Monica Groop accompanied by Rudolf Jansen

15 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 15 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12

Finnish mezzo-soprano Monica Groop has performed with many of the major opera companies and orchestras of the world including the Bayrische Staatsoper, Amsterdam, Covent Garden, Munich State Opera, Royal Opera in Stockholm, Paris and the New York City Opera, the Glyndebourne and Aix-en-Provence Festivals.

A prolific recording artist, Monica Groop has made over sixty recordings. Her operatic recordings include “Linda di Chamounix” with Edita Gruberova, “Don Giovanni” conducted by Sir Georg Solti, “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Cosi fan tutte”, Haydn´s “La fedeltá premiata” and Berlioz “Benvenuto Cellini”.

Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £20 (£15 groups only)

Internationally renowned vocal ensemble Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares blend traditional songs with contemporary arrangements. Formerly known as the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, the group was created in Bulgaria by Philip Koutev, aka ‘the father of Bulgarian concert folk music.’ Le Mystere des voix Bulgares’ 4AD records have enraptured the world, and we are delighted that this Grammy award-winning choir are bringing their spell-binding music to Belfast.

You will find a sample of the singing below.

Carmina Burana

29 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £27.50, £24, £21.50

75 years after Carl Orff set 24 poems from the Medieval Latin, French and German Texts into arguably the most recognisable classical work of modern times, the Ulster Bank Festival at Queen’s stages Northern Ireland’s most ambitious performance of this seminal 20th work, incorporating some 400 musicians and singers.

The Ulster Orchestra joins forces with the Ulster Youth Orchestra and the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, Phil Kids and pupils from some 8 secondary schools throughout Northern Ireland. This promises to be a spectacular collaboration, conducted by the Ulster Youth Choir’s Artistic Director, Greg Beardsell.

Carmina Burana (Songs of Beuern, a municipality in Bavaria, Germany) has become one of the most performed works of the 20th century, featuring regularly in TV ads and feature films. The selection of song settings in the work cover a wide range of topics, as familiar in the 13th century as they are in the 21st century: the fickleness of fortune and wealth, the ephemeral nature of life, the joy of the return of Spring, and the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust.

Opening Concert: Festival of The Americas

14 Oct 2011 7:45PM - 14 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets:£8- £25

The internationally renowned American conductor, JoAnn Falletta conducts an exciting concert of North and South American music, marking her first major concert with the Ulster Orchestra, since her appointment as Principal Conductor.

The programme includes some real American masterpieces including Leonard Bernstein’s showstopping dances from On the Town, Aaron Copland’s evocation of a Mexican dancehall and George Gershwin’s ever popular Rhapsody in Blue and the spell-binding energy of his variations on I got Rhythm, performed by that most exciting interpreter of 20th century piano works, Joanna MacGregor.

The South American element in the concert includes Argentina’s most famous composer, Astor Piazzolla’s evocation of his national dance - the Tango - for symphony orchestra, and Mexican composer José Pablo Moncayo’s colourful orchestral fantasy, Huapango. A night of colour and energy to open the 49th Ulster Bank Festival at Queen’s with style and panache!

Joanna MacGregor
Joanna MacGregor is a popular English classical pianist. Considered one of the world’s most wideranging and innovative musicians, she combines the established piano repertoire complemented by her passion for jazz and new music and the championing of living composers in all traditions. She persistently challenges the divisions and labels which conventionally separate different traditions

“MacGregor revelled in the dances’ extraordinary variety and expressive colour, their pained nostalgia as well as their earthiness. Her delivery of Chopin’s occasionally fiery political passion underlined the brilliance of Robert Schumann’s description of the mazurkas as ‘cannons buried in flowers’.” The Guardian

JoAnn Falletta
Praised by The Washington Post as having “Toscanini’s tight control over ensemble, Walter’s affectionate balancing of inner voices, Stokowski’s gutsy showmanship, and a controlled frenzy worthy of Bernstein,” JoAnn Falletta has earned a reputation as a vibrant ambassador for music and an inspiring artistic leader.

Ulster Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Joanna MacGregor, piano*

Bernstein: On The Town
Copland: Three Latin American Sketches
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue*
Gershwin: I got Rhythm Variations*
Piazzolla: Tangazo Marquez: Danzon No. 2
Copland: El Salon Mexico
Moncayo: Huapango

This is a live broadcast for BBC Radio 3. Please note that latecomers will not be admitted until a suitable time in the performance

Dervish and Special Guests

14 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 14 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £19.50

Formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo. Joined in 1991 by singer Cathy Jordan and all Ireland champion fiddle player Shane Mc Aleer the band produced the first Dervish album Harmony Hill which was released in 1992. In 2010 Dervish celebrated 21 years at the forefront of Irish traditional music. The band marked the occasion with four special concerts which brought together musical friends and influential musicians from their career including several they had never worked with before. The resulting shows were fantastic events from both an artist and audience viewpoint, and inspired by the reaction and the musical bridges these shows created, Dervish have continued to bring together diverse but compelling musical line-ups.

This show features two very special guest vocalists Rachel Unthank and Brian Kennedy

Known for their timeless, unsentimental and quietly subversive tales of loss, fear, booze, brawls, abuse and sorrow, siblings Rachel and Becky Unthank are honest, young storytellers outside of time, forging links between folk worlds old, new and other. It’s hard to imagine a British folk band with fans like Radiohead, Portishead, Robert Wyatt, Ben Folds, Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, Ewan McGregor and Nick Hornby, but The Unthanks occupy a unique place in music. The Unthanks have established themselves as the most innovative and critically acclaimed British folk band in modern history. Lead vocalist, Rachel Unthank, is joined by husband and fellow band member, Adrian McNally.

Belfast born musician Brian Kennedy has been hugely successful over the years with a catalogue of ten albums behind him. Adored by his fans Brian Kennedy is the ultimate live performer, the second he bursts onto stage, grabs his guitar and belts out his first note you know that magic is about to happen.

Eugene Ugorski with Konstantin Lifschitz

15 Oct 2011 11:00AM - 15 Oct 2011 2:00PM
Description:

Tickets: £10, £8

Eugene Ugorski was introduced by Gergiev at the Moscow Easter Festival when only 15. He has set himself apart from many of his contemporaries with his distinctive rich dark sound, claiming a direct link to Heifetz and the Russian school of great violinists through his teacher. Ugorski has already performed with many of the top orchestras throughout Western Europe, Russia, Canada, the USA, South America, Australia and the Far East, working with conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Hans Graf, Andrey Boreyko, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Kirill Karabits and Robin Ticciati.

In recital, Ugorski regularly collaborates with pianist Konstantin Lifschitz giving concerts at Festivals and venues including Lucerne Festival, Wigmore Hall, De Doelen, Beethovenfest Bonn, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Enescu Festival, Seoul Arts Centre, Perth International Arts Festival and the Tivoli Festival in Copenhagen. Born in 1989 in St Petersburg, Russia, Ugorski moved with his family to San Diego aged five. He has studied with Professor Vesna Gruppman since the age of six, and continues to study with Vesna as well as with Igor Gruppman. Eugene Ugorski is represented by Intermusica.

RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Dublin with Roberto Minczuk / Barber Violin Concerto “A beautifully controlled performance by Eugene Ugorski […] Ugorski gave a finely-balanced account of this romantically-inclined work, keeping the music sweet but not sentimental, and the general restraint of his manner, happily, was matched by Minczuk.[…] he showed spunk aplenty in the right way in the wild, skittering dance of the finale.” Irish Times, January 2010 Konstantin Lifschitz was born December 10, 1976, in Kharkov. As a child, he became irresistibly attracted to the piano, playing by ear and improvising with total absorption for hours on end. This aptitude for his chosen instrument was so remarkable that at age five he enrolled in the renowned Moscow Gnessin. Special Middle School of Music, studying with Tatiana Zelikman. In future years of studies in Russia, England and Italy his teachers also included Theodor Gutmann, Vladimir Tropp, Hamish Milne, AlfredBrendel, Fou T'song, Leon Fleisher, Rosalyn Tureck, Karl-Ulrich Schnabel and Charles Rosen.

Monica Groop accompanied by Rudolf Jansen

15 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 15 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12

Finnish mezzo-soprano Monica Groop has performed with many of the major opera companies and orchestras of the world including the Bayrische Staatsoper, Amsterdam, Covent Garden, Munich State Opera, Royal Opera in Stockholm, Paris and the New York City Opera, the Glyndebourne and Aix-en-Provence Festivals.

A prolific recording artist, Monica Groop has made over sixty recordings. Her operatic recordings include “Linda di Chamounix” with Edita Gruberova, “Don Giovanni” conducted by Sir Georg Solti, “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Cosi fan tutte”, Haydn´s “La fedeltá premiata” and Berlioz “Benvenuto Cellini”.

The Danish String Quartet

16 Oct 2011 2:30PM - 16 Oct 2011 5:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £10, £8

The Danish String Quartet made its debut at the Copenhagen Summer Festival in 2002. In the course of a remarkably short time the quartet has drawn high praise for its highly crafted interpretations and engaging style of performance, establishing itself as the most promising ensemble in Denmark. The Quartet has won numerous chamber music competitions, including Trondheim International String Quartet Competition in 2005 and in 2009 the London International String Quartet Competition.

In 2006 they were invited by Danish Radio to be their 'Artist in Residence', leading to performances with the DR Symphony Orchestra and the Danish Radio Sinfonietta. This also gave the quartet the opportunity to record all Carl Nielsen's string quartets for the Dacapo label, which has duly won universal critical acclaim. In 2011 the Quartet has toured extensively in the UK, performed in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Spain and Australia. The Quartet has been awarded the highly prestigious Carl Nielsen Prize in 2011.

Peter Jablonski

16 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 16 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £10, £8

Peter Jablonski has given concerts on all five continents, working with orchestras such as the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Philharmonia and The Cleveland Orchestras, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and all major orchestras in Scandinavia.

Peter Jablonski is Artistic Director of the annual Karlskrona Chamber Music Festival in Sweden and of Altara Records. He also has a multi-award winning discography with Decca and Deutsche Grammophon.

Suzanne Savage: Album Launch

16 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 16 Oct 2011 11:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £5

Suzanne Savage has been hailed as “the best voice out of Northern Ireland in the past thirty years” (Jackie Flavelle, Downtown Radio). The former lead singer of Giant Steps and Spree is probably the definition of diversity in a musician, having worked with musical royalty across a myriad of genres.

Suzanne’s career highlights include appearing at SXSW, supporting Van Morrison (at his personal invitation), singing backing vocals with Paul Brady, Eleanor McEvoy and Jimmy Cobb, performing as a soloist with The Florence Symphony Orchestra, RTE Orchestra, Riverdance and touring with the critically acclaimed choir New Dublin Voices, to name but a select few.

In her solo music, Suzanne is slicker than your average singer songwriter, heavily influenced by jazz and Irish songwriters and informed by her experience as a performer of funk, heavy rock, drum and bass, contemporary classical music and everything in between. The launch of her first solo album at this event in the Black Box will be a culmination of many of these influences and the début of one of the most unique voices in Irish music today.

“One of Ireland’s hidden music heroes” Belfast Telegraph

“Earning a respectable place near the modern soul of Jill Scott or Angie Stone” Stuart Bailie, BBC Northern Ireland

Suzanne Savage acknowledges the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Artists Career Enhancement Programme

The Diary of Anne Frank

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 20 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12

Vivid and insightful, this dramatic opera recreates the world of 13 year-old Anne Frank in hiding, living in hope, longing for normality for herself and her family.

Opera Theatre Company’s 25th year of touring opera throughout Ireland continues with this memorable and atmospheric opera. Russian composer Grigory Frid, whose own family suffered enormously under Stalin, was so inspired by Anne Frank’s diary that he created the opera in 1969. Sung in English by soprano Ani Maldjian, the powerful optimism and unbending will to live continue to instil awe. The focus is on Anne Frank’s original words – her joy over a glimpse of blue sky, the budding love for her friend Peter, her humour and resilient hopes for freedom – all find moving and eloquent expression in the poignant score. Andrew Synnott conducts Opera

Theatre Company’s eight-piece chamber orchestra and with direction by Ingrid Craigie and Annilese Miskimmon, design by Nicky Shaw & lighting by Tina MacHugh, this compelling production should not be missed.

Tasmin Little

21 Oct 2011 7:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:45PM
Description:

Tickets: £8- £22

Tasmin Little has played with many of the world's greatest orchestras in a career that has taken her to every continent of the world. In addition to her regular solo performances, she has played/directed orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, London Mozart Players, English Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber, European Union Chamber Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. Her discography reflects her wide-ranging repertoire and includes twenty-five recordings, ranging from Bruch and Brahms to Karlowicz and Arvo Pärt.

Her recording of all the four Delius Violin Sonatas with Piers Lane won the prized Diapason d'Or. In March 2009 she released the disc Partners in Time, her follow-up to The Naked Violin, and in Autumn 2010 her long-awaited recording of the Elgar violin concerto was released on the Chandos label to unanimous critical acclaim. The recording celebrated the 100th anniversary of the concerto’s premiere and included a re-creation of a special version of the accompanied cadenza. Tasmin won the much-coveted "Critic's Choice" award for the Elgar disc at the May 2011 Classic BRIT Awards Ceremony.

*There will be a Pre-concert talk with Jac van Steen and Tasmin Little (free of charge) entry with valid concert ticket only

Lizst, Hammond and Grainger Birthday Celebrations: Cathal Breslin

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £8, £6

Three Northern Irish pianists explore the anniversaries of three composers through their piano music - Franz Liszt. Percy Grainger and Philip Hammond.

As part of Philip Hammond’s 60th birthday celebrations this year, the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s has commissioned a new work for piano from this Belfast born composer. Based on the Edward Bunting collection of Irish melodies from the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792, MINIATURES AND MODULATIONS is the title of a series of fourteen pieces written especially for the three pianists in this series of three concerts. Cathal Breslin, David Quigley and Michael McHale will each play a selection of the Miniatures and Modulations as part of their consecutive programmes which will also celebrate the anniversaries this year of Franz Liszt, born on 22 October 1811, and Percy Grainger who died in 1961.

Cathal Breslin
Born in Derry, Cathal Breslin’s growing international career has taken him to concert halls throughout Europe, U.S.A. and Asia.

Schubert/Liszt     Der Müller und der Bach Aufenthal
                        Auf dem Wasser zu singen
                        Grainger Irish Tune from County Derry
                        Country Gardens
                        Walking Tune
Hammond            From “Miniatures and Modulations”
                        Open the Door softly
                        Have you seen my Valentine?
                        Planxty Maguire
                        The Parting of Friends
Liszt                  Hungarian Rhapsody No.12 in C sharp minor
Liszt                  Sonata in B minor

Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £22.50

Nobody plays the saxophone quite like Jan Garbarek. His sound has become an unmistakable trademark and this sound for some time now has acquired another dimension than what is generally understood as jazz.

