A Year with Southern Sinfonia

James Chater (left) - Photo: Richard Johnson

By James Chater 

As July draws ever closer and the 2013-14 season reaches its conclusion, so too does my time with Southern Sinfonia. The year has passed in what feels like the blink of an eye and in the Autumn I will take up my place to read music at Oxford University, armed with every musician’s indispensable set of skills, namely; the high speed assembly of music stands and the preparation of an entire orchestra’s worth of tea and coffee using two kettles. A year with Southern Sinfonia has done far more than just further my musical education.

Upon arriving with the orchestra, last July, a fresh-faced school leaver, I was totally unsure of what to expect from the year. One thing I didn’t expect, however, was accusation of neo-Nazism. Arriving home one day near the start of September, I found a rather flustered-looking father briskly come to the door to quiz me about a worrying email he found on my laptop. A quick explanation that the email entitled ‘SS Plan’ pertained to Southern Sinfonia and not a covert cult smoothed things over. Ironically though, I would say that this is one priceless skill that I have picked up over the year; the ability to navigate an awkward conversation. Whether it is a concertgoer, a vicar of a church the orchestra has descended upon for a weekend or the musicians themselves (all well-intentioned, it goes without saying!), more so than ever I feel accustomed to steering through with only minor scratches. This being said, the diversity of people I have met, from world-famous conductors and musicians, to orchestral managers and vergers has been one of the most rewarding and exciting parts of my experience. The insights that these people have to offer in terms of their perception of the music you are listening to have only served to heighten my appreciation.

The Romance of Brahms meets Britain's Britten rehearsals 

Perhaps my favourite event over the past year was our first subscription concert of the season, ‘The romance of Brahms meets Britain’s Britten’. Not only was the music absolutely breathtaking (igniting in fact, a year long obsession with Brahms), but this was also my first opportunity to see how the inner cogs of an arts organisation turn slowly but surely to produce a truly memorable event. As a school student, you are blissfully unaware of the innumerable twists and turns that the planning of such a concert entails. Before, I would swan up to the hall on the day and play away, but this time was much different. The wonderful world of posters, tickets, flyering, logistics, photocopies of music, bowings were all thrust upon the team, and suddenly I became all too aware of the technicalities of such a concert. Needless to say, in true Southern Sinfonia style, the concert itself came to pass with minimal difficulty, apart from David Hill’s pesky shoe sole (there’s always one), which conveniently decided to detach itself moments before the evening began, leaving him to conduct shoe-less. Don’t say we don’t like a first here at Southern Sinfonia.

The wonderful world of posters!

On a purely selfish level, what this year has done has really put my (and I am loathed to say this cliché) passion for music into a new and sharper focus. Before, music was something that had a very limited context for me, perhaps to be expected, coming from a boarding-school environment. Yet, when you are able to see first-hand what music can do, in terms of education, in the joy that it brings audiences, and the undying love of music in those audiences, it gives me a great sense of affirmation that what I am going to be studying over the next three years has some real gravitas and longevity.

I could elaborate much further on all the benefits of my internship with the SS Team, but I fear it would be of Wagnerian length (oh, one more thing then – a deft eye for musical puns and analogies!). It just leaves me to thank everyone at SS HQ and all those associated for giving me such a wonderful and rewarding experience. I wait with bated breath until my return as guest blogger…

We are so pleased and fortunate to have had James with us this year. He has been a real asset (not just thanks to his ninja-like stand skills!) and it has been wonderful to get to know him over the season. We are very proud that he achieved his dream of going to Oxford, and are looking forward to hearing about his stories and successes.

We will very much miss his ability to make amazing coffee, though – apparently there’s some secret to do with microwaving milk...

-Julia Hudson, Assistant General Manager 

Click here to purchase tickets to our next Café Concert with harpist Olivia Jageurs and actor Alex Knox on Friday 20th June.

To find out about further Southern Sinfonia concerts click here to visit our website. You can also find out more through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Finding your feet in the arts - come & work with Southern Sinfonia!

