Blog Archives
Islands (Ynysoedd) in Iceland video!
I am so thrilled to be able to share a wonderful recording of The South Iceland Chamber Choir performing ‘Islands (Ynysoedd)’ at their recent concert. I need to say a big thank you to Brian FitzGibbon and Árni Möller for this, in addition to Hilmar Örn Agnarsson, Björg Þórhallsdóttir, and the SICC.
Islands/Ynysoedd in Iceland
On Tuesday 21st this week, the South Iceland Chamber Choir (or Kammerkór Suðurlands to those fluent in Icelandic) performed my piece Islands/Ynysoedd at a concert in Reykjavik. I believe the concert was to promote a new CD which the choir has just released, more details to follow…
‘Islands (Ynysoedd)’ in Salisbury
Earlier this week I watched my piece ‘Islands (Ynysoedd)’ being performed in Salisbury Arts Festival. This was the very first time in the UK that the piece had been performed with the movement designed in the score. The choir performed so brilliantly that according to the review in the Telegraph, some audience members were moved to tears! If you click on the image above you can read the full article written in the Telegraph.
Melting the ice…
Last year’s performance of ‘Islands (Ynysoedd)’ by the SICC was very well received. The passing of Sir John Tavener, in the same week as the concert premiering this work, meant that all involved wished to pay their musical respects to him and his family. In this context, I felt that the movement part of this piece needed to be temporarily omitted. I journeyed back to Iceland last week to work with the choir on this element of the score. The top photo (credit: Brian FitzGibbon) shows the choir rehearsing in Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik. This is where the Icelandic premiere of the work was given in the Reykjavik Arts Festival on 24th May 2014. I will be posting a video of the choir during our preliminary rehearsals, and subsequent performances to my You Tube channel very soon.
Islands (Ynysoedd) on BBC Radio 3
My new piece Islands (Ynysoedd) was featured on BBC Radio 3’s ‘The Choir’ programme on Sunday. If you’d like to hear the interview starting at 46:40 please click through the image above (this will only be possible for the next few days). However, you can still listen and download the piece by following my Soundcloud link, through the ‘Music’ tab above.
Southwark Cathedral Premieres
On the 15th November my piece ‘Islands (Ynysoedd)’ was premiered by South Iceland Chamber Choir. With the death of Sir John Tavener in the week leading up to the concert, the evening proved intense and captivating. If he had been able to attend, I was greatly looking forward to shaking his hand and thanking him for his music. I would like to remark on his family’s composure during the concert: I think I would have struggled under such circumstances. I hope that the standing ovation that finished the concert was as much directed towards them, as the team who produced the concert.
The photographs below depict the choir singing in the studio live on air on BBC Radio 3, and rehearsing before the concert in Southwark Cathedral. Thanks to the sound engineer Árni Möller, I have been able to mix a recording of ‘Islands (Ynysoedd) from the concert on Friday. It should be on the ‘Music’ tab of this site, via soundcloud link. If you would like to read the review of the concert from ‘The Telegraph’, click on the pictures below to be taken to their site.
Jack White 