Winter Festival photographs are here!

We had a fantastic time during the Winter Festival, and we hope those who attended did also. Here are a few photos of our favourite festival moments and events:

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Photograph credits: Celine Smith and  Sabine Tilly

Intern Diaries: Michael’s Winter Festival week

And with around 150 participants taking their final bow at Fables – A Film Opera, the first part of the Winter Festival drew to a close. (Well sort of; there were of course lots of things to do such as tidy up, and battle with the weather).

The Festival week has been a whirlwind of an experience, with daily meetings, and mucking in on a mixture of jobs. The past seven days has seen me (and everyone) stewarding, transporting, sitting in a very cold foyer, and fetching forgotten equipment(!), as well as all the usual things which occur week to week.  It has also meant being able to see bits and pieces of the performers both in concert and rehearsal.

Winter Songs Image:Celine Smith

Particular highlights for me have included watching Tower Voices make their debut in Winter Songs, hearing Caius College Choir & Consort’s sensitive performance of sacred madrigals in Madrigals Transformed, catching Carmina rehearsing the stunning music of An Icelandic Songbook, and of course the momentous premiere of Fables – A Film Opera.

Fables Image: Celine Smith

With only a month left to go until the end of my internship, it’s back to the grindstone (well at least for a few pre-Christmas days!) to prepare for the second part of the Winter Festival in January. I’m especially looking forward to Paul Agnew’s concert Monteverdi, Opera & Beyond. But for now, Merry Christmas!

Michael Duffy
Marketing & Communications Intern

Winter Festival Webcast

The Winter Festival starts today! We cornered Programme Directors Kate Wyatt (Festivals) and Clare Lovett (Learning & Participation) and asked them about what goes into programming  the Winter Festival and Learning & Participation events. Listen for a sneak preview of Winter Festival artists, Club Moxie (Aspirations programme students) and Fables – a Film Opera.

60 Seconds With…Matt Peacock

Today we have the next installation of our feature ’60 Seconds with…’! Over  the coming weeks we will be posting quick and quirky interviews with the people behind the music at the Winter Festival. There’s no hard and fast rule with what we ask – most questions come from members of the team – though if you’d like to contribute, leave your questions in the comments section. Enjoy!

This week, Streetwise Opera‘s Executive Director,  Matt Peacock discusses Blue Whales,  Britten’s operas and wanting to be a doctor!

Times or Guardian?
Guardian

Wine or Beer?
Both (especially real ale and white wine though not together obviously!)

What’s the most played track from your MP3 player/CD collection?
Video Killed the Radio Star, The Buggles (if I’m being honest, the most-played track is actually something from the BBC’s In the Night Garden but I decided to ignore that!)

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Doctor

Where’s your favourite place in London?
Natural History Museum. This is such a hard question – I love so many places in London: Kings Road at Christmas, the Southbank between the Royal Festival Hall and Tate Modern on a sunny day, the parks, St Christopher’s Place… But ultimately my first memory of London was looking at the Blue Whale in the Natural History Museum and now I’m taking my kids to do the same so it’s a special place for me

What’s the most memorable performance you’ve seen as an audience member?
Billy Budd at ENO with Simon Keenlyside in 2005. I was lucky enough to see a lot of opera in many different places when I worked for Opera Now magazine. For me it has to be a Britten opera because I love his music and he was at the top of his game when writing opera. This production stood out for me because the combination of the singing and the direction knocked me over.

Why did you want to work with Spitalfields Music?
The perfect integration between mainstream and community programming

What inspires you?
Surprising people with what they can achieve

Fables – A Film Opera premieres on Friday 17 December at Shoreditch Church (St Leonard’s) . For more information please visit www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk

60 Seconds With…Paul Sartin

Today we have the next installation of our feature ’60 Seconds with…’! Over  the coming weeks we will be posting quick and quirky interviews with the people behind the music at the Winter Festival. There’s no hard and fast rule with what we ask – most questions come from members of the team – though if you’d like to contribute, leave your questions in the comments section. Enjoy!

This week, we spoke to Fables – a Film Opera composer and Bellowhead member, Paul Sartin.

Lute or electric guitar?
Neither – the only decent string instruments don’t need frets.

Beer or Cider? Whiskey or Rum?
Definitely ale, or proper cider – the stuff with rats in.

What’s the naughtiest thing you did at school?
Spread a rumour that someone was pregnant, except that due to Chinese whispers it came back to haunt me when I was cited as the father.

Who’s your favourite fictional hero?
Peter Rabbit.

Where’s your favourite venue in London?
Waterloo Station – the quickest way out and back home to Hampshire.

What’s your most memorable performance as a performer?
Being an extra on Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow (kids’ TV programme), as a guest at the wedding between Timmy Mallett and Mr Blobby.

What one thing would you most like to tell your audiences?
To buy more of my CDs.

What’s the best thing about being involved in Fables?
I love the whole thing – the singers, the staff, the enthusiasm and creativity! It’s such an exciting project, and I feel honoured to be part of it.

Fables – A Film Opera is being premiered on Friday 17 December at Shoreditch Church (St Leonard’s) . For more information please visit www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk