While you all no doubt have only one thing on your minds at the moment i.e. the next session of PDtP, I thought it worth pointing out a couple of other up-coming musical happenings that may be of interest.
On September 19th, the Wild Street Ensemble are putting on a ‘come and sing’ event, to include excerpts from some of the great Baroque choral works; details here. (I understand that they are running a 2-for-1 ticket promotion but you have to be quick as it expires today; see here for details.)
I haven’t yet heard these guys but I’m always keen to support young musicians just starting out on their careers so I hope that some of you may be able to get along to sing with them.
Another concert that I’d like to highlight is the debut of the Chineke! Orchestra at the QEH on September 13th, the day before our next PDtP.
Other performing arts, such as theatre, have come some way in addressing the issue of diversity (although frustratingly there’s still a long way to go) but if you are anything like me, you may have often wondered why the orchestras and ensembles that we love to hear and to support appear to have little or no ethnic diversity within their membership.
The Chineke! Foundation, set up by Chi-chi Nwanoku (founder member of the Orchestra of the Age of Englistenment and its Principal Double Bassist), is attempting to address this imbalance.
It’s better to let Chi-chi herself speak about the aims of the foundation (have a look here & also here) but I would like to do my bit by encouraging you all to attend what I have no doubt will be a truly superb concert, not least because it combines a contemporary work (Philip Herbert‘s Elegy) with the music of a largely forgotten composer (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor‘s Ballade for orchestra) and tops it all off with Beethoven’s apotheosis of the dance, Symphony No.7.
Tickets to the concert are going fast so I hope to see some of you there!
Cheers
Kevin
Polyphony Down the Pub 