In the House… with a flute

In our final stop on the tour of last Winter’s In the House project, which saw student composers and performers from the Royal Academy of Music collaborate on brand-new site specific works, we reach 10 Folgate Street. The building has had a colourful history of inhabitants and the compact upstairs sitting room, along with the unusual nature of the In the House performance, was inspiration for Adam Dickson’s Focusing on Intimacy performed by flautist Jonathan Slade.

In the House take intimate solo performances in the ancient drawing rooms of Spitalfields residents.

Enjoy listening to the track below along with Adam’s programme notes about the work.

‘This piece for solo flute is influenced by the idea of voyeurism. As you tour around this house, you are entering and enjoying a stranger’s home. Looking around, curiosity builds and you wonder why a single object features in one room and, perhaps, not another. This unfamiliar object becomes the main focus of your attention. You become drawn to its existence. Its inanimate quality allows you to take hold of this object, to possess it. Those other surrounding objects, which were more familiar, fade into the background. What was once irrational and, perhaps, distasteful, is now beautiful and natural.’

Gettin’ to know you: Cathy

This time it’s the turn of our swashbuckling Programme Manager: Learning & Participation, Cathy to bare her soul for the blog!

What was the first gramophone cylinder you bought? *
Sadly my penchant for a nice charity shop bargain hasn’t yet stretched to a phonograph, though I did once have a tinkle on a player piano.

Do you have a favourite composer? If so, who?
Enduringly Shostakovich, though I’ve been known to veer into the Hindemith camp from time to time over the years. I think there’s a starkness in both that appeals to me, but also a great deal of wit and inventiveness in texture and harmony that keeps you on your toes.

Almost a dancer, now an L&P Programme Manager

What was the last concert/gig you went to?
Not sure if it quite counts but I went to the semi final of the Musical Comedy Awards recently which was brilliant. Really good to see also that those through to the final are “musicians that are really very funny” rather than “comedians who throw in some music as something a bit different”.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
As a small child a ballet dancer, despite the best efforts of my formidable teacher to dissuade me. I believe the exact words she used to my 6-year-old self were, “You’ll never be a dancer, you’re too tall and your feet are too big. The only good thing about you are your shoulder blades”, before vigorously impaling hair pins into my bun and – I maintain – head. Luckily the lady who played piano for our class was more on the relaxed side and took me under her wing as a piano pupil. Probably worked out for the best as she was right, I do have pretty big feet.

What were you doing before coming to work with Spitalfields Music?
Before coming to Spitalfields Music I spent a year as Orchestral Assistant at the Royal Academy of Music, busily trying to ensure that the right music and the right students were in the right place at the right time. Not always an easy task!

Prior to that I did my master’s with research focused on an impossible (literally!) piece of Ferneyhough, Cassandra’s Dream Song, which I also attempted to play. Luckily for me the score comes with lengthy instructions including that “a ‘beautiful’, cultivated performance is not to be aimed at”. Phew!

Red or white wine?
Ooo, yes please. That would be lovely.

What excites you most about working with Spitalfields Music?
My role in L&P means that I’m out and about lots of the time making music with different groups from all over our community. When every day is different they’re mostly pretty exciting.

Who inspires you?
I’ve always found explorers and travellers inspiring. Not just for heading out into the unknown, but for having the even greater courage to up sticks and leave the comfortable behind.

And finally, would you share an interesting fact about yourself with us?
I am a pirate. No, not really. Though I do live on a sailing boat that looks like this…

 

Cathy’s boat, the Mooi Maisga (Friesian for Beautiful Girl)

*We should point out that this was a reaction to Cathy complaining that she was too old for her first recording to have been a CD.

In pictures: the award-nominated ‘We are Shadows’

As many of you may have heard, we’ve been fortunate enough to be shortlisted twice(!) for this year’s RPS Music Awards.

In the RPS Music Award for Learning & Participation category is last Summer’s fantastic We are Shadows - our opera project that was two years in the making and involved over 300 participants of all ages from Tower Hamlets.

It’s got us reminiscing about the project and so we thought we’d take the opportunity to share a selection of images captured from along the way. We hope you enjoy!

Composer John Barber and librettist Hazel Gould

Workshopping with The Sixteen at Village Underground

Rehearsal at Barbican Centre

Director Mia Theil Have in rehearsals a Barbican Centre

The City Chorus in rehearsal at Barbican Centre

Robert Anthony Gardiner as Toby

The City Chorus

Toby, his Shadow, Rattus Rattus and the Shadow Voice

Rattus Rattus and some of the young rats

Shoreditch Church dressed for We are Shadows

If you fancy a little bit more, have a look at the We are Shadows videos on our YouTube channel. There’s a great documentary from Andy Weir, and you can enjoy a short film below:

Images by Jez C Self.

CLoSer: Jazz Finale

So we’re just over a week away from the last instalment of the current CLoSer series, aptly titled Jazz Finale. The City of London Sinfonia and conductor Clark Rundell will be joined by the celebrated jazz pianist, Gwilym Simcock in a programme showcasing his improvisation skills alongside musical gems by Darius Milhaud, and Mark-Anthony Turnage.

Image: Clare Parker

If you haven’t been to a CLoSer performance before, you can enjoy all this music in the relaxed atmosphere of the Village Underground with bean-bags and a cash bar open throughout the night. Plus you can get up close and personal with the performers throughout the performance.

If you fancy a taster of what’s in store, check out the CLS’s Spotify Playlists featuring music from Milhaud, Turnage and Gwilym Simcock as well as some jazz favourites.

Don’t forget you can buy your tickets on our website or by calling the box office on 020 7377 1362  (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm). Tickets are £15 (including a free drink) and only £5 for students.

Spitalfields Speaks returns

Spitalfields Speaks is making a return!

A couple of years ago we worked with five extraordinary local characters, who along with sound artist Duncan Chapman created five very different downloadable audio works which offered unique alternative perspectives into the East End of London that we love.

I’m excited to announce that it’s time for Spitalfields Speaks round two! Over the past few months we’ve been working with some truly inspiring individuals to continue the project and add more voices and stories to the map. Working with Duncan, Marge, Rodney and Shiv has been great fun and has included many hours of reminiscing and reflecting upon the power of sound to evoke memory, place and identity.

What’s more, this time round you too can get involved so watch this space – check back in a few weeks time when all will be revealed and you’ll find out how you too can contribute. In the meantime, I’ll leave you in the fine company of Mike, Jez, Madge, Beryl and Sharif.

Visit the Spitalfields Speaks page on our website to explore further.

This project was made possible through a Transformers grant, funded by The National Lottery and managed by East London Business Alliance – for which we are very grateful.

Ellie Folkes
Programme Manager: Festivals