Brahms In Serious Mood

After a June concert in de Vereeneging in Nijmegen with the Nijmeegs Studentenorkest directed by Quentin Clare, it's now time to tour Germany and Denmark with the same programme of Schumann, Raff, and some Brahms for myself - the wonderful 4 ernste Gesänge (4 Serious Songs) in an orchestrated version by Sir Malcolm Sargent.

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Un Interlude Français

It's May, so that must mean it's time for more 20th century French choral and organ works with the Ribattuta Ensemble and organist Hayo Boerema. This year sees some Messaien, Langlais, Fauré and a rather fabulous Messe Solonelle by a student of Langlais: Naji Hakim.  

It's all good, clean, noisy fun!

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A Northern Requiem

Next week sees my first visit to Trondheim in Norway. Concerts of Mozart's Requiem with the Trondheim Symfoniorkester directed by Richard Egarr will be performed in the Nidarosdomen - the  northernmost mediæval cathedral in the world.  

(And never fear, I shall be taking a camera with plenty of memory!)

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Bachian Influences

Coming up is a tour full of the flavours of Bach - one including the beautiful motet BWV 226 and a set of new works by Chiel Meijering inspired by Bach for choir, organ, violone and saxophone - with the Ribattuta Ensemble.  

Mmmm - Tasty, tasty Bach!

noorderkerk, amsterdam

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We Vous Souhaiter Ein Fröhliches Nativitatis

After more Mozart in divers countries, it's time for a real change...  Between the Holland Baroque Society and the Ribattuta Ensemble, I'm having a December spread all around the country, filled with music spanning almost 7 centuries, several languages and a plethora of styles!  Palestrina, Gabrieli, Tunder, Poulenc, Matthias, Lauridsen, McCartney and el-Roumi to name just a few.  

Crazy, yes, but completely divine!

lambertuskerk, helmond

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Baroque Influences

Pergolesi and Stravinsky were matched perfectly in the set of concerts just finished with Het Nieuwe Mannheim Koor en Orkest conducted by Quentin Clare.  

First up was the relatively unknown (yet wonderfully forward-looking) 'Missa Romana' by Pergolesi, which was followed by Stravinsky's 'ballet with song' 'Pulcinella', in which Stravinsky used music by Pergolesi as the basis of his own neo-classic work.  It was all pretty fabulous, I must say!

But there's no rest for the wicked - I'll be taking myself off to Normandy, France soon, for a reprise of the Mozart concerts with Arsys Bourgogne.

the marvellous ceiling of the dominicuskerk in amsterdam

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Masses of Mozart

Did you see what I did there? Heh! I'm just back from the first set of concerts of Mozart's Mass in c minor and the Requiem with Arsys Bourgogne and Camerata Saltzburg down in France, conducted by Pierre Cao.  Steamy temperatures and very impressive thunderstorms in both Burgundy and the Auvergne did nothing to dampen some wonderful performaces of these great works.  

More of the same coming up in October, this time in Brittany.

basilique sainte marie-madeleine de vézelay

l'abbaye de la chaise-dieu

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Musique du 20ème Siècle

I know, I know - TWENTIETH CENTURY FRENCH MUSIC? But really, glorious gorgeousness is to be found in the 12-part 'Cantique des Cantiques' by Daniel-Lesur I've just finished singing with the Ribattuta Ensemble. Wow. Also in the same programme was the Requiem by Alfred Desenclos, which is pretty scrummy too.   

The venues have been beautiful, and I have to admit to totally revelling in this lower singing. I feel like I've come home! Marvellous!  

the beautiful ceiling of sint bavo in haarlem

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Sing We And Chant It

Last week saw myself and 4 other singers of Ensemble Jacques Moderne fa-la-lahing our way through some French, English, Italian and German Renaissance madrigals, in some exquisite parts of the Loire Region. 

Chateau de la Chatonniere

Les Douves - Onzain

Remind me again why I left...?

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It's All Go!

Only a few weeks after re-locating to The Netherlands, I was back in the South of France for another edition of 'From Rosy Bowers' - a plethora of English baroque music with Le Petit Ensemble, performed in the ancient Cistercian Abbaye of Villelongue, in the Longuedoc. A marvellous place with some marvellous musicians!

But no rest for the wicked - some late Renaissance madrigals with Ensemble Jacques Moderne are calling my name...

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Hither This Way, This Way Bend...

... to the gorgeous theatre music of Mr Henry Purcell.  The tour of 'King Arthur' with Ensemble Jacques Moderne was (apart from everyone's usual January sniffles) a resounding success.  I have to admit that it was also vastly diverting to be amongst a load of French folk singing about how marvellous Britain is.  And singing it exquisitely, too, I have to add!

salle gaveau, paris

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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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