Recording of Jonathan Dove’s “For An Unknown Soldier”

We plan to record this brilliant new work. We did the World Premiere last November and some of you may have attended the performance at Fairfield Halls.

Click here to take a look at the Video giving you all the details about the project.

“’For an Unknown Soldier’ was totally gripping and moving and the music extraordinary. The chosen texts came at us from all angles: the soldiers and those left behind, young and old.”

The recording sessions will take place in central London in September 2015. Joining the LMP and the children from the four primary school choirs will be tenor Nicky Spence, The Portsmouth Grammar School Chamber Choir and conductor Nicholas Cleobury. The recording should be released by Christmas – so would make an ideal Christmas present!

PRESS RELEASE: LMP return to Fairfield Halls with new Sunday Afternoon Concerts

The London Mozart Players are delighted to be returning to Fairfield Halls in June with a brand new concert series, Music for a Sunday Afternoon: The London Mozart Players in the Community. Launching on 7th June with a programme of chamber music, members of the LMP chamber ensemble will have the pleasure of being joined by students from Trinity School whom they have been working with since March, for a side-by-side performance of the exuberant Mendelssohn String Octet. Also featuring will be the Chen Piano Trio, champions of the prestigious Pro Corda National Chamber Music Festival, the Senior Saxophone Ensemble and the Junior Brass Quintet.

‘This is the beginning of a very exciting series given by the LMP, performing in the heart of Croydon at the Fairfield Halls in three concerts for the whole family,’ says co-principal cellist and Community and Education administrator Julia Desbruslais. ‘It is a crucial part of our artistic policy to engage with and be relevant to the community where we perform and have our offices. These concerts give us the chance to perform alongside local people, in the wonderful Fairfield Halls for the whole community of Croydon.’

Be sure to arrive early on June 7th to be serenaded by students from Trinity School in the foyer, while you enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake from the cafe at Fairfield before the concert at 3.30pm.

Later in the season on 4th October, the orchestra will be opening its doors to all string players* from the local area, rusty or up to speed to play side/side in two pieces and enjoy listening to the LMP on sparkling form in” Autumn” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other popular pieces.

The final concert on 6th December will be a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, with the full orchestra of the LMP, joined by the Croydon Bach and Croydon Philharmonic choirs and any singers out there who would enjoy the opportunity to join with us.*

*If you are interested in taking part, please contact Jenny Brady at the LMP office on 020 8686 1996 or at jenny@lmp.org

Tickets are available from the Fairfield box office, standard price £12, under 16s £5, and under 5s go free.

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Concert details:

For all LMP in the Community concerts:
Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Tickets £12 (under 16s £5, under 5s FREE)
Box office on 020 8688 9291
www.fairfield.co.uk

Sunday 7 June 2015, 3.30 pm
COME AND HEAR!

MOZART Divertimento in F major
MENDELSSOHN String Octet
Featuring members of the LMP Chamber Ensemble and students of Trinity School, Croydon.


Sunday 4 October 2015, 3.30 pm
COME AND PLAY!

MOZART Divertimento in D major, K136
GRIEG Holberg Suite
VIVALDI ‘Autumn’ from The Four Seasons
LEROY ANDERSON Plink Plank Plunk
JEFF MOORE Fiddler’s Hill

Director Simon Blendis

*Participation – Suitable for all ages and abilities – £5 participation fee for adults and those not in full time education. FREE for under 18s.

Sunday 6 December 2015, 3.30 pm
COME AND SING!

MOZART Requiem

Conductor Dominic Peckham

* Participation – £10 participation fee.

PRESS RELEASE: Laura van der Heijden announced as LMP’s first Young Artist in Residence

We are pleased to announce that cellist Laura van der Heijden has been appointed ‘Young Artist in Residence’ with the London Mozart Players. Laura is the 2012 BBC Young Musician and first collaborated with the orchestra in 2013. The new partnership will commence officially in June 2015 with the opening concert of the Portsmouth Festivities on 19 June 2015. Further concerts take place in September and January of next season.