By Julia Hudson

As many of you will have noted, we are advertising for an Intern. Although not the most glamorous job title, we are looking for a gap year student, graduate or someone looking to start their journey in the world of arts management. While, inevitably, they will prove their worth by a deft music stand manoeuvre at a critical moment, we hope that they will also learn a great deal by working with us for a season.

Quiet coffee moment before rehearsal at Greenwich

Now on the other side of the proverbial table, I feel able to comment on the usefulness of such a position because I started off my career in a similar position. Working in artist management with some concerts and festivals thrown in, I received enough money to cover approximately half an M&S sandwich a day and never worked so diligently in my life. I lived for six months with a very generous family of friends and commuted with the besuited bankers, spending a couple of evenings a week tutoring a lovely AS-level student to make some extra cash. At work, I learned extremely rapidly about everything from how to use (and clean) one of those complex-looking coffee machines to the ins and outs of contracts and A1 forms (don’t ask). The six months flew by, in a whirl of after-work drinks, concerts in some of the most prestigious venues in London – where the artist afterwards hugged and thanked you for booking his taxi there – and a mind-alteringly improved understanding of Microsoft Word.

Most crucially, I learned a great deal. Having already worked in a different sector, I thought I knew how to be organised, how to respond to emails and how to get the most out of a day at my desk. But here were new challenges – working towards others’ proclivities and timetables, answering the phone and the door (often simultaneously) and remembering that a lack of attention to detail could mean a ferry for twelve singers heading in the reverse direction to that which it was intended. Behind the glamorous veneer of concerts, recitals and festivals, there is an underworld of less exciting overseas travel logistics, tax, VAT, contracts, percentages and electronic diary management, which is time-consuming and often complex. In the orchestral world, the challenges vary slightly but still include tight schedules and similarly tight spaces in cathedrals, social media, publicity, printing, cataloguing and a wide range of admin tasks. It's a eye-opening introduction into something most of us never contemplated.

Typical concert-day rehearsal, in Bath Abbey

Most importantly, though, you’ll be learning constantly – surrounded by an experienced team of orchestral managers (ours also travel the world with artists as varied as Neville Marriner, Michael Buble and the Monteverdi Choir), our projects manager Natasha who is also one of our wonderful oboists (see her post here) and many more, your journey will be an informative and enjoyable one. Highlights for me include days spent in some of the most beautiful buildings our country has to offer, working with professional musicians, the local community and schoolchildren all in the same day, and trying to find extra chairs for our recent sold-out concert – I hope you find your own.

Our 13-14 intern James celebrating a place at Oxford with MD Kay

Southern Sinfonia is offering a three days per week, ten month voluntary placement in its small Administration and Management team. Based in Newbury, Berkshire, the Administration and Management internship offers the opportunity to gain experience of how a world-class and busy team works, in the areas of orchestral management, education and participation, artistic planning and administration. The successful candidate will work within the main office, music library and in venues throughout the South of England, working closely with a number of colleagues and musicians across the organisation. To apply, email julia@southernsinfonia.co.uk for a job description.

Last Night of the Proms - Innovative and Exciting

By Julia Hudson

Balloons, Aston Villa, £1 million of sparkling Chopard diamonds and a lot of queuing – as usual, the Last Night of the Proms was a spectacle, and one which hundreds of people had waited through a rainy September night and day to see. We were also witnessing history in the making, with Marin Alsop, the Proms’ first female conductor, taking to the podium for a varied night of music making. The programme looked back at the many composer anniversaries celebrated this season: Verdi, Britten and of course Wagner were all revisited, and Nigel Kennedy and especially Joyce DiDonato provided real ‘star quality’ (Ivan Hewett). Particular highlights for this very fortunate audience member were Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, with a beautiful counter-tenor solo from Iestyn Davies, and Britten’s unusually poignant arrangement of the National Anthem.

