Future concerts you're excited to have tickets for.....

[Bryn]

Not actually ticketed events, as such, but many of the concerts in this listing:

https://www.city.ac.uk/about/schools/arts-social-sciences/music/events

[Jonathan]

Tonight, Unitarian Chapel, York

Felix Kirkby, 16yo son of a neighbour; former Minster chorister, now at Eton.

Mozart: Piano Sonata K457
Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit

I offered to turn the pages for him, but was assured by his father that he's playing from memory!

We originally planned to go to this but were too tired after spending the day decorating our kitchen!

[LezLee]

My friend and I are going to see the magnificent Rufus Wainwright in Glasgow next Thursday. Not classical of course, though some call his music ‘baroque pop’. It’s 20 years since his first album and he’s performing all the songs from that and ‘Poses’. I’ve been a big fan since I first heard ‘Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk’ on Late Junction and was completely mesmerised. It was so unlike anything else and the first few notes still get to me!

[Joseph K]

Herbie Hancock at the Barbican, sunday 17th November.

[Tevot]

Hello There,

Had intended this evening to see The Philadelphia Orchestra perform Beethoven 6 and Sibelius 2 at The Grand Theatre in beautiful downtown Hangzhou. Sadly the only remaining tickets were priced at 880 RMB each which equates dear readers to an eye- watering 100 GBP a go. Multiply this by the members of family intending to go and you have 300 Pounds or Three times a No - No...

Disappointing - although I hear that prices in Shanghai were even higher ( air fares for those double basses must be pretty costly !)

I console myself with the knowledge that the fairly handy local band - The Hangzhou Philharmonic - will be concluding their "Madness for Mahler" Season within the next few weeks with 3 concerts.

Intending to see Mahler 2. Mahler 7 and to conclude the year long season Mahler 8.

It'll be cheaper certainly ... though other rewards - we trust - will be richer - times 3

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Joseph K]

Mike Stern, Saturday 13th July at Ronnie Scott's.

[Pulcinella]

The Sixteen: Choral Pilgrimage 2019

https://thesixteen.com/the-choral-pilgrimage-2019/

York Minster on 9 July

Live on R3, according to July's BBC MM (as is Choral Evensong from the minster on 17 July).

[edashtav]

Tom Phillips Opera "IRMA" at the Lumen Chapel, Tavistock Place, London (SE of Euston Station)
19.30- 21.00 hours on Monday, 17th June

A rare performance of this mini Opera from the polymath, Tom Phillips b. 1937 . The work dates from the late 1960s when British Avant-Garde artists and composers came together philosophically and created pieces of art that ignored previous boundaries between genres.

This Forum's Bryn will be amongst the musicians taking part.

[Edgy 2]

Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott
Next Friday at Edgeley Park no less

[edashtav]

Tom Phillips Opera "IRMA" at the Lumen Chapel, Tavistock Place, London (SE of Euston Station)
19.30- 21.00 hours on Monday, 17th June

A rare performance of this mini Opera from the polymath, Tom Phillips b. 1937 . The work dates from the late 1960s when British Avant-Garde artists and composers came together philosophically and created pieces of art that ignored previous boundaries between genres.

This Forum's Bryn will be amongst the musicians taking part.

Irma was realised in the suitable, stark splendour of the Lumen URC church in London's Bloomsbury, itself a realisation by the inspired architects, Theis and Khan, within a 1960s piece of concrete brutalism. The curators of this event were Jane Alden and Maggie Rothberg, and their delivery vehicle were the Vocal Constructivists assisted by a ensemble, or was it an array, including 'analog' synthesisers, an Indian bowed sarangi, a theremin, piano, flute and tuba.
I arrived with preconceptions from the 60s and 70s : Donatoni's instruction " a concert performance has to take the form of a rehearsal which therefore excludes any previous reading…" and Cardew's early ideas of free improvisation. I found that I needed to put these aside. What we were getting was as prepared as its prepared piano. True it was organic work in progress, but the group was working together as an improvising ensemble , building and extending on work done in rehearsal. I sensed that convergence and respect for the whole, mattered more than individuals striving for self-expression.
Allusive 'hooks' of a conservative, if not reactionary, nature were employed both as seeds and glue to underpin, control and guide the improvisations: I enjoyed the layered use of Weill's "Mack the Knife" and noted how that gently invoked Satie's "Je Te Veux".