Laura van der Heijden comments: ‘I am thrilled that the London Mozart Players have chosen me to be their first Young Artist in Residence. Playing with them feels like chamber music, the way they play is very inspiring, the atmosphere is so supportive and working with them is always lots of fun.’

The Directors remark on the appointment of the LMP’s first ever Young Artist in Residence: ‘We are delighted to have a close association with such a vibrant and enterprising young cellist who clearly has an exciting career ahead of her’. We are actively looking for opportunities for further concerts together.

© James Laws

© James Laws

LMP at Surrey Hills International Music Festival 2015

We are delighted to be returning to Surrey Hills International Music Festival this year with soloists Natalie Klein, Leticia Moreno and guest conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky. It’s a fantastic programme and line up this year, so be sure to get your tickets fast!

SHIMF ADVERT 18MM X130MMols

LONDON MOZART PLAYERS – A NEW MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Nine months ago, the London Mozart Players became a self-governing orchestra run by its musicians. During this challenging time, it has gone from strength to strength, consolidating its place in the UK’s concert life with innovative programmes, recordings and other ventures.
It now moves into its second phase, with a new management structure.

 

A New Chairman and a new Board of DirectorsPaul Archibald
Up to now, the directors of the LMPOL have been Paul Archibald, Development Director, Peter Wright, Operations Director and Viv Davies, Managing Director. A new structure has now been introduced.
Paul Archibald becomes chairman of LMPOL.
The Board is joined by Julia Debruslais, Sarah Butcher and Sebastian Comberti.

Julia Debruslais is also responsible Julia Desbruslaisfor the LMP’s Education and Community projects.

 

 

Sebastian Comberti is chairman of the Artistic Committee.Sebastian Comberti

Peter Wright continues as Operations Director.Peter Wright

Other members of the LMP have helped considerably in different ways, particularly Martin Smith in developing both specialist and popular programmes to attract central and local government funding. He is continuing to contribute in this way.

Fund Raising
Peter Wright, and long-standing LMP friend Nick Mallett, are now spearheading the Fundraising Team. Nick Mallett

The LMP office
The new Directors of the LMPOL would like to especially thank David Wilson, General Manager, and Jenny Brady, Concerts and Projects Manager, who have been boldly operating in especially challenging circumstances over the past year. David and Jenny have both generously given their time and energy far beyond their previous commensurate employment. Without them we would not have survived.

Happy Birthday Howard Shelley, LMP Conductor Laureate!

Happy 65th Birthday Howard, our brilliant Conductor Laureate! We hope you have a day as wonderful as you are!

It was a pleasure to celebrate with Howard on Wednesday at St John’s Smith Square after our Mozart Explored lunchtime concert, with some bubbles and a fabulous cake, baked by the fair hands of the illustrious Julia Desbruslais (co-principal cello). We look forward to many more years performing with him! We hope to see you on 1st April at St John’s for the last of our Mozart Explored lunchtime concerts.

Howard and cake

The Battle of Trafalgar: Schools Concert

A participatory concert for school children 7-11yrs bringing the famous battle to life

The London Mozart Players are delighted to be working again with the Classical Road Show in presenting another fantastic schools concert at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, Surrey. On Monday 8th June, the LMP will be joined onstage by David Leonard playing the esteemed role of Nelson/Narrator, dancers from the Central School of Ballet and our wonderful Associate Conductor, Hilary Davan Wetton.

Bookings are being taken from school groups via the Classical Road Show, so please contact Carol Leighton at concerts@classicalroadshow.org if you are interested in attending.

There will be two performances lasting one hour at 11.15am and 1.30pm.

£3 Tickets for pupils (7-11yrs) & staff including Teachers’ Pack of songs, word sheets, learning CD and history project.

Kindly sponsored by Orbit South.

Battle of Trafalgar 2015 - Croydon.indd

PRESS RELEASE: RUTH ROGERS APPOINTED AS LEADER

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ruth Rogers as joint Leader of the London Mozart Players. Ruth will take up the position in March 2015 and share this highly prestigious role with Marieke Blankestijn, who has led the orchestra since 2011, and Simon Blendis who joined as leader in October 2014.

