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capn-o-my-soul · 9 hours

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weeee happy birthday to gustav holst!

in celebration of the 145th birthday of the "composer of more than just the planets" (as he sometimes referred to himself), i am going to provide A Handy List For People Who'd Like To List To Pieces By Holst Many Of Which Are Influenced By The Rich Tradition Of English Folksong And Have Beautiful Lush Orchestrations And Pleasant Tunes But Nobody Knows Much About Them Because They Are Not The Planets

Suites 1 and 2 in Eb and F for Band: (okay some people do know about this one) i personally believe that these were holst's most influential pieces; they are staples of even the modern band repertoire (i myself have performed both of them). holst often had difficulty writing in larger forms (he tended to avoid symphonies, for instance; the only "symphony" he published was the Cotswolds Symphony) but he certainly was a master of smaller movements where the focus is more on harmonic and rhythmic development and less on textural and melodic development the recordings i would recommend are those by Eugene Migliaro Corporon and the North Texas Wind Symphony

Ode To Death: this ≈13 minute long work for chorus and orchestra is just deep and beautiful and works well when paired with his Hymn to Jesus. the text is by walt whitman. i would recommend the recording by Richard Hickox, the City of London Sinfonia, and the London Symphony Chorus

Beni Mora: beni mora is a suite in three movements for a large orchestra that is based off of folk music holst heard being played in the streets of algeria (he was sent to algeria by a doctor for his health). it's just really neat to see one of the great folk-inspired composers take a look at folk music from more than just england, where he lived. tbh i have not critically listened to many recordings of this one so i can't recommend just one, but most of Adrian Boult's holst recordings are commendable.

A Somerset Rhapsody: a short overture for orchestra (there's also a band version if i remember correctly) inspired by english folksongs. if you've heard ralph vaughan williams' (english) folk song suite then you'll definitely recognize some of the tunes here. i'd recommend Adrian Boult's recording with the LPO.

St. Pauls Suite: this is a simple suite for strings that holst wrote when he was teaching at St. Paul's School. it is very pleasant to listen to and shows of some holst's string writing style unadorned by winds. most recordings of this are probably pretty good, it's kind of hard to mess it up

Savitri: a chamber opera (about an hour long) by holst with his own libretto that tells the story of Savitri and Satyavan from the Mahabarata. holst uses a very small orchestra of only 12 musicians (if i remember correctly it's a double string quartet + a double base, 2 flutes, and english horn) it's been a while since i listened to this piece but iirc the Richard Hickox/City of London Sinfonia recording is pretty good.

those are the large (ish) pieces that i'd recommend!

Joann Falletta (<3) made a FABULOUS recording of some lesser-known Holst works with the ulster orchestra; it contains the Walt Whitman Overture, the Cotswolds Symphony in F, a Winter Idyll, Japanese Suite, and Indra.

as for other interesting pieces, i'd HIGHLY recommend:

Suite de Ballet (op. 10), Hymns from the Rig Veda, Hammersmith, The Perfect Fool, The Golden Goose, and so much more that i can't remember off the top of my head.

if you listen to any of these and feel like talking about them, don't hesitate to send me an ask or dm me or something! i will always yap about holst.

#classical music #holst #gustav holst

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findasongblog · 6 years

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Find a #singersongwriter song

Robb Murphy - Sleep Tonight (feat. Ulster String Quartet)

I am really pleased to announce the release of our next single 'Sleep Tonight'. This has been a long project in the making that began about two years ago. The 6 minute 30 song which features the Ulster Sting Quartet is accompanied with a beautiful animation by Maria Becvar. For this release we have teamed up with The Samaritans as the video aims to help raise awareness for mental health, with proceeds from this launch being donated to the Belfast branch of The Samaritans.

#music #music blog #indie music #alternative music #singersongwriter #Robb Murphy #Sleep Tonight #Ulster String Quartet #indie #alternative #find a song

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walledcitymusic · 6 years

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Piatti String Quartet, 8.00pm 14th November, Great Hall, Magee, Ulster University

The Piatti Quartet are one of the most distinguished quartets of their generation.

The Quartet has toured worldwide, with national broadcasts on ABC (Australia) and RTE (Ireland) radio, BBC Radio 3, and performances in prestigious venues across the world. Prizewinners at the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, they have garnered a host of awards and critically acclaimed recordings on the Linn Records and Champs Hill labels.

