Today - sandwiched between the two extremes of packing boxes (we move house in a couple of weeks) and practising for various concerts, including a Mendelssohn Concerto on June 14th (see Concerts) - I awarded myself a day off! The weather in Norfolk was superb and a trip to the RSPB reserve at Snettisham, on the east coast of the Wash, was very enjoyable and resulted in some great photographic opportunities. This evening, just before dusk, we also ventured out into Thetford Forest and had some excellent views of Nightjars, as well as hearing their distinctive whirring call and wing-clapping display flight.

Whitethroat

This Oystercatcher was just returning to its eggs, having initially been disturbed by our arrival.

Just about to settle down.....

Getting comfortable!

Sorted!

I’m pleased to be able to announce the release, as a download CD, of “What Fools These Mortals Be” - works by composer David Stoll.

David writes “This new release combines five of the pieces from ‘The Shakespeare Suite’ with related works, including the first release of the third String Quartet, ‘Fools By Heavenly Compulsion’, based on King Lear. All this music explores the human tendency to deceive ourselves, particularly in matters of love, a major theme in Shakespeare. As the meddler Puck says, watching unnoticed: “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”

The Bingham Quartet recorded David’s third quartet for this download, and we’ve also premiered his fourth quartet.

For more details and audio examples, please visit www.creative-confidence.com.

Just a reminder about my solo concert on 1st May in Cambridge: Do come along if you can. Tickets are available on the door or via my online shop by clicking here. Here’s the flyer for the concert -

Last Saturday saw me conducting the first Ely Sinfonia concert of the year - and the first of the orchestra’s 10th Anniversary season - in Ely Cathedral. The well attended concert was a great success; the players, as usual, putting everything into it. For me personally there were two particular points of interest in the repertoire: Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony op.110a.

Both of these were fascinating for me as I was performing them in a very different role from normal. I have played “Scheherazade” half a dozen times over the last 20 years, but always as orchestral leader, dealing with the wonderful (and difficult) violin solos which the piece is famous for. It was great to really study the score for this performance, and be able to absorb the work as a whole, rather than be somewhat blinkered by all the impending solos! Our leader for the concert - Christina Everson - did a great job with the solos, while I was struck by how superbly crafted the piece is.

Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony op.11a, is an arrangement for string orchestra of the famous 8th String Quartet, made by conductor and instrumentalist Rudolf Barshai, with the permission of the composer, whom Barshai knew well. The 8th Quartet has been one of my favourite pieces for the genre since I was a teenager, and I had always shied away from listening to it in the Barshai arrangement: The Quartet is so powerful that I felt any rearrangement could only lessen it’s impact. The Ely Sinfonia Chairman, Robin Moore, suggested the piece for this concert and I agreed to programme it (though not without the odd misgiving). However it proved to be a piece in which the sheer emotion and quality of the writing shone through as much on a full string section as with a quartet. If the opportunity presents itself in the future I would like to perform some of Barshai’s other arrangements of Shostakovich Quartets……

If you’d like more information about Ely Sinfonia please visit their website.

I decided it was about time I gave a solo concert in Cambridge - it’s a while since my last one - and so I’ve booked the excellent St. Giles Church in Castle Street on Friday 1st May 2009. Do put this date into your diaries!!

I’m calling the concert “Ascension”, as it will be a sort of late launch for my latest CD. It will have my normal eclectic mix of pieces, including some old favourites and some new works and arrangements. If you can make it you’re likely to hear music by Bach, Pachelbel, Philip Glass, Coldplay, me, Andrew Keeling, Steven Kelly, Ysaye and others….

The concert will be at 7.30pm and tickets will be available on the door. You can also buy tickets now via my online shop - click here.

This will, I hope, be a really enjoyable event: It will be fairly informal, with a chance to enjoy a glass of wine while listening to the music. Do join me if you can.