Innumerable record releases, concerts in the most significant concert-halls throughout the world, the many years he collaborated with Keith Jarrett or his unprecedented work with the Hilliard Ensemble have made this unique saxophonist popular across all musical genres and borders. It has never been of any interest to him that critics need to find convenient labels to sort people out into musical categories. Garbarek eludes this attempt.

You find his work in jazz, classical and pop charts. Since the early days of the Munich cult label ECM he has been one of its most successful representatives. Have a listen here The Hilliard Ensemble is one of the world's finest vocal chamber groups. Its distinctive style and highly developed musicianship engage the listener as much in medieval and renaissance repertoire as in works specially written by living composers. The group’s standing as an early music ensemble dates from the 1980s with its series of successful recordings for EMI. In addition to many a cappella discs, collaborations include most notably Officium and Mnemosyne with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, a partnership which continues to develop and renew itself.

You can find some of his music listed on our Youtube pages (www.youtube.com/belfastfestival)

We have included a sample below here :

Lizst, Hammond and Grainger Birthday Celebrations: Michael McHale

22 Oct 2011 11:00AM - 22 Oct 2011 1:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £8, £6

Three Northern Irish pianists explore the anniversaries of three composers through their piano music - Franz Liszt. Percy Grainger and Philip Hammond.

As part of Philip Hammond’s 60th birthday celebrations this year, the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s has commissioned a new work for piano from this Belfast born composer. Based on the Edward Bunting collection of Irish melodies from the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792, MINIATURES AND MODULATIONS is the title of a series of fourteen pieces written especially for the three pianists in this series of three concerts. Cathal Breslin, David Quigley and Michael McHale will each play a selection of the Miniatures and Modulations as part of their consecutive programmes which will also celebrate the anniversaries this year of Franz Liszt, born on 22 October 1811, and Percy Grainger who died in 1961.

Michael McHale
Belfast-born pianist Michael McHale has established himself as one of the leading Irish pianists of his generation.

Liszt           Funérailles
                 Ballade No.2 in B minor
Grainger      To a Nordic Princess (Bridal Song) 
                 Molly on the Shore (Irish Reel)
                 Bridal Lullaby
Hammond    From “Miniatures and Modulations”
                 The Fair Woman
                 An Irish Lullaby
                 Rose Dillon (Jigg)
                 The Little and Great Mountain
                 John O’Reilly the Active
Liszt           Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude
Verdi/Liszt   Rigoletto paraphrase de concert

Lizst, Hammond and Grainger Birthday Celebrations: David Quigley

22 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 22 Oct 2011 10:00PM
Description:

Tickets:£8, £6

Three Northern Irish pianists explore the anniversaries of three composers through their piano music - Franz Liszt. Percy Grainger and Philip Hammond.

As part of Philip Hammond’s 60th birthday celebrations this year, the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s has commissioned a new work for piano from this Belfast born composer. Based on the Edward Bunting collection of Irish melodies from the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792, MINIATURES AND MODULATIONS is the title of a series of fourteen pieces written especially for the three pianists in this series of three concerts. Cathal Breslin, David Quigley and Michael McHale will each play a selection of the Miniatures and Modulations as part of their consecutive programmes which will also celebrate the anniversaries this year of Franz Liszt, born on 22 October 1811, and Percy Grainger who died in 1961.

David Quigley
Award winning Irish pianist David Quigley leapt to international attention in 2002 by representing the UK in the prestigious ECHO Rising Stars series.

Schubert/Liszt     Ständchen
Schumann/Liszt   Widmung
Verdi/Liszt          Aida Paraphrase
Wagner/Liszt       Isolde’s Liebstod from Tristan and Isolde
Fauré/Grainger     Nell Après un rêve
Gershwin/           The man I love
Grainger             Love walked in
Hammond           From “Miniatures and Modulations” 
                        Kitty Tyrrel
                        Young Terence McDonough
                        The Ugly Taylor 
                        Old Truagh
                        The Beardless Boy
Liszt                  From “Années de Pèlerinage” 
                        Chapelle de Guillaume Tell
                        Au Lac de Wallenstadt
                        Vallée d’Obermann

Shipwrecked

22 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 22 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12.50

In September of 1588, on their return to Spain, more than 20 ships of the invincible Armada were wrecked off the coast of Ireland. While most of the men on those ships drowned or were slaughtered by the English, some managed to survive in Ireland and eventually return home. Shipwrecked is an innovative musical theatre event recounting the amazing story of Francisco de Cuellar, Captain of the San Pedro, who was cast ashore on Steedagh Strand and spent seven months as a fugitive in Connacht and Ulster.

De Cuellar’s picaresque, stranger-than-fiction narrative brings to life a harrowing vision of apocalypse, survival, compassion and chivalry at one of the climacteric moments in European history. Conceived by Caitríona O’Leary, staged by American director Eric Fraad with sets and costumes by the Italian designer Alessio Rosati, Shipwrecked will present audiences with a completely new musical theatre experience. Presented in the form of a letter to a friend, de Cuellar’s adventures are conveyed through narration, drama, dance and staged musical numbers shattering the conceit of the traditional concert to create a live score for a film that comes to life in the imaginations of the audience.

Conceptually unique, visually stunning, theatrically compelling and musically inspired – Shipwrecked is certain to be one of the most memorable events of the Festival. Presented with the generous support of the Arts Council of Ireland

Ulster Youth Choir with Gabrielli Consort

23 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 23 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £16.50, £13.50

Founded by Paul McCreesh in 1982, Gabrieli Consort & Players are world-renowned interpreters of great choral and instrumental repertoire, spanning from the renaissance to the present day. Always at the forefront of Gabrieli’s projects and performances, the Consort has in recent years enjoyed an independent life as an a cappella choir with a series of successful concerts and recordings encompassing a broad range of repertoire, particularly focusing on the English choral tradition.

Established in 1999, Ulster Youth Choir is Northern Ireland’s National Youth Choir and exists to provide the province’s young singers with world-class choral and vocal training through summer residential courses and concert tours, a committed education programme in schools throughout Northern Ireland and further through the development of the Ulster Youth Chamber Choir and conductor apprenticeship scheme. Gabrieli are increasingly committed to working with young musicians.

In October 2010, the Gabrieli Young Singers’ Scheme was launched, establishing partnerships with four leading youth choirs, giving young singers the opportunity to train and perform with Gabrieli’s professional musicians. As one such partner, the Ulster Youth Chamber Choir joined Gabrieli this summer for a Proms performance and subsequent studio recording of Mendelssohn’s majestic oratorio, Elijah. Through a series of workshops and training rehearsals Gabrieli have established a close relationship with Ulster Youth Choir and are delighted to celebrate this relationship in a concert of Bach and Mendelssohn.

Oceans of Silver and Blood with the New String Theory

27 Oct 2011 1:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 3:01PM
Description:

Mark Wastell         36’’ Tam-tam
Joachim Nordwall    Electronics
Rhodri Davies         Harp
Lina Lapelyte         Violin
Angharad Davies    Violin
Claudia Molitor       Notation, Piano and Film

Devised as a partnership between Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Le Weekend Festival in Stirling, this new commission locks the horns of improvisation and notation forcibly together, producing a formidable balance of sound. Brighton based composer Claudia Molitor has worked closely with this exceptional group of players, teasing the improvisational and spontaneous aspects of their work with gestures and constructs of written music.

