Herbert J. Ellis News
British musician
Commemorations 2025 (Birth: Herbert J. Ellis)
- mandolin
- United Kingdom
- mandolinist, composer, music teacher, writer
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2024-04-25
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2024-04-06 08:42:00
Spell Book, Witch & Stone Fruit: composer Freya Waley-Cohen on the power of ritual and spells
Freya Waley-Cohen: Spell Book - Héloïse Werner, Manchester Collective - Barbican (Photo: César Vásquez Altamirano)On 1 February 2024, Manchester Collective, Héloïse Werner (soprano), Fleur Barron (mezzo-soprano), Katie Bray (mezzo-soprano) and Céline Saout (harp) presented the world premiere of Freya Waley-Cohen's complete Spell Book at the Barbican in advance of the song cycle's release on NMC Recordings in October 2024. Setting feminist spell-poems from Rebecca Tamás' 2019 collection WITCH, the cycle mines a vein that Freya Waley-Cohen also explored in her 2020 opera WITCH. In a totally different vein, February 2024 also saw the premiere of Freya's Stone Fruit at Wigmore Hall performed by the Colin Currie Quartet.Freya Waley-Cohen (Photo: Patrick Allen)When Freya first read Rebecca Tamás' poetry, it caught her imagination and expanded her way of looking at the world. Freya loved the idea of witches and spells, the poetry was fantastical, playful and powerful. She also felt that the […]
2024-04-05 08:55:00
West Green House Opera: new artistic director Tom Elwin introduces the 2024 season
Thomas Elwin as Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at West Green House Opera in 2021(Photo: Matthew Williams-Ellis)West Green House Opera returns this Summer for its fourth season in the magical theatre on the lake. Running from 19 to 28 July 2024 the season features Verdi's Falstaff, Rossini's Il barbiere di Sivigla and Puccini's Suor Angelica. As ever, one of the non-musical attractions of the festival is the setting, with Marylyn Abbott's gardens form both a spectacular operatic backdrop and a source of pre-opera delight.The opera company also has a new artistic director, Tom Elwin. Best known as a tenor, he was Lensky in West Green's 2021 production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin [see review on OperaToday] and his roles last year included Gennaro in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia with English Touring Opera [see my review], Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme also with ETO and Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore with Wild Arts [see my review].For Tom, one […]
2024-02-26 07:40:00
Marking the centenary of Puccini's death, Opera Holland Park in his early Messa di Gloria
Chorus of Opera Holland Park, the City of London Sinfonia, conductor John Andrews with soloists David Butt Philip and Ross Ramgobin (Photo: Opera Holland Park)Puccini: songs & arias, Messa di Gloria; Eleanor Broomfield, Fflur Wyn, Philip Costovski, Joseph Buckmaster, José de Eça, David Butt Philip, Ross Ramgobin, Chorus of Opera Holland Park, City of London Sinfonia, John Andrews; Holy Trinity Church, Sloane StreetReviewed 22 February 2024Opera Holland Park launches its Puccini celebration early with a fine account his early and intriguing mass setting, plus a chance to preview the tenor hero in the Summer production of Tosca2024 sees 100 years since Puccini's death and Opera Holland Park are marking that by performing Tosca (in Stephen Barlow's iconic 2008 production) and Edgar (a great rarity on the operatic stage) this Summer. But on Thursday 22 February 2024 the company launched its Puccini commemoration early with a concert at Holy Trinity Church, […]
2024-02-16 00:00:00
Some lesser-known 20th century Cello Concertos
Hungarian Cello Concertos:01 - 03 Mátyás Seiber: Tre Pezzi for cello & orchestra (1956) [19'57]04 - 06 Antal Dorati: Cello Concerto (1977) [33'42]07 - 09 Béla Bartók (arr. Tibor Serly): Viola Concerto (1945) [23'49]Raphael Wallfisch- cello, BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Gábor Takács-NagyNimbus NI 5919 [recorded January 2014; issued 2014][digital download; flacs, cover, booklet and inlay scans]Recording venue: Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, WalesRecording engineer: Huw Thomas; Producer: Adrian FarmerBritish Cello Concertos:01 - 02 John Joubert: Cello Concerto, op.171 (2012) [23'02]03 - 06 Robert Simpson: Cello Concerto (1991) [28'40]07 - 09 Christopher Wright: Cello Concerto (2011) [18'56]Raphael Wallfisch- cello, BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by William BoughtonLyrita SRCD344 [recorded December 2013; issued 2014][digital download; flacs, cover, booklet and inlay scans]Recording venue: Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, WalesRecording engineer: Huw Thomas; Producer: Adrian FarmerSainsbury and Foulds:01 - 03 Lionel Sainsbury: Cello Concerto, op.27 (1999) * [33'22]04 - 06 John Foulds: Cello Concerto […]
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