Jacob Banks at the Urban Classic Prom

Looking back a few weeks, though, was a very different evening; the Urban Classics prom, which I was entirely convinced I would detest and utterly loved. The reassuring number of regular prommers and their ‘sensible shoes’, as remarked on by Alsop at the Last Night, mingled with Laura Mvula supporters and sky-high stilettos. By the end of the concert, to the tune of ‘One Love’ by Bob Marley, beautifully arranged and directed by Jules Buckley, classical and urban fans alike were swaying with hands and mobiles in the air (backstage, a senior BBC-er was thrilled that he had learned how to work his iPhone light). BBC Three’s coverage attempted to paint the evening as a controversial “culture clash”, for the purposes of good TV – but every single musician treated the venue, festival and institution with tremendous respect, excitement and, sensibly, a little bit of terror.

There were, of course, countless other season highlights; more than 300,000 people attended the concerts this year, with 57 out of 75 concerts sold out. It is easy to remember the ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ proms like the Urban Classic and the Doctor Who, but sometimes it is the simplicity of the Tallis Scholars’ late-night offering, with a rapt audience at nearly midnight, or the stunningly vivid Pictures at an Exhibition from the London Symphony Orchestra under Gergiev. No summary would be complete without recalling the epic tribute to Wagner, especially Barenboim’s Ring cycle, where he praised the audience saying “the communion between musicians and public depends not only on us but also on you, and you have brought so much silence”. This rapturous silence, with hundreds of people standing stock still, was never felt more keenly than at the Last Night – one minute, loud cheers and enormous balloons were ricocheting off audience members’ heads; the next, absolute concentration as the solo violin sound soared upwards.

In July, Manchester International Festival programmed music from both the Halle Orchestra and Goldfrapp. Alex Poots, the festival’s artistic director and CEO, said: “It’s not helpful to have divisions between the art forms; it’s a remnant of the old class system.” The Guardian suggests that the Last Night still falls prey to its “imperialist-era ruts”; but Poots disagrees, aware that creative programming “inevitably straddles a wide range of creativity, across art forms and different styles, and the spaces between them.” This, combined with the “quality of listening” remarked on by Director Roger Wright and the very celebratory nature of the Proms itself, makes it, in Alsop’s words, the "ultimate showcase for great artistry and superb audiences".

Patriotism and pride at the Last Night

To find out what Southern Sinfonia Patron Sir Roger Norrington had to say about conducting the Last Night of the Proms in 2008, click here for our exclusive interview. What did you think of this year’s event? Comment below to leave your thoughts on join in the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Speed Interview with Andrew Dickinson...

Andrew Dickinson, winner of the Hampshire Singing Competition, joins us on Friday 15 March for English Serenade, the first in our Concert Series for Spring 2013. We always like to get to know our soloists and were lucky enough to have caught Andrew for a quick interview. So here it is...

What has been your career highlight so far?

I've been really lucky and have had some wonderful experiences already as a soloist. The one that leaps out is probably a Messiah I did a couple of years ago in Berlin. The RSAMD (where I was studying at the time) provided the choir and soloists and we were accompanied by the UDK Orchestra. It was a spectacular venue and concert, but what really made it special was having so many good friends performing with me.

                         

How do you relax when you aren't performing?

Sleep is always a good way! I'm a huge cricket fan and during the summer months I try and fit in a few games when I can. I also run a music festival in my home town of Rainhill (Merseyside), so this tends to take up a lot of my down time! www.rainhillmusicfestival.com (excuse the plug!)

When/ where are you most happy?

I’m most happy when I’m a) on stage, b) on a cricket field, or c) having good food with friends. Not always necessarily in that order!

If you could travel back in time where would you go?

There's a YouTube video that I'm obsessed with, which is a live performance of La Forza Del Destino from Palermo in 1958, with Franco Corelli singing "O tu Che in Seno." It's some of the most wonderful singing I've ever heard, and that's on a very old recording instrument. I would probably travel back to that theatre and get the best seat in the house!

What is the most played piece of music in your Itunes/ CD collection?

This varies a lot as I now have a Spotify account, so the choice of what to listen to can be a bit overwhelming! I've been going through a Steve Reich phase recently, particularly his guitar music. I also always have time for Radiohead.

Other than English Serenade with Southern Sinfonia, what else have you got planned for 2013?