Described as “the finest of the younger generation of violinists” (Musical Opinion) and hailed by the Guardian as “superb”, Ruth is in demand as soloist, leader, and chamber musician. Ruth has appeared in concert alongside distinguished performers, including Ida Haendel, and John Lill, and has lead orchestras under the batons of Lorin Maazel and Colin Davis. She appears as a guest leader of many major orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. She has also appeared in Principal roles with the Hallé, English Chamber Orchestra and London Chamber Orchestra.

Ruth responded to the news of her appointment by saying, “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed by the London Mozart Players. This is a really exciting time for the orchestra and I have been so impressed by how the players have rallied round to save this remarkable ensemble. I love leading and directing the group, and I’m very excited about all our forthcoming concerts together.”

Paul Archibald, LMP Director and Principal Trumpet comments, “Ruth has already made her mark as a soloist, chamber musician and guest leader both throughout the UK and abroad. From her very first concert with LMP she has brought an energy and vitality that is the unmistakable hallmark of a great artist. Her rapport with the members of the orchestra was immediate and her charismatic personality has certainly engaged LMP audiences. I am delighted that she has accepted the position of Leader of the London Mozart Players and look forward to her performances as the orchestra continues to thrive under its player-led management”

Ruth commences her new role by leading and directing the LMP at St John’s Smith Square on March 5th.

Journey – a concert with Claire Jones

The London Mozart Players are joined for this special concert by Claire Jones. Claire was Official Harpist to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales until 2011. The LMP recently joined Claire to record her new album, ‘Journey’ a collection of pieces drawn from classical repertoire, film scores and the airs and folk melodies of the British Isles. These trace Claire’s personal journey from a dark and debilitating year suffering from ME Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, back to health. This concert forms the public launch of this new album, and a welcome return to the concert stage for Claire.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Optimum Health Clinic Foundation‘s research into treatments for ME.
St John’s Smith Square – 5th March – 7.30pm – Tickets

Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto – Soloists Claire Jones Harp and Juliette Bausor Flute
Tracks from Claire Jones’ CD “Journey”
Mozart Symphony 40 in G minor

Lords and Ladies attend LMP concert at St John’s

We have just heard that the “All Party Parliamentary Group for Classical Music” will attend todays concert at St John’s Smith Square

New LMP Recording at Number 1 in Classical Album Chart

Back in July 2014 we were at Henry Wood Hall with Naxos, recording with Hilary Davan Wetton, Roderick Williams and the City of London Choir. The subsequent recording described as ‘an anthology of twentieth century British music on the themes of war and lost youth, set against a background of the English countryside and a centuries-old pattern of rural life,’ includes the premiere recording of Finzi’s Requiem da Camera in its new completion by Christian Alexander. It also features Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, who provides the narration for Vaughan Williams’ haunting Oxford Elegy.

Released in early November, the recording entered the Classical Album Charts at No.2 and then climbed to Number 1.

Press Reviews

To buy from Amazon, click here.

Flowers of the field

Christmas Concert Dec 14th, 7.30pm at St John’s Smith Square

We are delighted to be collaborating on this exciting event with Suzi Digby OBE and to be celebrating Christmas at St John’s Smith Square. Programme to include Britten’s St Nicolas cantata, Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols, and Frank Bridge’s Sir Roger de Coverley (A Christmas Dance). There’ll be carols to sing and Thomas Hardy readings; a very English Christmas. Sunday 14th December, 7.30pm

English Christmas_eflyer

Two concerts for the price of one!

LMP Principal Double Bass player and conductor Stacey Watton will be presenting a Concert by Candlelight with the LMP on 30th November, 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church, Rotherhithe, SE16 4JE, with programme to feature Beethoven’s Symphony No.2, Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Brahms Violin Concerto.

