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Composer: BULL, John ((?1562/3-1628)) |
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ID: CC2014
CDs: 2
Type: CD
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Subcollection: Bassoon
The 24-page CD booklet has a 6,000 word programme note in English containing the interview below, plus a detailed track-by-track description, including interviews with Gordon Langford about his arrangements and David Matthews about Toccatas and Pastorals. There are many photographs.
Jeremy Polmear talks to Catherine Smith about The Sheba Sound:
The Sheba Sound was founded in 1975 by Catherine Smith, and ran for an impressive 22 years. I asked her how it came about. "I was a freelance oboist working in London, and, to be honest, I felt that life was getting a bit repetitive. I needed a challenge, I needed to break out of the orchestral rut. I love making experiments, and exploring new areas of life.
"My starting point for the new group was two oboes, bassoon and harpsichord to play trio sonatas. I approached the oboist Deirdre Lind and the bassoonist Deirdre Dundas-Grant because they had both played in the BBC Concert Orchestra, and therefore had experience in playing all kinds of music. Neil Black [a prominent London oboist] suggested I contact the harpsichordist Harold Lester, who not only played early music with Alfred Deller, but contemporary music with Cathy Berberian and the London Sinfonietta. Our horizons were limitless. The name of the group reflects this - 'Sheba', in reference to the best-known baroque piece for two oboes, 'The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' by Handel, - and 'Sound', being the kind of name you wouldn't use in strictly classical circles. All future members of the group shared this eclectic experience of musical styles. I am particularly grateful to the first members, who made financial sacrifices until we had established ourselves.
"As I wanted the group to be unique in every respect, I decided that we would play, if possible, unpublished Baroque music, so I spent hours and hours in libraries looking for interesting scores. Harold Lester brought his extensive knowledge of early harpsichord music, and arranged some of it; and I also wanted a more jazzy arranger. Brian Kay of the King's Singers suggested Gordon Langford, who had written beautifully for them; he wrote a Folk Song Suite for us [Kaleidoscope CD, tracks 15 -19], the first of many arrangements. Our subsequent commissions were not only contemporary serious music, but also jazz and rock.
"I decided that our presentation was very important. Our dresses were glamourous, shot silk, in bright reds, and the men had cummerbunds to match. Each work was introduced by a member of the group, which was unusual at that time. We commissioned special music stands from the furniture department of the Royal College of Art, and draped the funiture on the platform in red velvet.
"We played all over the UK, in concert halls, at music clubs and festivals, and we did regular London concerts at the Wigmore Hall. One was recorded, and is the source of several tracks on these CDs. We often worked with well-known actors such as Gabriel Woolf [The Bassoon Song, Kaleidoscope CD, track 7], Derek Jacobi, Nicolas Parsons and Spike Milligan, on whose TV programmes we appeared. We did lots of Children's Concerts too, at which the greatest success was a special story, 'The Key to the Zoo', written by humourist Miles Kington, with music by Stephen Oliver. In the story we each became an animal character, with an appropriate hat.
"We toured abroad too, especially in Germany, Italy and Arabia. In Italy they preferred to have a singer with the group, and we took people such as the contralto Margaret Cable and the tenor Christopher Underwood. We also played in Holland, and on TV in Flanders. We broadcast in the UK too - on the BBC music channel Radio 3, but I was also on the talk channel Radio 4, on 'Woman's Hour'. At the time I had three children under eight as well as my career - quite a new thing back in 1975 - and this created quite a lot of interest among the listeners, who then wanted to know what our music sounded like. This led to the BBC financing a recording, many of whose tracks appear here." |
| 29.00 eur Buy |
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ID: LIR005
CDs: 1
Type: CD
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Collection: Instrumental
150 years of English virginals music
Classical Periods: Baroque, Medieval, Renaissance
For this CD David has chosen a programme which reflects the social and political changes taking place in Britain through the 16th and 17th centuries, and which explores the different influences on the repertoire of the virginal, an instrument which was a major part of musical life at that time. Through a chronological survey, he also focuses our attention on the development of the instrument itself and how it adapted to the demands of the changing repertoire.
David makes particular use of the Arpichordium, or ‘bray’ stop: a batten parallel with the bridge, in which are fixed a set of metal hooks that touch the strings when the stop is engaged, resulting in a colourful ‘buzzing’ sound.
The instrument used in this recording was made by Ian Tucker, and is a Muselar virginal, an exact replica of one made in Antwerp in 1620, by Andreas Ruckers.
(English repertoire played on a Ruckers reproduction). |
| 15.00 eur Buy |
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ID: RES10143
CDs: 1
Type: CD
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Collection: Organ Collection
Subcollection: Organ
Stephen Farr (organ) with The Gentlemen of the Choir of Sidney Sussex College directed by David Skinner
Acclaimed organist, Stephen Farr returns with an album of organ masterworks from the Tudor and Jacobean era performed on the new Taylor & Boody Organ (Opus 66) of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
Installed in 2013, this single manual, mechanical action instrument, features seven stops and was specifically designed to accompany and perform music from the English Renaissance.
Here Farr performs virtuosic works by some of the period's leading composers including William Byrd's Voluntarie for my ladye nevell and John Bull's Coranto Joyeuse. Other composers featured on the album include Thomas Tallis, Thomas Tomkins, John Blitheman and Orlando Gibbons. Farr is also joined by The Gentlemen of the Choir of Sidney Sussex College directed by David Skinner. |
| 18.00 eur Buy |
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ID: SIGCD009
CDs: 1
Type: CD
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Collection: Chamber Music
Subcollection: Chamber Ensemble
Artist track listing:
Susanne Heinrich: (a) treble viol (M.D. Attwood 1993, after B. Norman)
(b) tenor viol (M.D. Attwood 1993, after B. Norman)
(c) 6-string bass viol (M.D. Attwood 1991, after J. Rose)
Lynda Sayce: (d) Renaissance flute (L. Jones 1996)
(e) 7-course lute (M. Lowe 1998, after G. Gerle ca. 1580)
(f) chitarrone (D. Van Edwards 1987, after Tieffenbrucker III 1608)
Kah-Ming Ng: (g) chamber organ (V. Woodstock 1996)
(h) harpsichord (A. Garlick 1977, after I. Ruckers 1638)
Oliver Webber : (i) violin (A. Beavitt 1986, after Stradivari)
Susanna Pell: (j) 6-string bass viol (J. Julier 1992, after R. Meares)
Reiko Ichise: (k) 6-string bass viol (M.D. Attwood 1991, after J. Rose)
Jacob Heringman: (l) 4-course cittern (S. Barber 1994, late 16th-century style)
(m) 7-course lute (B. Hirst 1992, after Venere 1582)
Rupert Jennings: (n) Tenor voice |
| 18.00 eur Buy |
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