The Piattis continue to expand the string quartet repertoire, and are known for their work with leading British composers such as Mark Anthony-Turnage, Darren Bloom, Emily Howard, Richard Birchall among others. Following on from their successful NI tour in 2015 Moving On Music are delighted to welcome back the Piatti Quartet. The programme will feature two new short works by emerging NI composers Áine Mallon and Christopher McAteer alongside Debussy’s only string quartet in G minor Op.10 and Beethoven’s String Quartet Op.59 No.2.

Tickets available from Millennium Forum Box office, https://www.millenniumforum.co.uk/about-us/booking-info/

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walledcitymusic · 7 years

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Young musicians from Derry set for Lisbon showcase

A project involving young musicians from Derry-Londonderry has been selected to take part in a showcase event in Lisbon, Portugal on 28th January. The group, Acoustronic, is made up of musicians with a range of disabilities, who harness an array of digital instruments and interfaces. Led by Prof Frank Lyons at Ulster University and facilitated by the Walled City Music team, the project was supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to explore and develop the principle of inclusivity in participatory arts. It is the only initiative selected from across the UK to present at the Foundation’s international ‘Partis’ showcase in Lisbon, celebrating artistic practice as a means of social intervention for social inclusion.

Prof Frank Lyons, Chair of Walled City Music said,

‘This is a huge privilege and achievement for the group. To be chosen to represent the UK in the area of social inclusion through the arts is an absolute honour. It recognises the visionary and ground-breaking collaborative work happening here as well as the talent, dedication and determination of these young musicians and their support base. I’m so proud to be travelling to Lisbon to show an international audience what can be achieved if we truly think and create inclusively.’

The group will present NonZeroSum, a commission funded through the PRS Foundation Beyond Borders initiative, in partnership with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Written by Frank Lyons for the joint forces of the group plus conventional string quartet it had its world premiere in Derry as part of the Walled City Music Festival last June and subsequently toured to London and Dublin.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, principal funder of Walled City Music said, “Advances in digital technology are changing the way in which music is accessed and created. This innovative piece, NonZeroSum, by Frank Lyons means there are no barriers to high-quality music-making for these musicians with disabilities. The Arts Council is proud to support this inclusive piece through the Beyond Borders programme and wish the group every success in Lisbon.”

John Lynch from Greysteel is one of five musicians in Acoustronic who will be travelling to Portugal at the end of January. John’s experience of the project was featured in a short film, http://wave.progressfilm.co.uk/preview?id=5794 during which he said ‘I don’t let autism define me. Music is my life and this project has fulfilled my dreams. I hope it will continue.’

The project is supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Arts Council Northern Ireland, PRS for Music Foundation and Ulster University.

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writtenbehindthescenes-blog · 8 years

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Kevin Carlisle, David Bennington and Rick McKee all have been questioned and introduced. Many people have been reading the blogs, but if you haven’t read it yet, go check them out…there are some interesting facts to find about the band behind Robb Murphy!

Next up is Alan Ladd, a.k.a. Kid-Al, another multi-instrumentalist in Robb Murphy’s band. Al plays keyboards/piano, strings and with gigs he sometimes plays bass as well. Al is also the man who wrote the strings for the album Sleep Tonight played by The Ulster String Quartet. Al’s wife, Louise, is also very musical. Louise has a really beautiful voice and you can hear her backing vocals on multiple songs from the album Sleep Tonight. A very musical family!!

Besides being a very talented musician, there are more reasons why Al is such a valuable member of Robb Murphy’s band… Al is good company and he’s good with left-overs. Left-overs…this requires an explanation…When Al is around you don’t have to worry about wasting food. If you can’t finish dinner/lunch, just pass it on to Al and he’ll eat it. Food magically disappears when Al is around! ;) While I was going through photos to use for this blog I saw something I forgot about…something about poo… Another interesting fact…Al ended up with poo on his set list…

This happened during one of the tours of The Netherlands. Band members often write down some notes for themselves on set lists and while making notes Al suddenly started laughing, saying that he had poo on his set list. This is what happens when silliness takes over from tiredness during tours…and believe me…that happens a lot!

