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English Philharmonia releases live recording
This
CD is a live recording of the hugely successful concert performed at London’s
Royal Festival Hall in May 2008, featuring the world premiere of a choral
work about the Asian tsunami of 2004, by British composer Chris Williams.
This powerful and moving new piece, Songs of the Coromandel Coast, greeted
by a standing ovation, is a sequel to Williams’ Tsunami Requiem, also
featured here, along with his new brass quintet Malabar. Tsunami Requiem
retells the events on Boxing Day 2004 intertwined with text from the requiem
mass. Songs of the Coromandel Coast shows life three years on, using four
contrasting sea shanties making this work powerful, moving and accessible.
Malabar provides a refreshing interlude from these two choral masterpieces.
The concert, performed in aid of the international children’s charity Plan UK, raised more than £15,000 for educational support for Sri Lankan children whose schools were destroyed by the Asian tsunami of 2004. You can buy the CD through the Plan website: www.planuk.org
English Philharmonia due to premiere new work on 12 May at the Royal Festival Hall … 2 May 2008
The finishing touches are being put to a remarkable concert taking place on the 12th of May at the Royal Festival Hall, on London's South Bank. It will be performed by the English Philharmonia and chorus and contains two works by the Indian based composer Chris Williams. The first - Tsunami Requiem - tells the story the disaster in December 2004 which saw 150 thousand people killed in 11 countries. The second work, revisits the region and is a celebration of survival and rebuilding. Graham Wili talks to Bob Jones, Classic FM about the project: www.classicfm.com/artsdaily
Matthew Scrivener announced as leader for English Philharmonia …24 April 2008
English Philharmonia is pleased to announce that Matthew Scrivener has accepted the position of the orchestra’s leader. Matthew is the leader of the English National Ballet orchestra and guest leader for National Symphony orchestra, City of London Sinfonia and the R.P.O.