A PRSF Beyond Borders Commission, presented in association with Moving on Music and the Sonic Arts Research Centre, Queen’s University Belfast.

NOTE: Tickets are free of charge for this event.

www.movingonmusic.co.uk
www.sarc.qub.ac.uk

Northern Ireland Young Musicians Recitals 2011

29 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 29 Oct 2011 10:00PM
Description: Northern Ireland Young Musicians Recitals 2011 will feature Sean Rooney, Kim Vaughan and Ruth McGinley in a concert of classical music. Sean Rooney (piano) Beethoven: Sonata in A Op 101 movements 3 & 4 Scarlatti: Sonata in E K380 Rachamninov: Lilacs Op 25 no 1 Chopin: Ballade no 4 in F minor Op 52 Interval Kim Vaughan (cello) & Ruth McGinley (piano) Schumann: Three Romances Op.94 Barber: Cello Sonata Op.6.
Book online

Carmina Burana

29 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £27.50, £24, £21.50

75 years after Carl Orff set 24 poems from the Medieval Latin, French and German Texts into arguably the most recognisable classical work of modern times, the Ulster Bank Festival at Queen’s stages Northern Ireland’s most ambitious performance of this seminal 20th work, incorporating some 400 musicians and singers.

The Ulster Orchestra joins forces with the Ulster Youth Orchestra and the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, Phil Kids and pupils from some 8 secondary schools throughout Northern Ireland. This promises to be a spectacular collaboration, conducted by the Ulster Youth Choir’s Artistic Director, Greg Beardsell.

Carmina Burana (Songs of Beuern, a municipality in Bavaria, Germany) has become one of the most performed works of the 20th century, featuring regularly in TV ads and feature films. The selection of song settings in the work cover a wide range of topics, as familiar in the 13th century as they are in the 21st century: the fickleness of fortune and wealth, the ephemeral nature of life, the joy of the return of Spring, and the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust.

Ana Moura

29 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 29 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £14, £12

The elegant and vivacious silhouette of Portuguese vocalist Ana Moura has graced stages worldwide. Her voice has the intensity and soul necessary to transmit the depth of melancholy associated with the famed Portuguese genre of Fado.

Ana Moura has been lauded as a part of a new generation of fado singers that tackle contemporary issues. She collaborates regularly with guitarist Jorge Fernando who has been the inspiration for her most important songs. The duo performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in March 2005, a show that gave Ana the honour of being the first Portuguese singer to perform at the legendary venue. Not a stranger to the limelight, Ana appeared on stage with the Rolling Stones in 2008, at the invite of Mick Jagger. Prince is also a fan of her music and last year they performed together at Portugal’s Super Bock Super Rock Festival.

Northern Ireland Young Musicians Recitals 2011

30 Oct 2011 3:00PM - 30 Oct 2011 5:30PM
Description: Northern Ireland Young Musicians Recitals 2011 in association with BBC Radio Ulster's Classical Sounds will feature Michael Trainor, Aoife Miskelly, Lynn Carter and James Cheung. Michael Trainor (violin) & Lynn Carter (piano) Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de lin Elgar: Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82 Debussy: Beau Soir Interval Aiofe Miskelly (soprano) & James Cheung (piano) A selection of songs by composers including Johann Strauss II, Grieg, Humperdinck, Walton and Philip Martin. Plus songs for soprano, violin and piano.
Book online

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

30 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 30 Oct 2011 8:00PM
Description:

Tickets: £35

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, one of the most famous sopranos in the world and a familiar figure in the leading opera houses- including the Sydney Opera House, the Chicago Lyric, the Paris Opera, Covent Garden and the Vienna State- is coming to Belfast for one night only.

Performing in the Ulster Hall with the Ulster Orchestra and in association with NI Opera, this unforgettable concert promises to be the ultimate finish to this year's festival. Dame Kiri will perform with the winner of NI Opera’s inaugural vocal competition which will be held in Glenarm from 9 September - 11 September.

Belfast Music Coach Tour

14 Oct 2011 12:00AM - 30 Oct 2011 12:01AM
Description:

Tickets: £8

The Belfast Music Tour is a bus journey through the heart of a great rock and roll city. From Them and Van Morrison to Snow Patrol, by way of awesome guitar players, punk rock and Hollywood soundtracks. Increasingly, this is an art form that is defining the new mood of Belfast, a place enlivened by potential and bold gestures.

Tours take place on various Saturdays, beginning from the Hall of Fame at the Spring & Airbrake, with the bus departing at 2pm. Along the route, we will hear about the founding members of Thin Lizzy and the legend of Pearly Spencer.

You'll see the landscape that inspired classic Van Morrison songs and witness the venues that have birthed historic visits from Led Zeppelin, The Clash and U2. It's a story like no other and Belfast has delivered music as various as Ruby Murray, Gary Moore, and Stiff Little Fingers, plus traditional airs and electronic adventures.

Rodney Crowell – Chinaberry Sidewalks Tour

14 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 14 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets £18

Rodney Crowell is a 100% pure American country song writing legend. His ‘88 album Diamonds and Dirt produced 5 No. 1 singles and in 1989 he won a Grammy for the Best Country song – After All This Time. In 2003 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. After he reformed the Notorious Cherry bombs in 2004 with his old pal Vince Gill, the band was nominated for a CMA Top Vocal Group Award.

Hundreds of versions of his songs have been recorded over the years. It’s clear that Rodney has one foot in the music world and the other in the land of literature. To celebrate the release of his memoir Chinaberry Sidewalk, Rodney is performing at the Festival an intimate show playing guitar, singing and reliving the stories in his book.

Pat Dam Smyth

15 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 15 Oct 2011 11:00PM
Description:

Tickets: £6

This is a special chance to hear Pat Dam Smyth recording a live album before a select audience at the Oh Yeah music centre. Inspired by Neil Young’s Live At Massey Hall and by Leonard Cohen’s Bird On A Wire documentary, Pat will deliver new songs with just a guitar, piano and voice. The proceedings will be intense, edgy and memorable - a follow-up to last year’s tremendous studio album, The Great Divide.

Pat Dam Smyth’s life has taken him down many winding lanes, including performing with Paul Weller and Mick Jones, touring with the Smokey Angle Shades and busking on some of Europe’s most famous streets for spare change.

The Great Divide was the first album by Mr. Smyth as a solo artist and despite its references to legendary acts such as Dennis Wilson, Wilco and The Kinks, the album draws on many of Pat’s personal experiences from the darkest encounters with death and mental illness to the uplifting experiences that love and living life have to offer. This live recording will feature a set of entirely new material.

Suzanne Savage: Album Launch

16 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 16 Oct 2011 11:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £5

Suzanne Savage has been hailed as “the best voice out of Northern Ireland in the past thirty years” (Jackie Flavelle, Downtown Radio). The former lead singer of Giant Steps and Spree is probably the definition of diversity in a musician, having worked with musical royalty across a myriad of genres.

Suzanne’s career highlights include appearing at SXSW, supporting Van Morrison (at his personal invitation), singing backing vocals with Paul Brady, Eleanor McEvoy and Jimmy Cobb, performing as a soloist with The Florence Symphony Orchestra, RTE Orchestra, Riverdance and touring with the critically acclaimed choir New Dublin Voices, to name but a select few.

