Issue No.78
FRIENDS’ NEWSLETTER
April 2019
SHEFFIELD CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2019
CONTENTS
PAGE ONE Sheffield Chamber Music
Festival 2019 PAGE TWO SCMF 2019: Words and Music PAGE THREE Shiva Feshareki PAGE FOUR Focus on E360 PAGE FIVE Schubert in Schools PAGE SIX Classical Weekend 2019 PAGE SEVEN MitR news PAGE EIGHT Dates for your diary
There is not long to go before the curtain rises on the 2019 festival and you may well understand that there is a heady mixture of great excitement and anticipation in the Music in the Round office, combined with a healthy dose of awareness that there is lots to do in order to get the final arrangements in place. We strive hard to make sure that we get everything organised to the highest standards so that our audience and our musicians can enjoy the very best musical experience and my colleagues in the MitR team are fantastic at envisaging and carrying out exactly what is necessary to reach that point by opening night. To a degree our success will be best measured if you don’t notice any organisational matters. But you can be sure that we are eager to extend a very warm welcome to everybody. In developing the programme with visiting musicians and the ever brilliant Ensemble 360 we have arrived at a festival that is amazingly diverse. As ever, the starting point is the music – outstanding works by familiar great composers, wonderful
pieces that the performers truly believe need to be heard and which may well come as a revelation, all with a healthy dose of exciting and engaging new work by living composers. I said that the starting point is the music but, of course, it is the end as well. I will openly admit to bias, but our roster of guests this year is amazing and they bring with them truly diverse talents. I am thrilled that Stephen Hough is making a return visit with a fascinating programme that includes one of his own works. Sam Sweeney returns, this time to lead a Chamber Folk Strings Day at Yellow Arch and in the company of his fantastic group Leveret. Shiva Feshareki is an outstanding and genuinely brilliant, innovative musician
whose chosen medium happens to be turntables – hearing her play makes one realise why, sometimes, our insistence on defining musical genres can be so unhelpful. Shiva is simply a musical genius at work! I could easily go on, and at very great length, to describe family concerts, discussions, workshops and much more. But I will simply confine myself to saying how delighted I am that our ‘inhouse’ talent is once again to the fore. Following Tom McKinney’s brilliant performance of Steve Reich’s ‘Electric Counterpoint’ last year, Fraser Wilson is sharing with us some of the great songs that made his group Albion such a much-loved musical institution. Do join us for what promises to be a truly uplifting event.
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SHIVA FESHAREKI: FROM THE CAVERNS TO THE CRUCIBLE
SCMF 2019: WORDS AND MUSIC
The first time I met Shiva Feshareki was 130m underground in the Great Masson Cavern at the Heights of Abraham in Derbyshire. Obviously. I was there with BBC Radio 3 to record a concert curated by Shiva that included the electronic music guru Lee Gamble. The music that Shiva programmed was all slowly unfolding drones, and the choice of an underground cavern as a concert hall was an inspired decision. It created an overwhelmingly powerful resonance that physically shook the packed out audience, musical thrill-seekers who’d travelled from all over the country.
I have always felt that a piece of music is a composer or musician’s way of telling a story. It is a very personal one, either in the way that the story is created (the composer) or in the way that it is told (the performer). And that, like so much that is good, it is something that is best shared in the company of other people. If you choose to look into that story, you very often discover hidden layers that reflect on how the music was created, about how the performers might relate to the music and about how we, as the hearers of these ‘stories’, respond to the telling. That’s why, sometimes overtly and sometimes as an undercurrent, we have used this concept of ‘stories’ to inform the programming of this year’s festival. That will immediately be apparent in the irresistible ‘Giddy Goat’ family concert led by brilliant narrator Polly Ives and Ensemble 360 and, as just one further example out of many possibilities, the round-table discussion on the life and music of Johannes Brahms that will be hosted by BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Tom Service. But any number of fascinating and little-known stories will come to light as the festival unfolds. The players of Ensemble 360 will share something of their own stories in a series of very informal lunchtime concerts. We often describe these as ‘Meet the Musician’ events to indicate that, while of course we ‘meet’ them every time we hear them play, we are in this
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It was perfect music for the venue and a truly memorable occasion, and it highlighted Shiva as a standout figure in experimental classical music.
instance inviting them to tell us something more of their own experiences, illustrated liberally by anecdotes.
As a composer herself, in 2004 at the age of 17, Shiva achieved a remarkable feat when her GCSE music teacher encouraged her to submit her first ever composition to the BBC’s Composer of the Year competition, and it won! Shiva says that winning the award unexpectedly drew her into the world of classical music, a world she’d never expected to be a part of.
We are also delighted that we will be joined by master storyteller Hugh Lupton. I regard Hugh as a keeper of a magical tradition that has existed for many, many centuries, and his art is one that needs to be treasured – the gift of enchanting an audience in a collective experience… just as musicians do! And in my personal experience, few actors are as mesmerising as Henry Goodman, who takes part in a sequence of discussion and readings together with Paul Allen and the Ensemble. Henry’s portrayal of Charles Guiteau in Assassins at the Donmar Warehouse in London some years ago truly remains one of the most riveting performances I have ever witnessed in a theatre!
As a ‘turntablist’ herself, Shiva’s solo concerts transform simple sounds into a mesmerising sonic collage, building layers of textures that meld, bend and flow into constantly inventive streams of music. In her own words: “I mainly think about sound’s relationship with space and time, how it is this physical thing, and how it exists in my reality. Music is physics really. It doesn’t start at pitches or melody or instruments: if you start here you are already massively restricting yourself.” Shiva is part of a new generation of composers who are creating cutting-edge music without any desire to leave the audience behind. Her events are aurally and visually spectacular, performances in which sensitive musicality is spliced with alluring entertainment. I for one can’t wait to see her again, this time above ground and in the comfort of the Crucible Studio!
Spurred on by this early success, Shiva studied composition at the Royal College of Music with Mark-Anthony Turnage, and eventually obtained a Doctorate from the same institution. But alongside her more traditional studies, Shiva was becoming drawn towards turntables, having been fascinated by observing the techniques of DJs at student house parties.
We would love you to take up our invitation to hear all these forms of stories and I can imagine that you will emerge with many of your own.
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As she remarked in a recent interview, it wasn’t necessarily the music played that got her hooked, but watching DJs at work – she realised that turntables were a physical and responsive musical instrument.
Catch Shiva Feshareki in the Crucible Studio on Saturday 11 May at 9.15pm
FOCUS ON E360: NAOMI ATHERTON
SCHUBERT IN SCHOOLS We thought you might like to hear some of the brilliant things that people have said about Schubert in Schools, a project to which you, our Friends, made a significant contribution. Here are some quotes from teachers, young people and artists, and and you can also watch all the amazing compositions and performances online at www.youtube.com/musicintheround. “Schubert in Schools has given students a strong basis for composing and singing that they didn’t have before. It also gave them a fantastic opportunity to work with professionals and experience a professional performance venue.” “Students seem to be a lot more confident singing and excited about their music lessons.”
It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Edale today, which is great because we’re in the middle of lambing!
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It’s not quite as dramatic as it sounds. We only have six ewes – two of whom have had one lamb each. The rest are stubbornly hanging onto their twins. It just means at this time of year I get very little sleep as I feel I need to constantly check on them in case they need me.
Manson and one of MitR’s trustees, Judith Ennis, putting together a performance to mark a royal visit by HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO. It all went really well. The music teacher at the school was fantastic at encouraging the students to perform to the best of their abilities.
That doesn’t mean I’m not playing my horn though. Last weekend we were playing at Wigmore Hall for a couple of days. Then I was in Barnsley twice representing MitR. The first occasion was for our monthly Refugee music group. This was our third session, and it was lovely to see so many people returning to join in again. We bring lots of instruments for everyone to have a go on and then just see what happens. Music is so brilliant at crossing barriers of language, age and gender. It also just makes you feel good in the moment.
This week I’m working with contemporary music group Psappha playing a piece called ‘... era madrugada’ by Simon Holt. The conductor is Stephen Barlow, who I have worked with for many years at the Buxton festival. I’m looking forward to a good catch-up. Then I need to start thinking about my Meet the Musician concert in the May festival. I’ve been researching the life of the 18th-century horn player Giovanni Punto and have been practising one of his horn quartets. I’m beginning to get a sense of him through his music and look forward to sharing my thoughts.
