Last week saw the Oxford Philomusica’s Christmas Concert at the Sheldonian Theatre. On a cold December night, the concert proved to be banquet of festive favourites for all ages.
Conducted by multi-award-winning composer and conductor Howard Goodall, the concert featured Yule-time gems, including an excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and psalms such as The Lord is My Shepherd. As well as these recognisable and much-loved pieces, the concert featured performances of several of Goodall’s own creations, including The Seasons, Autumn and Winter. Written on commission for a television series, both pieces were fronted by solo cellist Bozidar Vukotic. This performance of The Seasons marked its premiere in front of an audience. Needless to say the pieces were greeted with enthusiasm.
The vocal accompaniment for the evening came in the form of Enchanted Voices, an all-female group of eight whose hauntingly beautiful voices carried with perfect clarity and choral precision the carols and psalms alike.
Posts Tagged ‘Howard Goodall’
CONCERT REVIEW: Christmas with Howard Goodall
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
Child-friendly Christmas Concert: 16 Dec
Monday, December 6th, 2010
Oxford Philomusica are continuing their Children for £1 scheme at the Christmas Concert with Howard Goodall on Thursday 16 December 2010, 7.30pm. (£1 tickets now sold out)
The Music
It is an ideal concert to introduce children aged 7+ to classical music. The music is very varied with orchestral and choral music spanning from the Baroque to C20th.
Multi-award-winning British composer Howard Goodall presents the concert with Enchanted Voices and soloist Bozidar Vukotic. Interspersed between the sleigh rides, Christmas concertos and carols, Goodall presents music from the soundtrack to the ITV natural history series, “The Seasons with Alan Titchmarsh” and from his stunning new album “Pelican In The Wilderness”.
Child activities
• Join us for the child-friendly intro at 6.30pm with a guide to the concert and listening tips. Bring your singing voice, something that jingles and a question to ask about the music.
• Alternative programme notes with pictures will be provided with what to listen out for in the music.
• Musical craft activities will take place during the interval in the Cecil Jackson Room
Concert Review: Fauré and Howard Goodall
Monday, May 17th, 2010Cadogan Hall, London, Thursday 6 May 2010
Fauré: Requiem, op.48 (1893 version – edited and reconstructed by John Rutter)
Howard Goodall: Eternal Light: A Requiem (2007/2008)We’re used to hearing Fauré’s Requiem in a version with full orchestra, but that wasn’t his original intention. It was whilst undertaking research in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, that John Rutter found the original (1888) score, which included only five movements, with details of the intended expansion into a work including two more – the Offertoire and Libera Me being the additions. The scoring was as unique as the musical conception – strings, without violins, two horns, organ, harp and a sparingly used solo violin. This is the version we heard tonight.
A week with Simon Payne Development Manager
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010It is a privilege to be able to spend my days – and evenings – working in music with Oxford Phil.
Monday - Early into the office for the weekly staff meeting, this week focussing on the Covent Garden auction, our major fundraising event of the year. I brief Larisa our designer on changes to our Sponsor pack with details of our newly re-launched Friends scheme.
Tuesday - Oxford. I catch up with Luke Purser, my main contact at the University Development Office. We discuss OP’s involvement in the Campaign for Music, spearheaded by Howard Goodall (whose Brit award-winning ‘Eternal Light: A Requiem’ we will play at our Cadogan Hall concert on 6th May).
Wednesday - Talk with recording guru Charles Padley, who is helping launch our ‘Oxford Series’ on the OP Records label. Following the success of The Creation with New College Choir we plan to record Handel’s Acis and Galatea with Stephen Darlington and Christ Church Cathedral Choir. In the evening I attend a marvellous OP concert followed by a reception where I talk to a prospective sponsor, already a major donor to the arts, who is very interested in the recording.
Thursday – To an international chain of audio engineering colleges with its head office in Oxford. They are organising a conference, and have asked us to provide a concert for 200 guests. In the afternoon I catch up with our PR and Press Consultant Julie Peacock, and with our marketing team, on ways of finding new audiences.
Friday – I talk to Tony Mealings, head of the County Music Service, about his new arts festival in Banbury. Perhaps OP can put on a family concert there?