In her solo music, Suzanne is slicker than your average singer songwriter, heavily influenced by jazz and Irish songwriters and informed by her experience as a performer of funk, heavy rock, drum and bass, contemporary classical music and everything in between. The launch of her first solo album at this event in the Black Box will be a culmination of many of these influences and the début of one of the most unique voices in Irish music today.

“One of Ireland’s hidden music heroes” Belfast Telegraph

“Earning a respectable place near the modern soul of Jill Scott or Angie Stone” Stuart Bailie, BBC Northern Ireland

Suzanne Savage acknowledges the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Artists Career Enhancement Programme

Cicadas

17 Oct 2011 7:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 8:01PM
Description:

Cicadas is an immersive, hypnotic new audio piece by composer/performer Joel Cathcart, designed to inhabit the atrium of Belfast’s Ulster Museum.

Cicadas consists of a small swarm of loudspeakers spread throughout the museum, each speaker releasing an hour of improvised instrumental music from the composer’s archives: flighty harp and muttering guitars, drenched in a soft cascade of organ, vibraphone and muted gongs.

It is physically impossible to hear Cicadas in its entirety, due to the relative positions of the loudspeakers; instead, each listener will navigate the architecture of the performance space to discover new sounds and constellations of sounds, shaping their own experience of the piece from within its interior.

The work’s title stems from an image of children hunting for winged insects, attempting to isolate and pinpoint a single sound source within a field of vibrations. Cicadas offers a similar sound-field to explore, inviting childlike curiosity in the face of the unfamiliar.

www.wix.com/joelcathcart.com

Eliza Carthy

17 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 17 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £13.50, £10.50

“A gloriously natural singer” Q Magazine

Eliza Carthy is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and engaging performers of her generation. Twice nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and winner of innumerable other accolades over a 15 year career, Eliza has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Nick Cave, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth. More than most, Eliza Carthy has revitalised folk music and captured the most hardened of dissenters with intelligent, charismatic and boundary-crossing performance.

Peter King and the Global Arts Ensemble

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £17.50, £15

“The finest alto saxophonist that Britain has ever produced, and one of the finest in the world” Dave Gelly, 'The Giants Of Jazz', A concert dedicated to one of the UK's greatest living musicians and one of the finest saxophone players in the world.

Peter King is also a prolific composer and arranger, working in both the jazz and classical fields. During this unique concert the audience will have a rare opportunity to hear some of his works for strings and jazz quartet in a variety of formats. Programme Content Janus - The main piece on this concert is a work commissioned by the BBC, for Jazz Quartet and String Quartet. It is a bold and innovative work, which combines both the jazz and classical forms. This piece was performed at the South Bank as part of London Jazz Festival in 1997 and in June 2011 at Pizza Express Jazz Club, London where it was received with great critical acclaim.

Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £20 (£15 groups only)

Internationally renowned vocal ensemble Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares blend traditional songs with contemporary arrangements. Formerly known as the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, the group was created in Bulgaria by Philip Koutev, aka ‘the father of Bulgarian concert folk music.’ Le Mystere des voix Bulgares’ 4AD records have enraptured the world, and we are delighted that this Grammy award-winning choir are bringing their spell-binding music to Belfast.

You will find a sample of the singing below.

Shlomo and the Lip Factory

20 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 20 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £13.50

World Loopstation Champion and internationally acclaimed human beatboxer Shlomo returns with the Lip Factory - his awe-inspiring live band of 7 incredibly talented beatboxers and vocalists. The Guinness World Record holder and former Astrophysics student, Shlomo is known for his ability to work with just about anyone, bringing beatboxing to new and unexpected audiences through his collaborations with artists as diverse as Bjork, Jarvis Cocker, Martha Wainwright, Imogen Heap, DJ Yoda, Bill Bailey and Foreign Beggars.

Fresh from a dizzying summer of introducing Pulp and Cee Lo Green at Glastonbury, to collaborating with Ed Sheeran and performing his unique one man show Mouthtronica at the Edinburgh Festival, Shlomo is back with a new band and a new EP to rock your mind, body and soul with his mad mouth music.

“He has an extraordinary willowy, soft-edged charm, and the contrast between this and his dangerously energised performance is fascinating.” The Telegraph

“This kid’s good, jaw-droppingly good” The Guardian

“Slick theatrics and soulful vocal gymnastics” Evening Standard

“Master of the fine art of beatboxing” The Independent

“Shlomo let loose a blistering collage of earthy and unearthly sonorities. He's like a one-man Hollywood action film soundtrack” The Times

Carlos Bica's Azul featuring Jim Black and Frank Möbus

20 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 20 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12.50

Portuguese native Carlos Bica is both a remarkable composer and an outstanding bass player. He has the rare ability to write melodies that essentially are songs without words, haunting and unforgettable. Inspired by many different sources - classical music, jazz, rock, pop, fado, world music, folk - Bica's music always possesses a special atmosphere of poetry and magic.

Bica started his trio ‘Azul’ in the nineties, incorporating tenacious Berlin guitar genius Frank Möbus (leader of Der Rote Bereich) and fascinating New York drum wizard Jim Black (of Dave Douglas fame) into a unique ensemble concept. The trio go for a fresh mixture of jazz beats, rock twists and Mediterranean melodicism and a soundscape that is repeatedly compared to Radiohead and Tortoise.

Live Music Now

21 Oct 2011 11:00AM - 21 Oct 2011 11:01AM
Description:

Very young children are surrounded by recorded music, from the toys they play with to television programmes, but rarely are they able to engage with live music and musicians. In addition, the music to which children are exposed and therefore the music with which they are familiar, tends to be of a similar genre.

In this project LMN will work with children, parents and early years practitioners to engage with them through a diverse range of musical styles which will enthuse and inspire the next generation of Northern Ireland's musical talent. The Victoria Geelan Trio with Lenny Sayers will bring these children together at The Crescent Arts Centre on Friday 21 October 2011 at 11.00am for a short presentation of the work.

Sound And Image: Minotaur Shock / The Salt Flats / The films of Darren Lee

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £10

Moving on Music and Score Draw Music present a night of innovative new music from Minotaur Shock and The Salt Flats, plus live projections from filmmaker Darren Lee.

Recording and producing under the name Minotaur Shock, David Edwards has released three albums and a compilation of EPs. His most recent release Amateur Dramatics came out in 2009 on 4AD (and Audio Dregs in the US).

The Salt Flats are Katie (minus the carnival) Cara Cowan, Mark (Score Draw/Skibunny) and Ewan (Coney Island Sound). The band’s debut EP includes adaptations of traditional and modern folk songs, inspired by dusty 78s, LPs and field recordings made at a Yorkshire Shanty Festival. It features modern and traditional elements including vintage synthesizers, rhythm boxes, omnichord, harmonium, guitars, percussion and lots of harmonies. www.thesaltflats.co.uk

Darren Lee is fast becoming Northern Ireland’s most exciting and innovative music video director. He has shot films for a range of bands and artists, and will be projecting a selection of these, as well as showing some of his other work as a director.

www.maverickrenegade.net
www.movingonmusic.co.uk
www.scoredrawmusic.com

Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £22.50

Nobody plays the saxophone quite like Jan Garbarek. His sound has become an unmistakable trademark and this sound for some time now has acquired another dimension than what is generally understood as jazz.