My second visit to Barnsley was to Springwell School. Over the past couple of weeks I have been working alongside bass player James
Right, I’m off to check my girls again...
Join Naomi at her Meet the Musician concert on Wednesday 15 May at 11.30am
“It’s given me more confidence in teaching whole-class singing, and in finding starting points for composition.” “I felt included and valued as a music teacher and we all felt encouraged.” “They all felt like their ideas were valued and it was lovely as a teacher to be able to sit back and watch my students work with the music in the round team in such an engaged way.”
“The students were more engaged than I thought they would have been and enjoyed the challenge I think of learning a song they had never heard before.” “It exceeded my expectations. Initially I thought ‘they are never going to be interested in Schubert!! Or singing!!’ and by the end of it they were belting it out, asking questions and loving it.” “We are going to perform a few of the songs to parents in an upcoming show. We are also going to continue to work on the composition ideas to potentially use them for coursework.” “It has brought the group closer together. They all feel like they have achieved something as a group especially with learning the song and composing their own composition. This will be something they will always remember in the future.” “It was really moving to hear how the young people had responded to and taken ownership of Schubert’s music, and to hear them talk about the positive experience they’d had.” “It was over the top of what I thought I could achieve. This whole experience has been amazing.” “Performing on the same stage as real musicians makes me feel like when I’m older I can be doing the same thing and inspiring other young people.” “This project has so much potential to go on now and become even bigger and better.”
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SUPPORT MUSIC IN THE ROUND CLASSICAL WEEKEND 2019
Classical Weekend 2019 saw music-makers take over the city for an action-packed weekend of classical music. This year’s festival explored the themes Women in Music, Future Makers and Beyond Borders, which inspired a programme of concerts and workshops with music – and music-makers – from a huge variety of backgrounds.
We were thrilled to be joined by the internationally-renowned tabla player and composer Kuljit Bhamra, and his friend and colleague Bindi Sagoo on the dhol drum. Saturday night saw Kuljit lead two concerts of his own compositions for tabla and orchestra in the dramatic setting of Kelham Island Museum, with the help of 56 young musicians from Sheffield Music Hub’s Senior Orchestra. It was an incredibly powerful evening that showcased how effectively music can cross borders, and a wonderful opportunity for our city’s young musicians to work alongside such inspiring world-class performers.
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Also performing alongside Kuljit were Raye Harvey, Ken Fairbrother, Jesse Francis and Elliott Bailey, the four musicians currently taking part in our Bridge scheme for emerging young string players. They have visited Sheffield several times since joining the scheme back in July, and Classical Weekend marked their first public performance together, performing works written by Kuljit for tabla and string quartet. We are looking forward to welcoming Raye, Ken, Jesse and Elliott back to Sheffield in May, to perform at Yellow Arch Studios as part of the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival.
Sunday saw Kuljit share his skills with Classical Weekend audiences yet again, this time in the form of a workshop in which 30 attendees tried their hand at the tabla. Hopefully we might have inspired a new generation of tabla players to continue the vibrant programme of world music appearing in Sheffield! Music in the Round’s Classical Weekend programme culminated with two events delivered by our resident musicians. Ensemble 360 celebrated the music of three female composers from three different centuries – Fanny Mendelssohn, Amy Beach and Helen Grime – with three string quartets performed in Firth Hall at the University of Sheffield. Claudia Ajmone-Marsan and Ruth Gibson then participated in the eclectic programme of pop-up events in the Winter Garden with Bartók’s 44 duos, providing an intimate and engaging set of miniatures performed in a rather unusual setting!
