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ECO Newsletter No. 21: Spring 2013

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Dear ECO Supporters

Welcome to our new-style Newsletter.

We are now using a web-based format so you may sometimes need to click on the links in order to read the articles.  Hard copies will still be produced for those who have not yet given us their email addresses or don't possess one, but please - if you have an email address do let us know so that we can switch you from our "paper" to our "electronic" list, and save escalating postage costs.
 

Looking back on a memorable few months!

And what a memorable few months it has been!  Some highlights were...

The Five Decades Celebration Concert

Our hugely successful Gala Concert celebrating five decades of the ECO was held at London's Royal Festival Hall on 1st October, featuring the ECO with Maxim Vengerov as conductor and violin soloist, the legendary Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and young piano superstar Behzod Abduraimov.  Film director Tony Palmer put together a 70 minute DVD of extracts from his and Christopher Nupen's films featuring the ECO over the last 50 years, for us to distribute along with our concert programmes.  We have a few copies to give away so if you are interested in receiving this historic DVD commemoration of the ECO over the last half-century, just email info@englishchamberorchestra with your full postal address, or phone 020 8840 6565.

 

Mediterranean Music Cruise

Behzod Abduraimov

Our Celebration Concert soloists - Maxim Vengerov, Kiri Te Kanawa and Behzod Abduraimov (pictured) - joined us alongside Lawrence Power, Jack Liebeck, Sergei Nakariakov, Maria Meerovitch, James Baillieu for a wonderful Music Cruise in late October.
We had perfect weather for almost the entire week, consistently great music-making, lovely venues - no wonder many passengers declared this to be our best music cruise to date! 

 

Azerbaijan

Following our first appearance at the Baku Rostropovich Festival in 2009 the Orchestra was delighted to be reinvited to this Festival for a concert in early December.  Maxim Vengerov conducted and played solo violin, partnered by ECO co-leader John Mills in Bach's Concerto for two violins whilst Plamena Mangova was soloist in Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No.1.  An exciting concert in a fascinating city!  This is a link to a short video about the festival.

Other Tours

In the last few months of 2012 other tours have included Milan, Bratislava and Calabria and we also performed in a variety of UK venues, including an exhilarating concert of Britten and Poulenc in Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre.  The concert will be broadcast at 14.00 on January 27th on BBC Radio 3.  bbc.co.uk/radio/

Forward into 2013...

Britten and more - Sky TV


For the ECO it was significant that the new year, marking the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten, started with two Britten-based events.  We were chosen to record much of the music for Sky TV's important new film about the life and music of Britten (directed by Tony Palmer and due to be shown in November).  Paul Watkins conducted and Allan Clayton was our soloist in extracts from Britten's Nocturne

Follow this link to read Simon Heffer's article in Standpoint Magazine

USA

In mid-January the ECO flew to USA to perform a benefit concert at Princeton University's Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall.  Celebrating the 99th birthday of musician and philanthropist William H. Scheide, and in aid of the Community Park Pool fund, the concert was a resounding success.   We played two pieces of English music - Bax's Dance in the Sunlight and Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra - along with Winter from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.  Princeton was beautiful and the local hosts and concert committee could not have been more welcoming or helpful.  A great start to 2013!

Forthcoming events include...

Ealing Music and Film Festival

Please support our concert on 15 February 2013 which features violinist TASMIN LITTLE and which forms part of the Ealing Music and Film Festival.  The venue is St Barnabas Church, Pitshanger Lane, London W5 and the exhilarating programme includes Tchaikovsky's Serenade, Britten's Violin Concerto and Kodaly's Galanta Dances.  Sian Edwards will conduct, and tickets are available from ealingmusicandfilmfestival.org (or at the door on the night). 

STOP PRESS: We are delighted to announce that Tony Palmer has just confirmed ECO Mailing list subscribers will qualify for 20% discount for the concert on 15 Feb in Ealing. Contact info@englishchamberorchestra for tickets at £20 or £18 (Concessions). Student tickets are £15.

Cadogan Hall

Our next concert at Cadogan Hall will take place on 4 April 2013 when we will perform with Tenebrae Choir and conductor Nigel Short. The concert is centred on the extremely beautiful music of Will Todd;  do visit his website willtodd.com to get a flavour of his rich harmonic and melodious style.  Tickets available from cadoganhall.com
 

Moscow

The ECO is looking forward to a return visit to the International Rostropovich Festival for a concert in Moscow on 2 April.  Paul Watkins will conduct, and Arto Noras is soloist in Britten's Cello Symphony (dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich, with whom the ECO and Benjamin Britten made the first recording of the work).

For further details visit:  en.rostropovichfestival.ru/about-festival/

Contact us

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8840 6565
or: info@englishchamberorchestra.co.uk