Innumerable record releases, concerts in the most significant concert-halls throughout the world, the many years he collaborated with Keith Jarrett or his unprecedented work with the Hilliard Ensemble have made this unique saxophonist popular across all musical genres and borders. It has never been of any interest to him that critics need to find convenient labels to sort people out into musical categories. Garbarek eludes this attempt.

You find his work in jazz, classical and pop charts. Since the early days of the Munich cult label ECM he has been one of its most successful representatives. Have a listen here The Hilliard Ensemble is one of the world's finest vocal chamber groups. Its distinctive style and highly developed musicianship engage the listener as much in medieval and renaissance repertoire as in works specially written by living composers. The group’s standing as an early music ensemble dates from the 1980s with its series of successful recordings for EMI. In addition to many a cappella discs, collaborations include most notably Officium and Mnemosyne with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, a partnership which continues to develop and renew itself.

You can find some of his music listed on our Youtube pages (www.youtube.com/belfastfestival)

We have included a sample below here :

James Vincent McMorrow

23 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 23 Oct 2011 10:31PM
Description:

James Vincent McMorrow released his debut record, Early in the Morning, in Ireland to widespread critical acclaim in February 2010. A stunning collection of songs recorded over five months in an isolated house by the sea, the album is a completely self-recorded and played affair, filled with beguiling and vivid stories, fables that move from a whisper in your ear to a mountainous crescendo in the space of a song, all the while retaining the environment and sentiment in which they were formed.

“Sounds both fresh and as if they’ve been in your head forever…McMorrow’s debut deserves its success.” Q Magazine

“A captivating debut… An arresting journey from emotional trials to aural pleasure.” Uncut ★★★★

“Gorgeous…a similar beauty to James Blake’s current hit.” NME

“There’s a world of mystery in the mesmerizing voice of this Irishman… ” People Magazine

Patrick Wolf

23 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 23 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £13.50

Patrick Wolf is an English singer-songwriter from South London. Patrick utilises a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano and viola. Known for combining electronic sampling with classical instruments Wolf's styles range from romantic folk to techno-pop.

“Lupercalia’ is a superbly joyous, hook-driven record full of sweeping orchestration, an endearing sense of romanticism and undeniable commercial potential – helped, of course, by having one of the finest pop songs we’ve heard in an age (single, ‘The City’)… The Fly

“If you still haven’t heard of Patrick Wolf, you will have after this. The summery 1980’s vibe should catapult the alt-pop singer/songwriter into the mainstream” Marie Claire

“’Lupercalia’ is Wolf’s most infectious and accessible record yet, it’s joyous major key pop songs embellished with handclaps, horns. Not to mention strings – lots of strings…” Out In The City

The Nualas

23 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 23 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £16.50

A bit like your favourite brand of washing powder The Nualas are new, improved, yet somehow exactly the same. Expect some old favourites such as Chicken Shoes, Donald Sutherland and Manolo. Alongside fabulous all-new classics, such as Yummy Mummy Recession Blues, which premiered on RTE's The Late Late Show earlier this year. During their seven years together The Nualas achieved seventeen theatre runs including six total-sell-outs at the Edinburgh Festival, and extended seasons in theatres in London, Dublin and New York.

"***** Kill to get a ticket." The Scotsman

"Phenomenally funny." The Herald, Scotland

"The audience bayed, clamoured and stamped for more. I haven't seen the like at a Fringe show before!" The Edinburgh Evening News

"Simply stunning. Bloody brilliant, in fact." In Dublin Magazine

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

25 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12.50

“Having now seen Showstopper! twice, I can testify that not only is each performance achingly funny, it’s a genuinely new full-length musical every time. Top-class in creativity in action. Worth seeing again and again.” ***** Time Out

“The show is a blast. It makes your jaw drop in impressed amazement and your ribs ache with laughter.” ***** Mail On Sunday

“This show crammed in everything, from political satire to parodies. See Showstopper! See it again and again and again.” ***** British Theatre Guide

“Awe-inspiring – and often very very funny.” ***** Whatsonstage.com

A brand new musical is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning production, which has played sell-out seasons in London’s West End and at the Edinburgh Festival. Audience suggestions help to create a show on the spot, as the all-singing, all-dancing cast improvise with unpredictable and frequently hilarious results. Packed with drama, dazzling dance routines and catchy melodies, Showstopper! leaves delighted audiences singing all the way home.

Tinariwen

25 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 25 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £18.50

Tinariwen return to the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s after a sensational performance in 2009. One of the most successful and exciting musical exports ever to emerge from West Africa, Tinariwen’s back-story has been described as “dramatic” The Independent, “the most compelling of any band” Songlines and “the most rock’n’roll of them all” The Irish Times.

A long road has taken Tinariwen from the wild empty places of the southern Sahara desert to the concert stages of the world. The group’s founding members spent the 1980s in Libyan military camps dreaming of dignity and self-determination for their own people - the nomadic Touareg or Kel Tamashek of the southern Sahara, and singing songs for an entire generation of young Touareg.

Tinariwen’s rolling, yearning grooves and uncompromising messages of simplicity and freedom, distilled over twenty years of struggle, rebellion and exile, have earned them two BBC World Music Award nominations, countless accolades, the attention of high-profile fans such as Robert Plant, Santana, Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, Chris Martin and Thom Yorke, and the enduring respect of their own people.

Orchestre National De Jazz: Broadway in Satin

26 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 26 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £19.50, £17.50

Founded in 1986 France’s Orchestre National de Jazz has made a name for itself for its forward-looking and innovative approach to the big band format. The Orchestre is based on principles of unearthing new talent and attracting musicians who are keen to explore collective music making in all its forms. Orchestre National de Jazz’s Artistic Director Daniel Yvinec continues his rereading of the great American standards with Broadway In Satin evoking the memory of Billie Holiday.

Keeping intact the marvellous contours of the original melodies, the ONJ will perform a selection of songs associated with the star, painting them in unusual orchestral colours and taking them into hitherto unexplained territory. This is a show where tradition meets modernity, charting its path through a multitude of genres, like Tom Waits in top hat and tails conducting a Tim Burton soundtrack arranged by Gil Evans and Ennio Morricone.

“The Orchestre features players of outstanding calibre” BBC Music

Eve Risser               Piano, prepared Piano, Flutes
Vincent Lafont         Keyboards, Electronics
Antonin-Tri Hoang    Alto Saxophone, Clarinets, Piano
Rémi Dumoulin         Tenor Saxophone, Clarinets
Matthieu Metzger     Saxophones, Electronic treatments
Joce Mienniel           Flutes, Electronics
Sylvain Bardiau        Trumpet
Pierre Perchaud       Guitars, Banjo
Sylvain Daniel          Electric Bass
Yoann Serra            Drums

Oceans of Silver and Blood with the New String Theory

27 Oct 2011 1:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 3:01PM
Description:

Mark Wastell         36’’ Tam-tam
Joachim Nordwall    Electronics
Rhodri Davies         Harp
Lina Lapelyte         Violin
Angharad Davies    Violin
Claudia Molitor       Notation, Piano and Film

Devised as a partnership between Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Le Weekend Festival in Stirling, this new commission locks the horns of improvisation and notation forcibly together, producing a formidable balance of sound. Brighton based composer Claudia Molitor has worked closely with this exceptional group of players, teasing the improvisational and spontaneous aspects of their work with gestures and constructs of written music.

A PRSF Beyond Borders Commission, presented in association with Moving on Music and the Sonic Arts Research Centre, Queen’s University Belfast.