10,000 SMILING FACES We have been very busy in the first quarter of this year, as we don’t like to be bored in the office… Our various activities across the country have reached over 10,000 people, with more than 4,300 of them aged 18 or under which is an astonishing figure that we're proud to have achieved! During January, February and March we have presented 64 events (that’s about one every day and a half) in 27 different venues from Carlisle and Keswick to London and Portsmouth via Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham. Activity has included several family and schools’ concerts, appearances in the Classical Weekend and on-going work with refugees in Barnsley as well as the amazing concerts in Sheffield as part of the spring programme. Quite a start to the year, topped off by Ensemble 360’s concert in the Crucible Studio on 23 March being broadcast on BBC Radio 3 the following week, and there’s still the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival to come! In 2013, Music in the Round was fortunate enough to receive a significant share of a legacy given to Arts Council England from the estate of Diana Kurzman, which was to be used ‘for the benefit of orchestras and the performance of chamber music and opera’. Over the last six years, Music in the Round has used this money to create more music, presenting more events in
more venues with more musicians. As Diana Kurzman was a pianist, we took this opportunity to bring world-class pianists to Sheffield, such as Steven Osborne, Maria João Pires, Paul Lewis and Imogen Cooper. It enabled the creation of a film to accompany Britten’s ‘Six Metamorphosen after Ovid’, which you can see on Monday 13 May as part of Adrian’s ‘Meet the Musician’ concert. Around the country, we were able to present larger ensembles in venues; to host weekend festivals of concerts and participatory events for people of all ages and abilities; and to tour the first recipients of our Bridge Scheme, the Marmen Quartet, beyond Sheffield. Thanks to your generosity as Friends and the significant boost of Diana Kurzman's legacy, we have been able to provide opportunities for everyone to enjoy and be inspired by world-class artists in Sheffield and to have taken high-quality chamber music to audiences all over the country. It was agreed with the Arts Council that we would use up the legacy within a few years, which we have now done, so your donations through the Friends scheme will become even more important so we can continue to be the leading promoter of chamber music long into the future - and keep those faces smiling!
Overall it was a wonderful weekend of musicmaking that captured the vibrancy and diversity of music-making in the city, and we are thrilled to have been able to share such a fantastic programme of music with the people of Sheffield.
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Newcastle-under-Lyme, New Vic Theatre 15 April, 7.30pm MAHLER Piano Quartet STRAUSS Piano Quartet BRAHMS Piano Quartet in A Op.26 8 July. 7.30pm MOZART Divertimento in E flat K.563 BEETHOVEN String Trio in E flat Op.3 01782 717962 www.newvictheatre.org.uk Leamington, Royal Spa Centre 5 May, 7.30pm Ensemble 360 and Roderick Williams SKEMPTON Rime of the Ancient Mariner SKEMPTON Man and Bat 01926 334418 www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk Portsmouth, Portsmouth Guildhall 20 May, 7.30pm MAHLER Piano Quartet STRAUSS Piano Quartet BRAHMS Piano Quartet in A Op.26 023 9387 0200 www.portsmouthguildhall.org.uk Barnsley, Emmanuel Methodist Church 24 May, 7.30pm BEETHOVEN Horn Sonata Op.17 BRAHMS Piano Trio in B Op.8 BRAHMS Horn Trio in E flat Op.40 01226 327000 www.barnsleycivic.co.uk
Doncaster, Cast 22 June, 7pm MOZART Divertimento in E flat K.563 BEETHOVEN String Trio in E flat Op.3 01302 303959 www.castindoncaster.com St John’s Church, Hoylandswaine 12 July, 7.30pm MOZART Divertimento in E flat K.563 BEETHOVEN String Trio in E flat Op.3 Jubilee Hall, Jordans Music Club 14 July, 7.30pm STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel einmal anders BEETHOVEN String Trio op.3 in E flat BEETHOVEN Septet 01923 282943 www.jordansmusicclub.org.uk
SHEFFIELD AUTUMN 2019 DATES Here are a just a few highlights already lined up for the autumn, with more to be announced soon! Priority booking for Friends will open in early July. Friday 4 October TASMIN LITTLE Violin & PIERS LANE Piano Farewell season Friday 18 October BENJAMIN GROSVENOR Piano Saturday 26 October LEONORE PIANO TRIO Final Beethoven series concert Friday 29 November TIM HORTON Final Schubert series concert Friday 6 December LAURA VAN DER HEIJDEN Cello & TOM POSTER Piano 2012 BBC Young Musician of the Year
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