Music

Classical roundup - Oct 30-Nov 5 (preview)

29th October 2008

Look at a Constable landscape, or a Reynolds portrait, or listen to a piece by Mozart or Beethoven, and it’s pretty clear what the artist or composer had in mind.

However, contemporary art and music can be more difficult to appreciate, where the border between supposedly serious creations, and what are perhaps little more than mere gimmicks, is harder to define.

On Saturday, November 1, there’s the perfect opportunity to make your own mind up, when the strings of the Ten Tors Orchestra premiere a new work, Fish Music, by Sam Richards, which actually involves fish in the music-making.

Sam describes the work: "A musical stave without a clef is placed on the side of an aquarium which is stocked with plenty of fish. As the fish swim behind this stave, the pitches they can be seen to ‘notate’ are followed by string players sitting with their backs to the audience, and looking at the fish. A group of improvisers sits facing the audience, their backs to the fish, and improvises using the music created by the strings as the basis.

The programme will also include some further contemporary string music commissioned by Ten Tors Orchestra reflecting a watery theme.

The composers include Karen Wimhurst, Jonathan Pitkin, Hywel Davies, Ben Bartlett, and another world premiere, Little Waves of the Harbour, by Lona Kozik.

To ensure that the music has the maximum impact, the event takes place at the National Marine Aquarium.

Conductor, Simon Ible, said: "This will be a musical adventure for the Ten Tors Orchestra Strings, exploring new depths in musical interpretation. Peninsula Arts is certainly excited to be working in partnership with the National Marine Aquarium on this unique musical exploration."

John Crouch, Head of Marketing at the Aquarium added: "We are very excited about staging what we believe to be a world-first musical event. The Atlantic Reef aquarium is an incredibly relaxing environment and having the fish movement set to music will make it even more so."

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 8pm, are priced £10 and advance booking is essential as seats are limited to 120 only.

The audience is also invited to a pre-concert buffet supper at the National Marine Aquarium at 6.30pm, with tickets priced £12. For tickets and more information, call 01752 585050.

Meanwhile, Plymouth Philharmonic Choir, pictured top, is busy rehearsing for its next concert, on Sunday, November 9 in Plymouth Guildhall at 7.30pm, when it presents Haydn’s ever-popular Creation.

Christopher Fletcher conducts the choir and orchestra, with soloists, Catherine Hamilton, pictured bottom (soprano), Lynton Atkinson (tenor) and John Hobbs (bass).

Tickets (£15 in advance / £17 on the night) are available from choir members, the Christian Literature Centre, Plymouth, Bookstop, Tavistock, and the Post Office or Mill Shop, Buckfast. They are also available on www.wegottickets.com , 01364 72429, or at the door.

For further information about this, or future concerts, including a performance of Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, December 6 in St Andrew’s Church at 7pm, with the same soloists, visit www.plymouthphilchoir.org

One orchestral concert next month definitely not to be missed, is Plymouth Symphony Orchestra’s regular visit to the Guildhall on Wednesday, November 19, with a superb programme opening with Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture, and closing with Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.

The evening’s undoubted highlight will be Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2, arguably one of the most popular in the repertoire, with internationally-acclaimed soloist, Megumi Fujita.

Details will follow, but to make sure of your seat, tickets are available from Vibes Music, Mayflower Street (01752 603563), on www.wegottickets.com , and at the door, but subject to being unsold.

PHILIP R BUTTALL

Classical roundup - Oct 23-29 (preview)
Classical roundup - Oct 16-22 (preview)
Classical roundup - Oct 9-15 (preview)

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