NOTE: Tickets are free of charge for this event.

www.movingonmusic.co.uk
www.sarc.qub.ac.uk

Orchestre National De Jazz: Around Robert Wyatt

27 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £19.50, £17.50

A timeless, instinctive and spellbinding singer, Robert Wyatt is one of the most intriguing voices in today’s music and has been cited as an essential reference by the likes of David Bowie, Elvis Costello and David Gilmour.

Conceived as part of a collaboration between Robert Wyatt and Daniel Yvinec, especially for the ONJ, this programme pays homage to the universe and protean personality of the singer.

Artistic Director: Daniel Yvinec
Arrangements: Vincent Artaud
Images: Antoine Carlier
Recorded Voices: Robert Wyatt, Arno, Camille, Daniel Darc, Irène Jacob, Yael Naïm, Rokia Traoré.

Songs of Freedom with Billy Bragg

27 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £16

Amnesty International is delighted to present Billy Bragg, protest singer, human rights activist and supporter, performing a personal selection of songs focusing on freedom and justice to mark Amnesty's 50th anniversary. Billy has been inspiring people through his music and determination to change the world for the past 3 decades.

Like Amnesty, Billy believes in the power of organized individuals to bring truth, justice and freedom to where it’s needed. Tonight Billy will engage the audience in a journey through his favourite songs of freedom and protest and speak to the audience about the causes which inspire him to continue to make music on his own terms.

Elvis Costello

28 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 28 Oct 2011 10:31PM
Description:

Tickets: £35, £32.50, £28

Elvis Costello is widely considered to be the UK’s most consistently creative artist and songwriter of his generation.

Starting with classic rock songs like “Oliver’s Army”, “Alison” and “Watching the Detectives”, he went on to explore a wealth of musical collaborations ranging from Burt Bacharach to The Brodsky Quartet. He has produced albums by The Specials and The Pogues, and gone down the country road with Almost Blue which included the hit single “Good Year for the Roses”. Never one to rest on his past achievements, he is constantly writing, recording and collaborating with other artists, pushing the boundaries of his enormous talent. One American critic described him as “a pop encyclopaedia” based on the huge range of musicality he has exhibited in more than 30 albums and his ability to “reinvent the past in his own image”.

Costello grew up in London and Merseyside as Declan McManus, son of a well known jazz musician, Ross McManus, with Co. Fermanagh roots. Success came with the change of name when he combined his mother’s maiden name and that of his musical hero. Elvis Costello is making a rare European solo tour this autumn and the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s is a unique opportunity for music lovers to enjoy a magical musical experience with a true rock aristocrat.

Ana Moura

29 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 29 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £14, £12

The elegant and vivacious silhouette of Portuguese vocalist Ana Moura has graced stages worldwide. Her voice has the intensity and soul necessary to transmit the depth of melancholy associated with the famed Portuguese genre of Fado.

Ana Moura has been lauded as a part of a new generation of fado singers that tackle contemporary issues. She collaborates regularly with guitarist Jorge Fernando who has been the inspiration for her most important songs. The duo performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in March 2005, a show that gave Ana the honour of being the first Portuguese singer to perform at the legendary venue. Not a stranger to the limelight, Ana appeared on stage with the Rolling Stones in 2008, at the invite of Mick Jagger. Prince is also a fan of her music and last year they performed together at Portugal’s Super Bock Super Rock Festival.

Rodney Crowell – Chinaberry Sidewalks Tour

14 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 14 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets £18

Rodney Crowell is a 100% pure American country song writing legend. His ‘88 album Diamonds and Dirt produced 5 No. 1 singles and in 1989 he won a Grammy for the Best Country song – After All This Time. In 2003 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. After he reformed the Notorious Cherry bombs in 2004 with his old pal Vince Gill, the band was nominated for a CMA Top Vocal Group Award.

Hundreds of versions of his songs have been recorded over the years. It’s clear that Rodney has one foot in the music world and the other in the land of literature. To celebrate the release of his memoir Chinaberry Sidewalk, Rodney is performing at the Festival an intimate show playing guitar, singing and reliving the stories in his book.

Dervish and Special Guests

14 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 14 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £19.50

Formed in 1989 by a group of five musicians, Liam Kelly, Shane Mitchell, Martin Mc Ginley, Brian Mc Donagh and Michael Holmes who came together to record an album of local music which was released as The Boys of Sligo. Joined in 1991 by singer Cathy Jordan and all Ireland champion fiddle player Shane Mc Aleer the band produced the first Dervish album Harmony Hill which was released in 1992. In 2010 Dervish celebrated 21 years at the forefront of Irish traditional music. The band marked the occasion with four special concerts which brought together musical friends and influential musicians from their career including several they had never worked with before. The resulting shows were fantastic events from both an artist and audience viewpoint, and inspired by the reaction and the musical bridges these shows created, Dervish have continued to bring together diverse but compelling musical line-ups.

This show features two very special guest vocalists Rachel Unthank and Brian Kennedy

Known for their timeless, unsentimental and quietly subversive tales of loss, fear, booze, brawls, abuse and sorrow, siblings Rachel and Becky Unthank are honest, young storytellers outside of time, forging links between folk worlds old, new and other. It’s hard to imagine a British folk band with fans like Radiohead, Portishead, Robert Wyatt, Ben Folds, Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, Ewan McGregor and Nick Hornby, but The Unthanks occupy a unique place in music. The Unthanks have established themselves as the most innovative and critically acclaimed British folk band in modern history. Lead vocalist, Rachel Unthank, is joined by husband and fellow band member, Adrian McNally.

Belfast born musician Brian Kennedy has been hugely successful over the years with a catalogue of ten albums behind him. Adored by his fans Brian Kennedy is the ultimate live performer, the second he bursts onto stage, grabs his guitar and belts out his first note you know that magic is about to happen.

Pat Dam Smyth

15 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 15 Oct 2011 11:00PM
Description:

Tickets: £6

This is a special chance to hear Pat Dam Smyth recording a live album before a select audience at the Oh Yeah music centre. Inspired by Neil Young’s Live At Massey Hall and by Leonard Cohen’s Bird On A Wire documentary, Pat will deliver new songs with just a guitar, piano and voice. The proceedings will be intense, edgy and memorable - a follow-up to last year’s tremendous studio album, The Great Divide.

Pat Dam Smyth’s life has taken him down many winding lanes, including performing with Paul Weller and Mick Jones, touring with the Smokey Angle Shades and busking on some of Europe’s most famous streets for spare change.

The Great Divide was the first album by Mr. Smyth as a solo artist and despite its references to legendary acts such as Dennis Wilson, Wilco and The Kinks, the album draws on many of Pat’s personal experiences from the darkest encounters with death and mental illness to the uplifting experiences that love and living life have to offer. This live recording will feature a set of entirely new material.

Eliza Carthy

17 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 17 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £13.50, £10.50

“A gloriously natural singer” Q Magazine

Eliza Carthy is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and engaging performers of her generation. Twice nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and winner of innumerable other accolades over a 15 year career, Eliza has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Nick Cave, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth. More than most, Eliza Carthy has revitalised folk music and captured the most hardened of dissenters with intelligent, charismatic and boundary-crossing performance.

Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £20 (£15 groups only)

Internationally renowned vocal ensemble Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares blend traditional songs with contemporary arrangements. Formerly known as the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, the group was created in Bulgaria by Philip Koutev, aka ‘the father of Bulgarian concert folk music.’ Le Mystere des voix Bulgares’ 4AD records have enraptured the world, and we are delighted that this Grammy award-winning choir are bringing their spell-binding music to Belfast.