But that’s not all ladies and gents… If you purchase a ticket for the 30th November (£20), you will gain FREE entry to Stacey’s ‘New Talent Conducting Showcase Concert’ on 29th November, 2.30pm at St Mary’s Church with the LMP. Programme will include excerpts of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, Violin Concertos 3 & 5, and Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings.

Reserve your tickets by calling 07811373415 or email info@lmp.org

stacey watton concert_0001

Hidden Croydon Exhibition

I happened upon some WW1 postcards when I was researching my family heritage. Building your family tree is extremely addictive I warn you, but it also gave a certain amount of inspiration to the ‘Hidden Croydon’ project. ‘History is made by individuals’ is an opinion thrown around often by historians, and I think on the whole they mean ‘great’ individuals; Kings and Queens, political leaders and human rights activists. This is great for school curriculum and for the study of the objective, but I don’t think we consider the subjective nature of history enough. The personal implications of world events. The effect of ‘great’ individual decisions on the ‘small’ individuals. It is focused on greatly in today’s news reports, but slowly through the ages we may lose perception of the human emotions felt at the time, whether they be anger or joy, confusion or certainty, fear or hope. postcard to my dear wife_0001 smaller

However, I do not think that this is the case for the First World War. The events that led up to and followed the 4th August 1914 have been well documented not only by historians, but also depicted by many war poets and writers, classical composers and artists. A very human reaction; honest, brutal and unforgiving. But behind these writings, music and images, which are often at the risk of being glamorised, was a very real experience and can be expressed most effectively by the ‘small’ individual.

This is where ‘Hidden Croydon’ came in. When I found my Great Grandfather’s postcards, it was like holding a piece of history in my hands, and he and other ‘small’ individuals had been given a voice. Unfortunately the embroidered ones appear to have been stuck into a scrap book, so the writing on the back is illegible, apart from a long line of kisses on the bottom of one. However, on the one that reads ‘Till we meet again’, we can read written in pen by my Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Davies;

“I think of you today dear though we are far apart,
I send my loving wishes, to greet my true sweetheart.
From Lizzie.”

And then a reply in pencil from David Davies:

“From a hungry husband sending this out of the trenches to you. From Dai to Lizzie”postcard till we meet again_0001 smaller

All my Great Grandfathers fought in the trenches and all of them returned home, a fact for which I’m extremely grateful for, as my grandparents were born post-1918. But I’m also grateful to my grandmother for recognising the significance of this world event in the context of the Davies family, preserving these postcards for future generations to truly appreciate the personal cost of the war.

I don’t think there are many who escaped school without at least touching upon the catastrophic loss of the First World War. I also don’t think there are many people alive today whose family weren’t affected in some way. Whether their ancestors worked on the land, in munitions factories, down the mines, volunteered as medics or played any part in the war effort, this all goes to paint a raw picture of that moment in time, made up of personal voices and faces of the significant unknown and ‘small’ individuals of that generation. This is what the ‘Hidden Croydon’ project is all about.

Jenny Brady

Hidden Croydon Exhibition open from 12 pm on 14th November at Fairfield Halls Croydon. ALL WELCOME.

Claire Jones recording sessions

On Oct 22nd the LMP recorded a new album with Claire “The Girl With The Golden Harp”. The album is due to be released on March 1st. Please let us know if you would like to pre order a copy

Claire Jones (born in 1985) is a Welsh harpist who held the title of Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2007 to 2011.

Jones was born in Crymych, Pembrokeshire, and began playing the harp at the age of 10; she performed for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh when she was 16. In 2007, she was one of the inaugural winners of The Prince of Wales’s Advanced Study in Music Award, and was appointed as the prince’s official Harpist for a 3-year term. During the previous year, she had won the harp solo at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, been a finalist at the Third International Harp Contest in France, and won the Royal College of Music Harp Competition.

http://www.clairejones.co.uk

Connecting Generations: WW1 Songs Remembered and Shared

As part of a wide-reaching WW1 commemoration project, the London Mozart Players, Croydon’s resident orchestra, have been facilitating the visits of newly established primary school choirs to Croydon senior’s homes

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As well as preparing Jonathan Dove’s new commission For an Unknown Soldier, the children of Atwood Primary Academy, Croydon Parish Church Juniors, Ecclesbourne Primary Academy and Monks Orchard Primary, have also been learning old wartime songs, and creating their own variations of them to sing to residents of local care homes. Repertoire includes Wish Me Luck, It’s a long way to Tipperary and other familiar tunes.

