Latest news….

Apologies to anyone who was unable to get onto my site last week: My server was terminally hacked and had ot be replaced, so the site was offline for a few days.

In the meantime I’ve given an inaugural concert with a new collaboration; a violin duo called “Phase Two” with violinist Kelly Jones. We played a mixed programme of acoustic and electric works in a wonderful church in Shoreham, including first performances of a new duo piece by Chris Gander and a new arrangement I’ve made of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”!

On Sunday I was conducting Ely Sinfonia in a one day orchestral workshop on Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture” and Bernstein’s “Candide”. A tiring but very enjoyable day. I read somewhere that conducting is the best aerobic exercise there is – I completely agree! One new first violin said “Steve is so good…  he has to put up with all our mistakes and he doesn’t shout at us like some conductors!” I’ll try not to let it go to my head….

I’ve also received some photos from our Ely Sinfonia concert in October, taken during the afternoon rehearsal for the Mozart “Requiem”. Here are a couple.

Rehearsing Mozart's Requiem in Ely Cathedral

...the largest group of musicians I have conducted to date!