A Rose By Any Other Name...

... would sound the same!  December brought Mozart and lots of it. The 'Mass in c minor' and the 'Davide Penitente': much of the same music under different titles, one in Latin and the other in Italian. Both with student orchestras in the Netherlands (USKO and CM Leiden) in some lovely venues.  Crazy but fun!

stadsgehoorzaal, leiden*

jacobikerk, utrecht*

January sees some more delicious Purcell with Ensemble Jacques Moderne.  Yummy!

* (Photos shamelessly ganked from flickr and picasa because I forgot to take my camera!)

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More Anniversaries?

Yes indeed! Two different composers this time: Mr Haydn and Mr Mendelssohn. I took part in the fine rendition of Haydn's 'Paukenmesse' by the Nieuwe Mannheim Koor en Orkest directed by Quentin Clare and managed to listen to their excellent playing in the rest of the concert, which included Mendelssohn's 'Hebrides Overture'. These guys just keep getting better and better! 

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And The Anniversary Year Continues....

Mmmm - Purcell and Handel! Great music, great group! Ensemble Jacques Moderne were on top form and it was fun singing in my 'home-town' of Tours again - the first time in over 2 years. (We also sang in Blois!) There will be more Purcell with them early next year with concerts of the lovely 'King Arthur'! Bring it on!

cathédrale saint-louis de blois

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Scarlatti en Bretagne

I had the pleasure of singing in the magnificent cathedral of Saint-Malo at the beginning of the month, with La Scordatura, directed by Christophe Sam. It was a perfect setting to sing the gorgeous Stabat Mater by Domenico Scarlatti, written for ten voices and basso continuo.

 

cathédrale saint-vincent-de-saragosse de saint-malo

Next up are some concerts of Purcell and Handel anthems with Ensemble Jacques Moderne in Tours and Blois. This is my kind of anniversary year!!

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From Rosy Bowers

Wonderful, wonderful Mr Henry Purcell. The project with Le Petit Ensemble in Dijon was such great fun, although I must admit it was more Purcell (and a smidgeon of Handel) than the other way around! But I am certainly not complaining, especially as I got to perform some songs I had never sung before! Bliss!

eglise sainte-chantal, dijon

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Glorious Gloria!

I'm not kidding!  The Nieuwe Mannheim Koor and Orkest just gets better and better!  Music of Vivaldi and Handel graced churches in Voorburg and Amsterdam and it was lovely to be a part of them!

the stunning neo-gothic interior of
amsterdam's domenicuskerk

More Handel (plus some Purcell) is next on the agenda with Le Petite Ensemble in Dijon.  This is a great year for musical anniversaries!

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Gloria!

I'm rather excited about my next project: with Het Nieuwe Mannhem Orkest up in the Netherlands, conducted by Quentin Clare, I'll be (re) performing the first solos I ever sang - the alto solos from Vivaldi's 'Gloria', plus solos in Handel's 'Dixit Dominus'. Yummy!

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Welcome...

... to this (possibly temporary) solution to my inability to upload to my main website at nicolawemyss.com. 

Still, I am a fan of blogger, and there are so many shiny gadgets to play with that I may be here a while.

But back to the updates, of which I'll add some from the old site, just for some background...

I'm just back from a MARVELLOUS weekend of music-making with Les Inventions in Burgundy.   Music of Telemann, Handel and Couperin, in a beautiful and ancient church in Chapaize.  

eglise saint-martin in chapaize

Next on the cards are some concerts in the Netherlands with the Niewe Mannheim Orkest directed by Quentin Clare - some Vivaldi and some more Handel.  Lovely!

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Easter Parade

I'm just back from another set of concerts with Ensemble Jacques Moderne performing the same programme as before, plus some Bach, but this time in some delicious churches and chapels in the Region Centre. 

eglise saint-martin sur cher

But no rest for the wicked - this coming Easter weekend I'll be in the East of France with Les Inventions, performing cantatas and motets by Couperin, Telemann and Handel. With a smidgeon of Touchemoulin thrown in for good measure. I'm really looking forward to it!

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Crazy Day in Nantes

The name doesn't even begin to describe the craziness of the 5 day festival in Nantes... 280 concerts, a myriad of musicians and thousands of listeners... (Needless to say we didn't perform in all 280 concerts!) There will be more with Ensemble Jacques Moderne in March - more Schütz and Schein and a smidgeon of Bach, too! Hopefully not so crazy this time!

The Purcell, Blow and Locke chamber concerts with the Nederlandse Bachvereniging were a blast!  The marvellous programme was put together by our theorbist Fred Jacobs, and with the baritone Mattijs van de Woerd and harpsichordist Siebe Henstra, I think we did a good job!  We certainly enjoyed ourselves, that's for sure!

pelgrims's kerk in rotterdam

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Folle Journee à Nantes

Schütz and Schein are the composers du semaine - I'll be in Nantes for a couple of concerts in the Folle Journees music festival with Ensemble Jacques Moderne. Incredible music!

Talking of incredible music, I shall also be getting to sing some great songs and dialogues by Purcell, Locke and Blow up in Holland in February with the Nederlandse Bachvereniging. Lovely!

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