Robin Stopford News
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2024-04-25
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2024-03-13 09:06:00
Contemporary music for St Patrick's Day: Belfast-based choir Cappella Caeciliana, musical director Matthew Quinn, makes its London debut
Cappella Caeciliana, musical director Matthew QuinnThe Belfast-based choir Cappella Caeciliana, musical director Matthew Quinn, makes its London debut on Saturday 16 March 2024 presenting a concert of Celtic music at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden on the eve of St Patrick’s Day. Celtic Celebration includes music by Sir James MacMillan and Charles Wood, along with rising stars Seàn Doherty, Eoghan Desmond. Áine Mallon and Anselm McDonnell [read my review of McDonnell's recent disc, Kraina]. The works by Doherty and McDonnell are London premieres, and Quicksilver by choir member Anita Mawhinney is also a London premiere. The programme also includes Philip Stopford's Ave Verum Corpus, composed when he was Director of Music at St Anne’s (Anglican) Cathedral in Belfast as a gift to St Peter’s, the city’s other Cathedral (Catholic), whilst the performance of Dublin-born Charles Villiers Stanford's The Blue Bird commemorates the centenary month of his death.Full details from St Paul's Church's website.
2023-11-23 07:28:00
Taking its energy from the youth of the performers: Olivia Fuchs' new production of Handel's Ariodante at Royal Academy Opera
[…] players, but here the balance was shifted towards a more modern dramaturgical concept.We caught the opening night of Olivia Fuchs' new production of Handel's Ariodanteat the Royal Academy of Music's Susie Sainsbury Theatre on Tuesday 21 November 2023. David Bates conducted the Royal Academy Sinfonia, with Angharad Rowlands as Ariodante, Clara Orif as Ginevra, Erin O'Rourke as Dalinda, Rebecca Hart as Polinesso, Henry Ross as Lurcanio, Charles Cunliffe as the King of Scotland and Samuel Stopford as Odoardo. Designs were by Yannis Thavoris with lighting by Jake Wiltshire and movement by Monica Nicolaides.Thavoris' designs were crisp and modern, a plain yet stylish box for the production to inhabit. Costumes were modern too, with that type of cutting edge design that leverages the blurring of gender roles. The action during the overture began with a sort of allocation of roles, the two women playing Ariodante and Polinesso assuming their chosen gender, […]
2021-12-10 08:33:58
Christmas disc round-up: from Christmas Matins in Bavaria & Nine Lessons & Carols at King's College, Cambridge to festive brass from Canada & the Wexford Carols
[…] professional ensemble formed in 2019) performs a programme that mixes old favourites such as Elizabeth Poston's Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and Ireland's The Holy Boy, with lesser known gems. Gary Davison was a name that was new to me and I loved his arrangement of an American folk-melody, Rorate Coeli, and whilst Philip Ledger's name is familiar it is lovely to have three of his carols on the disc, along with music by Philip Stopford, Philip Moore, and Philip Wilby. A finely sung disc that brings a new flavour to old favourites. Christmas Bells: Organ Music from Belfast Cathedral Matthew Owens (organ) Resonus Classics RES 10293 In the second of the discs from Belfast Cathedral on Resonus, Matthew Owens plays the Harrison & Harrison organ (built in 1907 and rebuilt in 1975) in music by Bach, Guilmant, Daquin, Walther, Flor Peeters, Philip Wilby, […]
2020-12-03 07:36:02
[…] music for Christmas - Opus Anglicanum - direct from ensemble's website Also called Gaudete! and recorded by another West country choir, the new disc on Regent Records features the choir of Bath Abbey (boy trebles, girls choir and lay clerks) conducted by Huw Williams. The programme moves from a lively version of the 16th century Gaudete! (with Tim Palmer on drum) and then moves through carols and contemporary pieces including Eric Whitacre, Philip Stopford, Paul Edwards and Morten Lauridsen, plus arrangements by John Rutter. Of particular interest to Tavener lovers perhaps might be a setting of Blake's The Lamb by Henry Walford Davies. The disc showcases the talents of the treble line in various ways, boys on their own, girls on their own and together. Gaudete! - Regent Records - Amazon Alpha & O: Music for Advent & Christmas on Resonus Classics also features multiple with […]
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