To get to know Al a bit better, he also was sent a list of questions. Here’s what he said:

Tell me a little about yourself in one rambling, run-on sentence :) Born in Yorkshire (England) and now living in Northern Ireland married with two kids, I play keyboards and occasionally strings for Robb Murphy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkgeg1GFKg4 (you can see both Al and Louise in this video) but I also write software for financial trading platforms by day and I fit in a lot of running around my job, music and family, however, I also love travelling which probably stems from my time as european tour manager for the band Forward Russia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGWxJDFd_cw

Coffee or tea? Irish Coffee, Yorkshire Tea. I’ve definitely shifted mostly to coffee these days.

How did you meet Robb and where? We met at Queen’s University Belfast which to be honest is a bit of a blur. I think we met on the first day of our music tech course and soon after started writing songs together, first in a ill-fated four piece guitar group, then as an acoustic duo then finally a three piece band. I still think some of the songs we did back then would fit well with the current tunes as if it’s all come full circle. Of course we’re a lot more mature now…

Describe one perfect day… Lie in; Ulster fry; Something outdoors in good weather with the kids; A meal out followed by a gig/concert/film/show.

Cats or dogs? Cat singular. We had two cats that didn’t get along and it was not fun. I’ve no time for dogs at all.

What’s your favourite piece of music at the moment? Piece of music to me suggests classical but at the moment I don’t have time to sit down and appreciate classical music. So I’d have to say the debut album by London Grammar (“If you wait”). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMEHJPuggHQ

Do you dance? No apart from on rare occasions I’m made to at wedding receptions.

If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be and why? Malta – interesting place and good weather this time of year.

Favourite place in Northern Ireland? Antrim coast or the Mourne mountains. Since I’m an Antrim man now I’ll go for the coast.

What or who is your biggest influence as an artist? Radiohead. They have spanned so many different styles there’s probably always a Radiohead song lurking in my mind somewhere. Oh and Brett Domino! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xIUeNJIrak

True or false: “Music is my first love” False.

Silliest thing you’ve done this past month? Signed up for an ultra marathon (39 miles) in April.

What is your most valued possession? My passport. I have to get away from time to time. Music-wise my viola which is 98 years old!

Future plans? Lots but it’s all a juggling act. I’ve some running challenges this year and I’d like to record some music soon. I also have plans for my own business at some point.

If a penguin wearing a sombrero walked into your room right now, what would you do and why? Take the hat and wrapper off and eat it right there. I’m a chocoholic.

How many instruments do you play? In chronological order – violin, viola, piano, bass, acoustic guitar. If it has strings I’d give it a go.

What’s the hardest part about being a musician and what’s the best? Hardest part is practising. Best bit is seeing the work pay off whether it be live or in the studio.

What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? It has to go beyond the sound. You can be playing great faultless music but if it looks like you’re not into it then you’ve lost half the battle. As musicians it’s really difficult to remember that when you’re playing. It’s almost better to make mistakes and smile through it. I remember watching back a video of my first ever band gig and cringing about how static and serious I was.

As a pianist and string player, how do you feel the classics help the modern music scene? Everything builds on what’s come before so you can relate most things back to classical music even if it’s not obvious.

What does the word “interpretation” mean to you? Ha – all my parts in Robb’s songs. It might not be exactly what he intended but I always hope it’s as good if not better than what he was thinking. If he laughs when you play something you know it’s good. It took me a long time to realise that!

Big Bird or Elmo? Elmo and Andrea Bocelli (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv38j4lPzd0 ) ha ha.

Top 3 places you’d love to play live Leeds town hall, Ulster hall, Glastonbury festival

What surprises you the most? My kids. Almost every day.

Favourite song from high school? Toughie again. In early high school I liked Jamiroquai. Hearing ‘Everything in it’s right place’ by Radiohead was a big shift in my taste but I’m going to choose ‘Flying’ by Death in Vegas. The song reminds me of the first gig I went to with schoolmates at Manchester Ritz. It was 9-2 on a school night. Good times. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jMCQh8aBj0 )

What inspires you? People achieving things they thought were not possible.

Thanks very much for this Al!

You can follow Al on Twitter. Stop by and say hello!

Introducing Alan Ladd Kevin Carlisle, David Bennington and Rick McKee all have been questioned and introduced. Many people have been reading the blogs, but if you haven’t read it yet, go check them out…there are some interesting facts to find about the band behind Robb Murphy!

#Singer-Songwriter #Alan Ladd #Elmo #Introducing #Keyboard #Music #New Music #NI Music #Piano #Robb Murphy #Strings

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