I've just finished playing Lenski in Eugene Onegin with Bury Court Opera and Southbank Sinfonia, and in April I start a fantastic project with Mahogany Opera. We are performing Britten's Church Parables at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, as well as Aldeburgh Festival, Southwark Cathedral and at Buxton Festival. They're fantastic pieces that are rarely performed in their entirety, or as a "triptych." After that I return to Glyndebourne as I'm involved in the revival of Billy Budd, before making my house debut as Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia on the Glyndebourne Tour.

Andrew Dickinson, winner of the Hampshire Singing Competition, performs Finzi's Dies Natalis with Southern Sinfonia on Friday 15 March 2013 at St. Lawrence Church, Hungerford. 

To find out more about our Concerts and Café Concerts in Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and across the South, or our Education & Outreach programme, please visit the Southern Sinfonia website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to subscribe and please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments for us below.

Thinking about Versailles...

Philip Brown's Café Concert is fast approaching. In it he will be giving an insight, musically illustrated by internationally renowned violinist Theresa Caudle, into his recreation of instruments from the reign of Louis XIII of France (17th Century) for the 2012 BBC Proms.So, in anticipation, we've been having a look at Versailles and some of the interesting art historical objects and paintings associated with it.

Here are a few of our favourites...

The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, 28 June 1919
Sir William Orpen
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles

Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchess of Polignac
by Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun
The Duchess of Polignac was one of Marie Antoinette's favourites, and was said to have died of sorrow after she had to leave the Queen at the outbreak of Revolution.

'Vessel' Pot Pouri - c.1760

Chamber pot of Madame de Pompadour

That's one elaborate chamber pot...

Philip Brown's Café Concert Violons du Roi takes place in the Balcony Bar, Corn Exchange, Newbury on 15 March 2013, 1pm.

To find out more about our Concerts and Café Concerts in Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and across the South, or our Education & Outreach programme, please visit the Southern Sinfonia website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to subscribe and please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments for us below.

Some Interesting Facts about Gerald Finzi...

The next event in our Concert Series, English Serenade, takes place in a few weeks time at St. Lawrence Church, Hungerford. In the run up to it we thought we'd explore the composers that are featured a bit further. This week we've been looking at Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)... So here a few things you might not have known about him:

• Of Gerald’s three brothers and one sister, only his sister Kate lived past the First World War. His brother Felix committed suicide in India in 1913, Douglas died of pneumonia contracted while at Bradford College in 1912, and Edgar died in action on September 3, 1918. Preceding the early deaths of his brothers, Gerald’s father Jack Finzi died just before Gerald’s eighth birthday. These deaths coupled with the death in 1918 of Ernest Farrar, also killed in action, with whom Finzi studied from 1914 to 1916 and who acted as a father figure for him, helped to confirm Finzi's introverted nature. His reaction to this multiple loss was to turn to literature and poetry, forces that would shape much of his life.
• He worked on behalf of the celebrated war poet and composer Ivor Gurney, cataloguing and editing his work for publication. Gurney has suffered a nervous breakdown after WW1 and had been in mental institutions since 1922. Finzi would be the driving force behind Gurney's Music & Letters symposium and the eventual publication of five volumes of songs and two collections of poems.
• He saved a number of rare varieties of English apples from extinction.
• In 1939, during the dark war years, he founded Newbury String Players, an amateur chamber orchestra, which he would conduct until his death in 1956. With Arts Council funding and a small petrol allowance, it became a mobile music body, offering performance opportunities to talented young musicians and taking music wherever it was wanted across the South of England.
• During the war years he opened his house in Ashmansworth, Hampshire to a number of German and Czech refugees.
• The outbreak of WW2 delayed the first performance of Dies Natalis at the Three Choirs Festival, which could have established Finzi as a major composer much sooner.

Andrew Dickinson, winner of the Hampshire Singing Competition, performs Finzi's Dies Natalis with Southern Sinfonia on Friday 15 March 2013 at St. Lawrence Church, Hungerford. 

To find out more about our Concerts and Café Concerts in Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and across the South, or our Education & Outreach programme, please visit the Southern Sinfonia website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to subscribe and please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments for us below.