After our last Scandinavian Connection concert, working with our wonderful Composer-in-Association, B Tommy Andersson, 成人论坛 NOW are continuing our run of new sounds for the new year! This will see us present a 成人论坛 Hoddinott Hall Composer Portrait, on this occasion focusing on the music of the French composer, organist and improviser, Thierry Escaich.
He is recognised globally as an instrumentalist (some of you may have caught him performing in Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony at the 成人论坛 Proms in 2013). However, it may be fair to say that although Escaich has received a great deal of critical acclaim for his compositional work in both mainland Europe and the United States, in the United Kingdom his work is perhaps less well known.
The musical community is very much an international one, and I think it is such a shame when an artist makes a big splash elsewhere and yet we in Blighty don’t get the chance to experience their art and make up our own minds. This is why I believe the 成人论坛 NOW Composer Portrait concerts are so important; if you don’t experience something yourself, how can you really have an opinion on it?
We will present four works, Baroque Song, Miror d’Ombre, Vertiges de la croix and Three Motets. Three Motets is the earliest of Escaich’s works (1998) and will feature members of the 成人论坛 National Chorus of Wales with Chorus Director, Adrian Partington, at the organ. For 2006’s Miror d’Ombre, we are incredibly excited to be joined by cellist Xavier Phillips, and violinist, Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, of the Trio Wanderer. The Orchestra itself takes centre stage for 2007’s Baroque Song, and 2004’s Vertiges de la Croix, a work for large symphony orchestra inspired by the central panel of a Ruebens triptych found in the Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp.
Thierry Escaich (picture by Guy Vivien)
If you are fairly well up on your French, there are excellent interviews with Thierry Escaich available on YouTube that will give you a flavour of Escaich’s compositional approach and ideas.
Even better, in my opinion, are the great number of videos available of his improvisations at the organ. Without wanting to offend every organist in the country, the organ is not generally considered the most rock and roll of instruments, but under the fingers (and feet!) of Escaich, it becomes an instrument so far removed from the church services of my childhood that it is almost unrecognisable!
On a different note, the mentions of the 成人论坛’s Ten Pieces have made terrific reading on Twitter and various other news and social media websites over the last number of months. We are so proud to have been a central part of this wonderful nationwide project, and members of our Orchestra have been busy getting out and about in schools right across Wales, working with teachers and students on further projects inspired by the film.
Tickets are already available and popular for our - if your children enjoyed watching the film in the cinema (or on TV over Christmas), bring them along to experience the spectacle live. In the meantime, , and features members of the Orchestra talking about their instruments and favourite Ten Pieces works.
成人论坛 National Orchestra of Wales explores the work of Thierry Escaich in a Composer Portrait on Wednesday 28 January, 7.30pm, at 成人论坛 Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay. For more information and to book, or call 0800 052 1812.