Beverley Minster, 29th August 2008

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

Fiona Pears and her Band will be appearing at Beverley Minster on Friday 29th August 2008.

Please see Fiona's website for more information: www.fionapears.com/fireandlight/gigs.htm

Richard

[Belinda]

From The Beverley Guardian

www.beverleyguardian.co.uk/12281/Virtuoso-violinists-Beverley-Minster-concert.4330661.jp

New Zealand virtuoso violinist and composer Fiona Pears pays a return visit to Beverley Minster on Friday August 29.
Fiona performed at the Minster last year with soprano Hayley Westenra, and was asked to return to perform her own show.

She started performing as a soloist with orchestras at the age of 12. Now based in London, she has forged a career as an international soloist and recording artist, which has seen her perform at concert halls around the world, as well as recording for EMI and Universal records releases.

Her music is a melting pot of flavours, Latin, jazz, Celtic and classical.

Tickets cost £30 (limited VIP tickets), £20 and £10. They are available from Beverley Tourist Information Centre, [phone]. The performance starts at 7.30pm.

Belinda

[Mark]

Hi Richard & Belinda

I was fortunate enough to be at Hayley's concert last year at Beverly Minster, along with Grant. It is a stunning setting and I clearly remember saying to Fiona after the concert how wonderful her violin sounded because of the accoustics in the Minster. She agreed and said she just didn't want to stop playing it sounded so good. I also remember Ian being very impressed with the very expensive grand piano they had there.

Its great that they have been invited back, the vicar and his wife were very welcoming and I know that Fiona & Ian will really enjoy performing there. I can't make the concert myself but I really do hope that ticket sales are good, they deserve to be


Here is a very happy Fiona with me after the Beverly Minster concert last year




Best wishes
Mark

[Richard]

This post has been moved from another thread.

Aug 9, 2008 11:27:03 GMT drew said:

From Beverley Minster

Fiona Pears and Ian Tilley
Friday 29th August 2008
7.30pm
Beverley Minster

Fiona Pears in Concert - back by popular demand

Last year saw New Zealand singer Hayley Westenra perform at Beverley Minster. Accompanying her was violinist Fiona Pears, whose lively solo performance captured the audience and left them anxious for more. Now Fiona is back but this time with a special treat. A full length concert on 29th August 2008.

Born and raised in New Zealand, Fiona started performing as a soloist with orchestras at the age of twelve. Now based in London, she has forged a career as an international soloist and recording artist which has seen her perform at many concert halls around the world as well as recording for EMI and Universal records releases.

Fiona has released three CDs and two DVDs to date and is currently recording her brand new CD, which features the City of Prague Philharmonic and top New Zealand Jazz musicians. Supported by her fantastic UK band, she will always guarantee an energetic and unmissable evening and her new CD ’Fire and Light’ will be released later this year.

A fiery melting pot of flavours: Latin, Jazz, Celtic and classical, as well as some hot traditional Gypsy favourites. Fiona is an electrifying and visual performer who thrills audiences wherever she plays.

Ticket sales from Beverley Tourist Information Centre 01482 391672. Prices £30 (limited VIP tickets), £20 and £10 (limited view).

For more information please visit www.fionapears.com

www.beverleyminster.org/xhtml/default.asp?UserLinkID=65985

[drew]

A personal message from Fiona:

Hello Everyone,

Well it is that time of the year again... After spending a lovely summer in the UK recording my new CD ‘Fire and Light’ with the City of Prague Philharmonic and performing at festivals and concert halls, I am about to head back to my beautiful home land for several months.
(Sorry if this email includes a few NZ residents. I will be sending out an email soon about my upcoming NZ tour dates...)

Before I leave the UK I am doing two final shows with my fantastic UK band which comprises piano, guitar, double bass and drums. These last two shows are rather exciting ones for me as they are at wonderful venues that I have performed at before with Hayley Westenra.
I feel very lucky to be able to return to Beverly Minster and the Buccleuch Centre in Langholm to perform a full show of my own.

Details of the concerts can be found below:-

Where: Beverley Minster, East Riding of Yorkshire
When: 29th August 2008, 7.30pm
Tickets: Beverley Tourist Information Centre 01482 391672
Prices: Prices £30 (limited VIP tickets), £20 and £10 (limited view).

Where: The Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, Scotland
When: 30th August 2008, 7.30pm
Tickets: Box Office / Information 01387381196 or www.buccleuchcentre.com
Prices: £13.50, £12.00 concessions

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope that you enjoy the rest of 2008 and I look forward to seeing some of you in 2009!

Love
X
Fi

[comet]

Great to hear about Fiona here.

I have grown extremely fond of her CD Memories of Home and wish them every success with Fire and Light.

Fiona's rapport with the Irish audiences at Derry and Belfast was well received . Her playing in the Irish style of "fiddle playing" is amazingly Irish sounding... as not all violin players connect with the heart and soul of this music. Just playing it and living the music are two different things,
Fiona brings great life to it.

I am just a little jealous of the people in the UK who can get to these concerts without two days travelling.........

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

There is a flyer for this concert on Fiona's website: www.fionapears.com/news.htm

Click on the image to download the flyer.

Richard

[Richard]

from the Hull Daily Mail...

Beverley Minster concert for violinist Fiona Pears


Violinist Fiona Pears

Fiona Pears remembers the stunned faces when, at a concert in Luxembourg, the musician plugged her violin, nicknamed The Beast, into a distortion box – and created a sensation.

"That concert was one that sticks out in my mind," said the New Zealander.

"Everyone was yelling with excitement. We started out with a song I wrote on my travels which started out like an Irish ballad, then became a rock song.

"People were staring, I don't think they had seen anything like it."

She says the experience felt like a "real turning point", but the exuberant musician had long been used to confounding expectations.

A highly skilled classical violinist – who, at 12, was an orchestral soloist in her homeland – Fiona has never relied on the standard repertoire for her concerts.

Having played in jazz bands, opened for crooners including Tony Bennett, and toured with the Bermudan-born rocker Heather Nova, the violinist follows the eclectic path trailed by the likes of Nigel Kennedy.

But in Fiona's case, it seems her playing knocks on the door of something quite different.

At Beverley Minster this Friday, the violinist appears with four fellow musicians – a pianist, guitarist, bassist and drummer – to perform her first solo concert at the venue.

It's a setting she loves, having first appeared there last year with fellow New Zealander, singer Hayley Westenra.

The setting will see the full range of influences, with her compositions filtering Latin, Jazz, Celtic and classical music she has picked up on her travels around the world.

Though strangely, for someone so confident, she seems a little shy when I ask if she considers herself to be a pioneer.

"Well, there has been Nigel Kennedy and Vanessa Mae but they used electric violins, I've always preferred the acoustic.

"I like to stick with classical writers – but I do think the other styles of music I have brought in is probably a first."

A pioneer, then. Though one who is always careful to prioritise her time.

"The important thing is to have fun," she said.

"That's the way I've always approached things. When I was growing up I never wanted to spend all day inside practising – I wanted to be out and about.

"Yes, it's true that I love music – but I have always loved life as well."

Fiona Pears performs at Beverley Minster, Minster Yard North, Beverley, on Friday, at 7.30pm.Tickets cost £30 (limited VIP tickets), £20 and £10 (limited view). Call Beverley Tourist Information Centre [phone].

Richard