Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07

drew
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Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 3, 2007 8:40:25 GMT

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Post by drew on Apr 3, 2007 8:40:25 GMT

If there is anyone out there who does not have tickets? I very much regret that I have two available. Sadly my daughter has to work a full day shift at North Middlesex A&E on Easter Monday, and Gini and I will be in The Gambia.

These were the first tickets sold for the 14:30 performance and as you might expect they are (by Royal Appointment) seats AA15 and AA16.

Anyone interested please send a PM before I put these on to h-bay. I am sure that I can get them back to the Box Office or to another HWI member for any foreign visitors concerned about post.

Stephany
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 4, 2007 7:17:18 GMT

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Post by Stephany on Apr 4, 2007 7:17:18 GMT

Hi everyone,
I found a great article about Hayley's upcoming performance in Cadogan Hall. It's from "The Independent".

Monday in the park with Stephen
By Michael Church
4 April 2007
The Independent
(c) 2007 Independent & Media PLC

EXTRA | Classical ++ DIFFERENT VOICES ++ Cadogan Hall LONDON

Where better to set a chil-dren’s musical than in a park? Different Voices, to be premiered next Monday by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with Stephen Fry narrating, takes place in a lightly fictionalised Regent’s Park. It turns on the tension between those who love the park and the developer who wants to turn it into a supermarket and multistorey car-park.

The film composer Debbie Wiseman hatched this idea (she will conduct, too) in response to an invitation to celebrate the RPO’s 60th birthday, when she realised that she could also simultaneously celebrate Brit-ten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by writing an equivalent piece of didacticism for today.

As she outlines it, her work sounds reminiscent of Peter and the Wolf, with Fry emulating Peter Ustinov. But Wiseman insists her piece will leave more to the imagination, and will make the listener work harder. “I also wanted to make it a warm, encouraging piece for children to play. I want youth orchestras to see it as a possible addition to their repertoire. Every instrument has its moment to shine, so in that way it will be challenging as well.” The builders, she says, will be played by the percussion, while the violin soloist will represent the girl who plays the lead character, with the rest of the strings representing her friends. “The only time you get all the instruments playing in harmony is when the battle to save the park is finally won.” This premiere will also boast a singer – Hayley Westenra.

When I question Wiseman as to this crossover star’s classical credentials, I get a defiant response: “She has a unique voice, and a rare ability to make the simplest melody sound beautiful.” Then she plays me the disc that shot Westenra to fame and fortune, and saved the fortunes of its ailing record company for another year. Now, this young singer must prove herself in a somewhat more testing context.

Richard
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 4, 2007 7:35:51 GMT

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Post by Richard on Apr 4, 2007 7:35:51 GMT

Thanks for finding that, Stephany!

I know Regent's Park very well, and I might wander up there later this morning. I'm really looking forward to seeing Hayley in this show now. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

There appears to be a strong bond between Debbie Wiseman and Hayley. Debbie also wrote the incidental music for 'Jekyll' and 'Flood', and both feature Hayley on vocals!

Best Wishes,

Richard

Last Edit: Apr 4, 2007 13:24:30 GMT by Richard

Stephany
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 4, 2007 7:50:39 GMT

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Post by Stephany on Apr 4, 2007 7:50:39 GMT

It proves that Debbie Wiseman was very pleased with Hayley's music and probably eager to work again with her. I wouldn't be surprised if they collaborate again in the near future.

Stephany
PS : Richard, congratulations on your 3,500 post!

Last Edit: Apr 4, 2007 7:51:07 GMT by Stephany

grant
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 4, 2007 8:48:59 GMT

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Post by grant on Apr 4, 2007 8:48:59 GMT

Hello Stephany - great article and good to see Debbie Wiseman promoting Hayley by playing her CD to influential people!

I agree, it does appear that Hayley and Debbie are enjoying working together and I'm sure they will do so again when the opportunity arises.

I'm looking forward to 'Different Voices' more than ever now

Grant

Last Edit: Apr 4, 2007 8:49:33 GMT by grant

grant
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 5, 2007 13:16:13 GMT

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Post by grant on Apr 5, 2007 13:16:13 GMT

Hello Richard and Thomas.

My train gets into London at 1215 and I intend to make my way straight to Cadogan Hall, though it may take me a few minutes as I'm not that familiar with the area.

I better warn you guys that you may not recognise me either as I've decided to wear my suit so that I can give my Westenra of Christchurch tie it's first outing!

That said, I hope we do get to see Hayley as I would love to have my photo taken with her whilst I'm looking reasonably smart

See you soon.

Grant

Richard
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 5, 2007 13:28:28 GMT

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Post by Richard on Apr 5, 2007 13:28:28 GMT

Hello Grant!

From St. Pancras, take the Victoria Line south to Victoria, then the District or Circle Line one stop west to Sloane Square. Turn right as you leave Sloane Square station, and you will see Cadogan Hall about 150 yards straight in front of you at the end of Sedding Street.