I appreciated how the ''norms' of operatic forms were both celebrated and traduced. We were given mini arias, duets, trios, and recitatives. Instruments were coequal to singers. All abilities were exploited from solo singers with virtuoso voices to those with limited training and precision. Some numbers seemed to be tributes: one was a new take on the wider vocal demands of Meredith Monk.

The whole opera, that lasted about 55 minutes and was framed by rituals, was done "All in the best of all possible taste". It was as charming & lovely as it was unexpected. The Avant-garde was turned into a period piece. Well, well, Tom Phillips!

[Bryn]

Irma was realised in the suitable, stark splendour of the Lumen URC church in London's Bloomsbury, itself a realisation by the inspired architects, Theis and Khan, within a 1960s piece of concrete brutalism. The curators of this event were Jane Alden and Maggie Rothberg, and their delivery vehicle were the Vocal Constructivists assisted by a ensemble, or was it an array, including 'analog' synthesisers, an Indian bowed sarangi, a theremin, piano, flute and tuba.
I arrived with preconceptions from the 60s and 70s : Donatoni's instruction " a concert performance has to take the form of a rehearsal which therefore excludes any previous reading…" and Cardew's early ideas of free improvisation. I found that I needed to put these aside. What we were getting was as prepared as its prepared piano. True it was organic work in progress, but the group was working together as an improvising ensemble , building and extending on work done in rehearsal. I sensed that convergence and respect for the whole, mattered more than individuals striving for self-expression.
Allusive 'hooks' of a conservative, if not reactionary, nature were employed both as seeds and glue to underpin, control and guide the improvisations: I enjoyed the layered use of Weill's "Mack the Knife" and noted how that gently invoked Satie's "Je Te Veux".

I appreciated how the ''norms' of operatic forms were both celebrated and traduced. We were given mini arias, duets, trios, and recitatives. Instruments were coequal to singers. All abilities were exploited from solo singers with virtuoso voices to those with limited training and precision. Some numbers seemed to be tributes: one was a new take on the wider vocal demands of Meredith Monk.

The whole opera, that lasted about 55 minutes and was framed by rituals, was done "All in the best of all possible taste". It was as charming & lovely as it was unexpected. The Avant-garde was turned into a period piece. Well, well, Tom Phillips!

Thanks for that, Ed. This morning Jane Alden copied to all participants a congratulatory message from Tom Phillips, who much appreciated both the grasp of the heart of the work and the level of humour in the production.

[edashtav]

Thanks for that, Ed. This morning Jane Alden copied to all participants a congratulatory message from Tom Phillips, who much appreciated both the grasp of the heart of the work and the level of humour in the production.

Well noted, Tom! Yes, Bryn, I, too noticed the humour in the realisation, and should have mentioned it as, once again, I had not expected such a theme to emerge.

I suppose my biggest surprise was the discipline shown by all the participants: there was no 'shouty' competitiveness but an unanticipated willingness to be unassuming cogs within a greater whole. At one point, I dreamed I was watching Rutland Boughton and his Glastonbury Players.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Professional concerts in Scarborough are generally limited to Glastonbury-style noise festes at the revamped Open Air Theatre, and the still functioning Spa Orchestra, which gets ever smaller and scratchier, albeit with excellent players.

Just occasionally we have orchestral concerts, and in July there’s one such occasion.

Psst. Don’t tell Ferney The Orchestra of Opera North is to play Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. I presume this is an orchestrated version, but none of the advertising blurbs mentions it.

[pastoralguy]

I was looking at the Edinburgh Festival programme this morning and I'm very excited to be hearing...

Beatrice Rana in recital at the Queen's Hall.

Alicia Weilerstein playing Dvorak's 'cello concerto.

The Quarteto Casals

Sheku Kanneh-Mason in recital with his sister.

The London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon playing Rachmaninov Symphony No.2.

Angela Hewitt playing Bach.

Great stuff.

[edashtav]

I was looking at the Edinburgh Festival programme this morning and I'm very excited to be hearing:
[…]

Alicia Weilerstein playing Dvorak's 'cello concerto.

[…]
Great stuff.

I find Alicia is great in a small hall, or highlighted by microphony, I hope that you don't find her delicate but underpowered in the flesh, pastoralguy.