lapping at the feet of the
sailors was a simple but excellent touch, as was the use of two large anchor
ropes to indicate the juxtaposition of the two ships (Set designs: Michael
Levine, Lighting: David Finn).
The acting and singing of Anja Kampe (Senta) was an outstanding
component of this memorable evening.
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Town Hall, Loughborough, Leics
Carousel is a particularly challenging show to tackle. The first
problem is the requirement for east coast american accents (here achieved with
more than reasonable success). A greater difficulty is negotiating the violent
change in narrative style which occurs when Billy Bigelow dies and the action
switches to heaven. Greasepaint had a secret weapon to help bring this coda
off: the irresistably cute (and technically accomplished) dancing of Ria Wicks,
playing the fifteen year old Louise Bigelow.
Rogers & Hammerstein frequently use the songs to move the plot
forward making the projection of the lyrics essential. Billy Bigelow's
soliloquy was a perfect example of this (James Nelson)
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8th Oct 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Informal Performance of Handel's Saul -
Anselm Kersten - Pauline Rainey (Sop) - Claire Davies (Alto)
The Village Hall, Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire
Roger Swan = bass (chorus)
Only Houghton Music Club could get away with presenting excerpts from
Handel's Saul without a bass soloist to sing the part of the King himself. This
informal presentation directed by the ever enthusiastic Anselm Kersten was the
culmination of a Houghton Music Club singing day. A hard days work (both
physically and mentally) was enjoyed by all choir members and the quality of
the scratch orchestra was a major asset to the final run through.
Guest soloists Pauline Rainey and Claire Davies added the necessary
finishing touch of class to the evening.
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Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester University, Leicester
Interesting to see how the latest change to the Coul Quartet line up
(Rose Redgrave, viola, joining in spring 2010) has settled down. The concert
included Shostakovich's 13th Quartet (Op 138). Dedicated to Vadim Borisovsky,
the original viola player of the Beethoven Quartet, the work includes much
exposed writing for the viola, at all times comfortably presented by Rose
Redgrave.
After the morbid intensity of the Shostakovich, the particularly jaunty
dancing performance of Dvorak's E flat quartet (op 51) seemed particularly
welcome.
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1st Oct 2011 - 19:45 hrs -
The Charnwood Orchestra - Nic Fallowfield -
Neil Aston (clarinet)
Holy Trinity Church, Barrow upon Sour, Leicestershire
The highlight of this concert was most definitely the second half's
performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. Conductor Nic Fallowfield shaped
phrases throughout and got some good contrasting sounds from the strings
(positively led by Jon Barwell). One minute they achieve a striking lightness
and delicacy, the next power and rombustiousness; at all times staying entirely
musically appropriate. Brisk tempos kept the performance sparkling. Conducting
without a score (as he did in the Mendelssohn overture too) allowed him to
concentrate on bringing out both the energy and the wit in the music.
A good sized audience were present to enjoy the fruits of the
orchestra's endeavours.
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The Corn Exchange Theatre, Stamford, Lincs
Roger Swann = horn
An opportunity to play one night of this show (running all week) gave
your reviewer a chance to enjoy Rod Dawkins' (MD) visual encouragement to the
on stage singers. Michael Hammond (Alexis) and Leigh Evans (Aline) both sounded
comfortable in their leading roles. The geography of the pit layout means that
regretably your reviewer was not able to enjoy the visual spectacle of the
Sorcerer's deeds.....
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28th Sep 2011 - An Inspector Calls
J B Priestley's classic from 1945 was presented in a touring production
based on Stephen Daldry's famours 1992 National Theatre production. With much
of the action happening in the street this did seem to dilute some of the
claustrophobic tension created by the text but there were some clever special
effects to be enjoyed and the plot twists towards the end of the play still
catch the audience unawares.
This play is currently a GCSE set work and it was good to see the
auditorium full of teenagers.
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24th Sep 2011 - 19:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra- Claus Efland - Natalie Clein ('cello)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
A very tricky programme for the orchestra started with Liszt's Mephisto
Waltz No. 1 (featuring an excellent 'cello solo (Sam Goldsworthy) blending into
an equally exquisite violin solo (leader Erik Chapman)) and ending with
Bartok's challenging show piece: The Concerto for Orchestra. Claus Efland held
this all together with a combination of rhythmic conducting and valued leads
for many tricky orchestral entries. Choosing tempos erring on the speedy side
gave both pieces a distinctly lively feel.
Between these works came the magnificent Natalie Clein playing Haydn's
Op 84 cello concerto. All aspects of her performance are simply awe
inspiring.
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The Coliseum, London.
An opera with a curious gestation: Based on the novel Pasazerka by
Polish Auschwitz survivor Zofia Posmysz, Mieczyslaw Weinberg's first opera
(libretto: Alexander Mdvedev) was written in 1967 but only received it's first
concert performance on 25th Dec 2006 (in Moscow). The first fully staged
production had to wait until July 2010 (in Bregenz). For this opera to arrive
at ENO (with a translation by David Poutney) represents something of a leap of
faith in a work Shostakovich described as "a perfect masterpiece". The music is
a mixture of many styles with the influence of Shostakovich and Britten
frequently audible as well as the odd jazzy interlude.
The staging ensures that the audience is never in doubt as to what time
in history the narrative is, in spite of the frequent chopping and changing.
The need for the unremitting optimism of the camp inmates comes across really
strongly as does the complex position of the former SS comander.
The three main roles, Liese (Michelle Breedt), Walter (Kim Begley) and
Marta (Giselle Allen) were all sung with notably clear diction (as well as
great power). Not exactly a "fun evening" but a very powerful and moving
experience.
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14th Sept 2011 - 18:30 hrs - Il Trittico - Conductor Antonio Pappano -
Director Richard Jones
Puccini set out to compose three contrasting short operas for Il
Trittico. He certainly achieved contrast with Suor Angelica proving are rather
dull center piece sandwiched between two much more enjoyable outers: Il Tabarro
having a dark ominous feel throughout and Gianni Schicchi proving witty and
lively.
It was in Gianni Schicchi that the quality acting and singing was to be
enjoyed: Gwynne Howell's acting as Simone was wonderful and the "bride to be /
groom to be" pairing of Ekaterina Siurina and Francesco Demuro were both in
fine form for the love duet moments.
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