Classical & Spoken Word

Thank you very much to Natalia Lomeiko (violin), Sophie Renshaw (viola) and Alexei Sarkissov (cello) for the wonderful work on my new album “Las Olas de Niebla”.
Natalia Lomeiko (violin)
Music track: “Las Olas de Niebla”

Sophie Renshaw (viola). Music track: “Virginia Renshaw”

Alexei Sarkissov (cello). Music track: “Viento Triste”

The Pavao Quartet rehearsing for recording my composition “Tree”, which also features on “Las Olas de Niebla” – we had such fun memories recording it and also presenting it at the Queen Elizabeth Hall London.

PAVAO QUARTET: Kerenza Peacock (violin), Jenny Sacha (violin), Natalia Gomes (viola) & Bryony James (cello)

Queen Elizabeth Hall London (from left to right): Adele Clarkson (voice) Lorena Paz (voice), Matthew Robinson (voice), Carl Herring (guitar), Dharmesh Parmar (tabla), Jenny Sacha (violin), Kerenza Peacock (violin), Natalia Gomes (viola), Bryony James (cello), Eduardo Niebla, Katherine Alvarez. Music track: “Tree”.

Thank you very much to the wonderful Dante Quartet for premiering “Tree” for the first time with me and Carl Herring.

Dante String Quartet
Krysia Osostowicz and Giles Francis (violins), Rachel Roberts (viola), Bernard Gregor-Smith (cello)
http://dantefestival.org/Musicians2011.htm
Thank you very much to Prima Vocal Ensemble (Musical Director: Eva Salecka), Queen Mary’s Choir (Musical Director: Nick Carter), Ackworth School Choir (Musical Director: Richard) for the vocals on “Tree” and other pieces.

Prima Vocal Ensemble

Queen Mary’s School Choir with Nick Carter

Ackworth School Choir

We were very fortunate to do a number of projects in Yorkshire with local communities (Open Your Doors, Ripon International Festival 2007), My Yorkshire Road, Ryedale Festival 2011) From Tree to Sea, “Hull City of Culture 2018, East Riding). For the lyrics and spoken word it was so important to me to work with somebody local who is totally submerged in the local culture and who better than Ian McMillan for that. He wrote the words for these projects which are gorgeous. The first time I worked with Ian was on a project for the new Planetarium that was eventually built in Harewood House grounds. Ian he composed the spoken words and I did the guitar part for the animated journey into space at the Planetarium – what a beautiful idea that was.

In the early period of my life in London I was really lucky to come across such a variety of musicians from different disciplines and it was a great opportunity for me to work with Judy Gerratt (violin). She was such a supporter of my music, especially the orchestration part of it, and she and Denis Milner (double bass) strongly encouraged me to dig into composing in a really serious way, so I started composing for strings and orchestra (what a monumental struggle). I never studied music myself so always it’s been trial and error and still is, but it’s a great world of sound there inside of an orchestra, so much colour, and it has helped me also the way I approach the guitar with more sound landscapes in my mind. I am trying to stretch the guitar to occupy the same field as an orchestra. Always a world of new discoveries.

Judy Gerratt (violin) & Elise Lorraine (voice)

Denis Milner (double bass)

Fran Landesman and friends… At this period of my life this was the group of friends who used to hang out a lot together, just playing songs, jazz standards and having fun. We were like a family.