Archive for category: News

Welcome to our new monthly series where we profile some of Firebird’s performers. This month we meet cellist Ruth Hallows…

Watch one of Ruth’s solo lockdown performances: 

‘I have been a cellist with the London Firebird Orchestra since 2017 and have enjoyed every moment with them. I have been a part of some incredible concerts, performing some truly stunning works such as Dvořák’s Symphony no. 9, Brahms Symphony no. 1 and my personal favourite, Schumann’s cello concerto in A minor with soloist Raphael Wallfisch.’

Says Ruth

British cellist Ruth Hallows graduated from the Royal College of Music and was winner of both the Pendle Young Musicians Bursary Competition and the Reuben Burton Foundation Scholarship. Ruth has studied with famous cellists including Raphael Wallfisch and Gregor Horsch.

A keen orchestral musician, she completed a Professional Placement Scheme with the English Chamber Orchestra. Ruth performs with players of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Royal College of Music Chamber Orchestra and London Firebird Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Ruth has performed on BBC Radio 3 In Tune, collaborated with the award-winning Sacconi Quartet and played at UK venues including the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. ​​

Ruth believes that Firebird provides a pivotal part in the transition from education to career for its players, often being the constant in what can be a time of great change for musicians. 

“The pandemic has been tough for all freelancers, especially those in the critical beginnings of their career. For me personally, as well as providing an opportunity to explore the online possibilities for music making, it has also given me a chance to write further about the issues tackling young musicians in the classical music world, through my blog: From a Cellist’s Perspective.“

Ruth

Ruth was delighted when Firebird came back in October 2020 providing some much needed hope for a return to normal life. She has no doubt that when this latest lockdown lifts, Firebird will be back stronger and better than ever!

Firebird would like to thank everyone for their kind and loyal support in 2020, and to wish all of our Friends, Benefactors and Supporters a healthy, happy and prosperous 2021.

Most recently, we were delighted to be able to perform two concerts from our season at St George’s Hanover Square in the Autumn. Although we were very restricted with audience, both of these were filmed. And you can still enjoy these fabulous concerts here…

STRING FLING

Filmed live on Thursday 22 October 2020 by Europik Music

Vaughan Williams 
Elgar
Mahler
Grieg

Principal Guest Conductor
George Jackson

FROM LONDON TO ST PETERSBURG

Filmed live on Thursday 19 November 2020 by Europik Music

Vaughan Williams 
Corelli 
Holst 
Tchaikovsky 

Principal Guest Conductor
Michael Thrift

Looking ahead, our Young Composer of the Year Competition is now well underway. The winning piece will be given its World Première as part of our concert B Minor with Loveon Thursday 10 June. 

We all hope that the vaccines will offer hope and light at the end of the current darkness – so that we can look forward to us all being together again for a musical 2021.

These are challenging times for the arts. Nevertheless, as our Artistic Director Marc Corbett-Weaver explains, Firebird plans to resume its concert season later this year…

Dear Friends

London Firebird Orchestra & The Pandemic

As the UK went into lockdown in March, we had engaged our players in two projects – our concert at Kings Place and an engagement concert with Middlesex University. Both had to be cancelled because of venue closures and the lockdown. Fortunately, we were in a position to support our players with payments for both projects. We are grateful for the generosity of our Friends & Benefactors, and the University, for this.

At present I am working with our conductors, George Jackson and Michael Thrift, and colleagues at St George’s to adapt our autumn programme. Orchestras are now performing on the continent with safety measures in place and we are watching developments closely.

Our home venue, St George’s Hanover Square, is currently closed but plans to reopen in time for the autumn. 

As things stand therefore, we aim to proceed with our two orchestral concerts, Firebird for Schools Concert and Firebird Young Composer of the Year Competition, with our audience socially distanced. We also plan to bring these performances to a wider audience via online streaming.

This is a desperate time for young musicians, many of whom have had all their concerts cancelled. We look forward to announcing more details of our 2020/21 Season soon. Once again, all the musicians and the Board of Trustees would like to say a big thank you for your continued support. We look forward to having you with us for the journey ahead.

Meanwhile we would like to share the wonderful video performance below created by one of our regular soloists.

With our very best wishes at this challenging time,

Marc Corbett-Weaver
Artistic Director & Chief Executive, London Firebird Orchestra

We hope you will enjoy this video clip featuring part of the marvellous Finale from Sibelius Symphony no. 5, performed by our orchestra in June 2019 at St George’s Hanover Square.

The resplendent horn theme came into the composer’s mind while he was climbing mountains in Finland and suddenly saw the amazing spectacle of sixteen swans in flight above him – he wrote in his diary ‘This was the greatest day of my life!. 

We hope our performance offers a little inspiration to our Friends at this challenging time.

If you are not already one of our donors, please do support us by joining the Friends & Benefactors Society.

To find out about the benefits of being a Friend and to join online, go to our Friends page.

Last week we met talented young violinist Emmanuel Bach. This week we meet the other no less talented soloist in Firebird’s next concert, The First Cuckoo,  soprano Samantha Hay…

Tell us a little about yourself as a musician…

I trained as an undergraduate at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and as a postgrad at the Royal College of Music.  I was a chorister for Welsh National Opera for seven years and returned to freelance work seven years ago.

Can you identify some career highlights to date?

After I left the chorus at WNO, I returned a year later to perform Frasquita in Carmen and my dream role of Queen of the Night. That was a very proud moment! To keep returning to a company that meant so much to me is such a pleasure and a thrill every time.  

I also performed as the Goddess Ceres in a production of The Tempest with the Royal Shakespeare Company – singing and delivering a Shakespeare speech for the most highly regarded theatre company in the world was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

What is your preferred musical genre?

I regularly perform as a soloist for Choral Societies throughout the UK, but my heart is on the stage with opera.  I love discovering a character and working as a team with other cast members and production staff.  Working in a studio for weeks and then transferring the production to stage in front of a constantly changing audience is very exciting and hugely rewarding as a performer.

What about your future ambitions in music?

I am really keen to become more involved in the education of young people and children and to introduce them to classical music and opera and hopefully inspire more young people into the industry.

Together with my partner, Beatboxer Andy Frost, we have formed the duo OperaBeatz! We hope to show how completely difference genres of music can work together and we run workshops for schools to encourage more exploration in musical styles.

What is the value of London Firebird to younger professional musicians like yourself?

Throughout my professional development I have always been very grateful for programmes such as British Youth Opera, where I was given a great opportunity to perform a major role at the Linbury Studio.

Establishments such as this and London Firebird are vital for giving young musicians experience in a professional environment and also for networking with peers.  In this business, learning doesn’t end after college, there is still a huge amount to learn in the professional world, and it is really important for young musicians and singers to experience that.

The First Cuckoo: Nature Unwrapped

Sunday 22 March, 6.30 pm
Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG

Delius On Hearing the First Cuckoo
Delius Spring Summer Night on the River
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Mozart The Queen of the Night Arias: Der Hölle Rache & O zittre nicht (from Magic Flute)
Haydn Symphony no. 83 in G minor, Hob.I:83 (La Poule)

Conductor George Jackson
Violin Emmanuel Bach
Coloratura Samantha Hay

This concert has been organised in collaboration with the London Chamber Music Society