Four days to go!

See you there,

Richard :je

Martin
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 5, 2007 14:36:00 GMT

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Post by Martin on Apr 5, 2007 14:36:00 GMT

grant said:

Hello Richard and Thomas.

I better warn you guys that you may not recognise me either as I've decided to wear my suit so that I can give my Westenra of Christchurch tie it's first outing!

Grant

Hi Grant
Another day later (10th) and you could have worn your birthday suit!

Martin

thomas
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 5, 2007 15:29:12 GMT

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Post by thomas on Apr 5, 2007 15:29:12 GMT

Hi Grant!

I also plan to wear my Westenra of Christchurch tie.

That means as long as I make it to the UK. At the moment I'm at home having a cold.

I hope to recover in time. I don't really like to cancel everything after having organised that trip three months ago.

Thomas

grant
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 5, 2007 19:30:34 GMT

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Post by grant on Apr 5, 2007 19:30:34 GMT

Oh No, No, No, No, No!!!!! Martin. If I wanted Hayley to run a mile, I'd enter her in a Marathon

I'd like to keep in her good books for a bit longer

Hello Thomas - hope your cold is soon better, it would be such a shame to miss out on Monday's fun.

Best wishes

Grant

Stephany
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 6, 2007 10:08:05 GMT

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Post by Stephany on Apr 6, 2007 10:08:05 GMT

The latest issue of "The Times" published an article about "Different Voices". There is a short mention of Hayley's involvment.

Introducing the band
By Neil Fisher
6 April 2007
The Times
(c) 2007 Times Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved

With Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra showing its age, the idea has been given a makeover for modern children, says NEIL FISHER

Listen very carefully, children. Especially if your names are Humphrey, Pamela, Caroline or Virginia. I expect you all know the sound of trumpets, but did you know that the harp has 47 strings?

Poor Benjamin Britten. He wasn't to know that his Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, a piece originally dedicated to the "edification and entertainment" of the Eton-schooled Humphrey and his siblings (actually the children of Britten's lifelong friends, John and Jean Maud) was going to have to stand fit for purpose for more than 60 years.

Perhaps its time is finally up. In the most ambitious effort yet at updating Britten's format, Debbie Wiseman is reimagining his Guide for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in her latest piece, Different Voices, which premieres at the Cadogan Hall on Monday.

"It is an incredibly brilliant piece," the composer says of Britten's iconic 1945 work. "It's skilfully done, beautifully orchestrated and fantastically melodic.

But when you look at the idea of the Young Person's Guide in a modern sense, some of it feels dated, particularly the way the narration introduces the orchestra."

And yet it has survived. Thankfully, on many of its appearances around the world - sometimes performed at children, sometimes by children, and sometimes both -it has jettisoned the Listen with Mother style of narration, which includes the pompous line about the trumpet and the pointless information about the harp. The basic concept, sparkling variations on a majestically hummable tune by Purcell, each one assigned to a different instrument or different instrumental groups, before a rigorous but buoyant fugue, remains enchanting.

But should we continue to rely on it? To judge by the number of American musical organisations and orchestras that continue to employ it, the Young Person's Guide still has global reach. A piece that started out as a commission by the Ministry of Information for a short film soundtrack to be distributed to British schools is still promoted by America's National Association for Musical Education as the best way to turn your progeny into an orchestral animal. "Listen to the composition," they advise confidently on the dreariest of all possible websites, "and ask your child to identify which of the instrumental sounds is most appealing." Then, it advises, you're ready to haul the kid off to the nearby superstore so he can buy the required tuba or bassoon.

But with that kind of preparation, would anyone be surprised if they replied: "None of them"? Last year it was the guitar that topped the UK bestseller list of instruments for starter players -an instrument that you can do nearly anything with apart from put it in a symphony orchestra.

And as children's entertainment, the Young Person's Guide (or any of its later imitations), which assumes total and passive concentration from a seated and silent audience, falls pretty short against its audiovisual rivals for a child's attention. "It's very sit and listen," says Stephen McNeff, the composer in residence (for adults and children) with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, "and that's 'listen to what you're told', rather than being invited to enter into it."

It's a point that hasn't been lost on Wiseman and her lyricist, Don Black. Their solution bypasses Britten's theme-and-variations model altogether. Out goes the abstract, in comes the contemporary narrative, illustrated not just by a narrator (Stephen Fry) but with projected image accompaniment and the singer Hayley Westenra on hand for the uplifting climax -the song that bears the name of the entire piece, and which brings the orchestra together.

"Don came up with a very simple idea," Wiseman explains, "about a beautiful park that's about to be torn down and made into shops by a heavyweight developer, and the children who love the park come together to save it. Each section of the orchestra is designated a member of the park -the builders are the percussion, the woodwind are the children, and the brass are the mayor and developer." From the preview images of multicultural park dwellers, very few could be mistaken for a Humphrey or Pamela.