The choir of Monks Orchard Primary School performed at Elizabeth Court  on Wednesday 1st October, which also happened to be International Older People’s Day.

The ‘Coffee Concerts’ which have come to be known as WW1 Songs Remembered and Shared, are an important part of the project for several reasons. They are providing an important performance opportunity for the schools in the lead up to the main concert on the 14th November, and they are also encouraging the children to engage creatively with a bygone era.

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PRESS RELEASE: World Premieres of ‘For an Unknown Soldier’

The London Mozart Players and The Portsmouth Grammar School collaborate to commission major new cantata from Jonathan Dove to commemorate WWI

• World Première performances in Portsmouth and Croydon in November 2014
• Over 300 children from Portsmouth Grammar School and Croydon primary schools involved in the first performances
• Featuring renowned choral conductor Nicholas Cleobury and outstanding young tenor Nicholas Sharratt.

The London Mozart Players and The Portsmouth Grammar School will present the World Première performances of a major new co-commission from Jonathan Dove on 9 November 2014 in Portsmouth Cathedral and 14 November in Fairfield Halls Croydon. For an Unknown Soldier is a setting for tenor solo, children’s choir, adult chorus and chamber orchestra of nine poems about the First World War. Opening with a setting of Wilfred Owen’s portentous ‘1914’, the work offers a moving meditation on the tragedy of war with poems by Mary Gabrielle Collins, Helen Dircks and Ivor Gurney among others.

The LMP is delighted to continue what has become an annual collaboration with Portsmouth Grammar School, which has in recent years seen the commissioning of important new work from composers such as Roxanna Panufnik and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

James Priory, Headmaster of Portsmouth Grammar School comments:
“We are thrilled to be giving young musicians from Portsmouth and Croydon the opportunity to work with a living composer and to be involved in creating a major new musical work inspired by Remembrance. I cannot think of a better way for young people to engage creatively in the centenary of the Great War.”

Viv Davies, Managing Director of the London Mozart Players comments:
“We are really excited to be collaborating with the Portsmouth Grammar School and Jonathan Dove on such a significant and important project. The preparation for the events in November has brought together diverse individuals and groups in a unified and common purpose. We have no doubt that the première performances of the cantata will be profound and moving occasions that will express, in a wonderfully creative way, the essence, spirit and deep significance of remembrance. We are looking forward to it immensely.”

Simon Blendis – Leader

Simon Blendis joined the LMP as Leader in 2014. As well as leading for a wide variety of concerts, Simon has particularly enjoyed developing his relationship with the orchestra through an increasing amount of directing. He has also created the innovative leadership development event Podium, which has become an important strand of the LMP’s work and is gaining a strong reputation in the business world.

Away from the LMP Simon enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestra leader. He has been a member of the Schubert Ensemble for twenty-three years, with whom he has performed in over thirty different countries, made frequent broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and appeared regularly at Europe’s major venues. After 35 years at the forefront of British chamber music the Ensemble will retire in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of over 80 commissions, 25 CD recordings and a large library of live performances on YouTube.

Simon is also in demand as a guest-leader and guest-director and has appeared in this role with most of the UK’s major orchestras. Since 1999 he has been one of the leaders of Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan, with whom he has recorded Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for the Warner label. As a soloist he has made recent appearances with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the RPO and the CBSO.

Simon is a keen exponent of new music. He has given over 50 first performances and has had new works written for him by, amongst others, John Woolrich, Tansy Davies and jazz legend Dave Brubeck, as well as violin concertos by David Knotts and Jeff Moore.

http://www.simonblendis.com/