Still, 60 years on, and the orchestra Wiseman will be working with is essentially the same beast as the one that Britten introduced, in spite of the profusion of cultures and instruments that composers -and today's children -have become familiar with. "But I wanted to keep it to a traditional orchestra," she says. "I wanted to show how great it could sound and how versatile this thing is. It would have been easy to throw world percussion or saxophones in but that would have made it a different piece."

Would it be a more approachable one? "In schools there are now other focuses in the curriculum," says Andrew Burke, the head of the LSO's education programme, Discovery. "There's an increasing emphasis for music to be taught in a much more broadly cultural way that reflects our more and more diverse culture. Now for us it's not about recognising instruments -the basic education to be done now is to make sure that orchestral music is in there alongside other styles. Just because one can experiment and find new combinations doesn't mean the orchestra itself is out of date."

McNeff agrees. "Orchestras are so vulnerable to all kinds of pressures that I would resist any attempt to dismantle what we've got. The thing about an orchestra is that it's an infinitely flexible instrument in its entirety: if it's not broken why try to fix it?" But when he suggested that his daughter's primary school introduce violin lessons as an after-school activity, the headmistress countered by suggesting a samba band. "She saw the violin as orchestral and therefore identified with the concert-going public. She wanted something which she thought kids from non-European backgrounds would take to."

What's the answer? In spite of the bells and whistles of Wiseman's sung and played eco-drama, it's the sheer sonic impact of the orchestra that still sets it apart from its competitors. According to Burke: "With so many people on stage playing music that can consist of 20 different musical lines, the orchestra is a wonderfully compelling, complex sound world. Anything that allows you to get inside it means the experience sticks."

That's an experience that can only be live. And, most importantly, it needs living composers willing to write for first-time ears as well as old hands. "We don't need the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Mark II," says McNeff. "We need something that addresses contemporary issues. It's being aware of what children like, but also developing a way in which you can take them with you."

Wiseman puts it more simply: "If somebody goes away humming Different Voices, it has done its job, and that's fine with me."

Different Voices will be performed on Monday (2.30pm and 4.30pm) at Cadogan Hall, London SW1 (020-7730 4500)

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postscript
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 6, 2007 14:58:53 GMT

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Post by postscript on Apr 6, 2007 14:58:53 GMT

martin said:

grant said:

Hello Richard and Thomas.

I better warn you guys that you may not recognise me either as I've decided to wear my suit so that I can give my Westenra of Christchurch tie it's first outing!

Grant

Hi Grant
Another day later (10th) and you could have worn your birthday suit!

Martin

That's a good one, Martin. I love it!
Peter

Her eyes were the blue of cornflowers that dance amongst ripening wheat,
Her hair the colour of golden sands bleached by summer's heat.

roger
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Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 6, 2007 15:13:03 GMT

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Post by roger on Apr 6, 2007 15:13:03 GMT

In case there is any doubt about Hayley's participation in this event (due to the cancellation of her appearance in Cardiff tomorrow), Bedlam Management have confirmed in the last few minutes that it is going ahead. For those of you intending to go, I'll see you there!

Roger

Richard Honorary Member HWI Management Team until 2017 Posts: 15,259	Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 6, 2007 15:19:42 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Richard on Apr 6, 2007 15:19:42 GMT Thanks for the confirmation, Roger! It sounds as though Hayley's had flight problems, unless Cardiff was cancelled by the BBC. See you on Monday, Richard
	Last Edit: Apr 6, 2007 15:21:15 GMT by Richard

Stephany Honorary Member Media Correspondent Posts: 5,040	Different Voices Cadogan Hall 9-Apr-07 Apr 6, 2007 15:47:38 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Stephany on Apr 6, 2007 15:47:38 GMT If Cadogan Hall is still happening, the cancellation is probably due either to the BBC or, just as you said Richard, to a flight schedule conflict. Hayley will tell you on April 9th!
	Last Edit: Apr 6, 2007 15:48:19 GMT by Stephany

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Post by drew on Apr 3, 2007 8:40:25 GMT

Post by Stephany on Apr 4, 2007 7:17:18 GMT

Post by Richard on Apr 4, 2007 7:35:51 GMT

Post by Stephany on Apr 4, 2007 7:50:39 GMT

Post by grant on Apr 4, 2007 8:48:59 GMT

Post by grant on Apr 5, 2007 13:16:13 GMT

Post by Richard on Apr 5, 2007 13:28:28 GMT

Post by Martin on Apr 5, 2007 14:36:00 GMT

Post by thomas on Apr 5, 2007 15:29:12 GMT

Post by grant on Apr 5, 2007 19:30:34 GMT

Post by Stephany on Apr 6, 2007 10:08:05 GMT

Post by postscript on Apr 6, 2007 14:58:53 GMT

Post by roger on Apr 6, 2007 15:13:03 GMT

Post by Richard on Apr 6, 2007 15:19:42 GMT

Post by Stephany on Apr 6, 2007 15:47:38 GMT