You will find a sample of the singing below.

Carlos Bica's Azul featuring Jim Black and Frank Möbus

20 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 20 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12.50

Portuguese native Carlos Bica is both a remarkable composer and an outstanding bass player. He has the rare ability to write melodies that essentially are songs without words, haunting and unforgettable. Inspired by many different sources - classical music, jazz, rock, pop, fado, world music, folk - Bica's music always possesses a special atmosphere of poetry and magic.

Bica started his trio ‘Azul’ in the nineties, incorporating tenacious Berlin guitar genius Frank Möbus (leader of Der Rote Bereich) and fascinating New York drum wizard Jim Black (of Dave Douglas fame) into a unique ensemble concept. The trio go for a fresh mixture of jazz beats, rock twists and Mediterranean melodicism and a soundscape that is repeatedly compared to Radiohead and Tortoise.

Sound And Image: Minotaur Shock / The Salt Flats / The films of Darren Lee

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £10

Moving on Music and Score Draw Music present a night of innovative new music from Minotaur Shock and The Salt Flats, plus live projections from filmmaker Darren Lee.

Recording and producing under the name Minotaur Shock, David Edwards has released three albums and a compilation of EPs. His most recent release Amateur Dramatics came out in 2009 on 4AD (and Audio Dregs in the US).

The Salt Flats are Katie (minus the carnival) Cara Cowan, Mark (Score Draw/Skibunny) and Ewan (Coney Island Sound). The band’s debut EP includes adaptations of traditional and modern folk songs, inspired by dusty 78s, LPs and field recordings made at a Yorkshire Shanty Festival. It features modern and traditional elements including vintage synthesizers, rhythm boxes, omnichord, harmonium, guitars, percussion and lots of harmonies. www.thesaltflats.co.uk

Darren Lee is fast becoming Northern Ireland’s most exciting and innovative music video director. He has shot films for a range of bands and artists, and will be projecting a selection of these, as well as showing some of his other work as a director.

www.maverickrenegade.net
www.movingonmusic.co.uk
www.scoredrawmusic.com

Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £22.50

Nobody plays the saxophone quite like Jan Garbarek. His sound has become an unmistakable trademark and this sound for some time now has acquired another dimension than what is generally understood as jazz.

Innumerable record releases, concerts in the most significant concert-halls throughout the world, the many years he collaborated with Keith Jarrett or his unprecedented work with the Hilliard Ensemble have made this unique saxophonist popular across all musical genres and borders. It has never been of any interest to him that critics need to find convenient labels to sort people out into musical categories. Garbarek eludes this attempt.

You find his work in jazz, classical and pop charts. Since the early days of the Munich cult label ECM he has been one of its most successful representatives. Have a listen here The Hilliard Ensemble is one of the world's finest vocal chamber groups. Its distinctive style and highly developed musicianship engage the listener as much in medieval and renaissance repertoire as in works specially written by living composers. The group’s standing as an early music ensemble dates from the 1980s with its series of successful recordings for EMI. In addition to many a cappella discs, collaborations include most notably Officium and Mnemosyne with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, a partnership which continues to develop and renew itself.

You can find some of his music listed on our Youtube pages (www.youtube.com/belfastfestival)

We have included a sample below here :

Irish Sea Sessions

22 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 22 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

With the atmosphere and attitude of a session, but in a concert hall, the Irish Sea Sessions brings together audiences and musicians from traditional and contemporary backgrounds and from both sides of the Irish Sea as they explore the shared music and special bond between Liverpool and Ireland. The line up includes Damien Dempsey, Alan Burke, Graham Dunne, Niamh Parsons, Gino Lupari, musical director Bernard O’Neill, Ian Prowse, Terry Clarke-Coyne, Dave Munnelly, piper John McSherry, fiddler Méabh O’Hare, singer Jennifer John and banjo-player Stevie Dunne. For more information see www.irishseasessions.com Tickets currently on sale from www.belfastfestival.com

The Irish Sea Sessions will be playing this year in the Ulster Hall on Saturday the 22nd of October. Prices are £19.50 for all seats.

James Vincent McMorrow

23 Oct 2011 7:30PM - 23 Oct 2011 10:31PM
Description:

James Vincent McMorrow released his debut record, Early in the Morning, in Ireland to widespread critical acclaim in February 2010. A stunning collection of songs recorded over five months in an isolated house by the sea, the album is a completely self-recorded and played affair, filled with beguiling and vivid stories, fables that move from a whisper in your ear to a mountainous crescendo in the space of a song, all the while retaining the environment and sentiment in which they were formed.

“Sounds both fresh and as if they’ve been in your head forever…McMorrow’s debut deserves its success.” Q Magazine

“A captivating debut… An arresting journey from emotional trials to aural pleasure.” Uncut ★★★★

“Gorgeous…a similar beauty to James Blake’s current hit.” NME

“There’s a world of mystery in the mesmerizing voice of this Irishman… ” People Magazine

Tinariwen

25 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 25 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £18.50

Tinariwen return to the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s after a sensational performance in 2009. One of the most successful and exciting musical exports ever to emerge from West Africa, Tinariwen’s back-story has been described as “dramatic” The Independent, “the most compelling of any band” Songlines and “the most rock’n’roll of them all” The Irish Times.

A long road has taken Tinariwen from the wild empty places of the southern Sahara desert to the concert stages of the world. The group’s founding members spent the 1980s in Libyan military camps dreaming of dignity and self-determination for their own people - the nomadic Touareg or Kel Tamashek of the southern Sahara, and singing songs for an entire generation of young Touareg.

Tinariwen’s rolling, yearning grooves and uncompromising messages of simplicity and freedom, distilled over twenty years of struggle, rebellion and exile, have earned them two BBC World Music Award nominations, countless accolades, the attention of high-profile fans such as Robert Plant, Santana, Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, Chris Martin and Thom Yorke, and the enduring respect of their own people.

Songs of Freedom with Billy Bragg

27 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £16

Amnesty International is delighted to present Billy Bragg, protest singer, human rights activist and supporter, performing a personal selection of songs focusing on freedom and justice to mark Amnesty's 50th anniversary. Billy has been inspiring people through his music and determination to change the world for the past 3 decades.

Like Amnesty, Billy believes in the power of organized individuals to bring truth, justice and freedom to where it’s needed. Tonight Billy will engage the audience in a journey through his favourite songs of freedom and protest and speak to the audience about the causes which inspire him to continue to make music on his own terms.

KT Tunstall

27 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 10:15PM
Description:

Tickets: £22.50

Following the success of her recently completed, sold out US solo tour, and the subsequent release of her acoustic mini-album the Scarlet Tulip EP, we are pleased to announce that KT Tunstall will kick off her solo tour of the UK this Autumn, at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's.

The Scarlet Tulip EP showcases KT’s songwriting in it’s rawest, most stripped back and intimate form, using just her stunning voice and finger picked acoustic guitar across seven new songs. It's acoustic simplicity makes it an intriguing companion to the ‘nature-techno’ of current album ‘Tiger Suit’ which charted in the top 5 of the UK album chart in October 2010.

Recorded completely live in one take in her solar-powered studio in the woods in the English countryside, and recorded and co-produced by KT with her husband and drummer, Luke Bullen, The Scarlet Tulip EP sees KT going back to her acoustic folk roots and also displays an incredibly versatile side to her talents as a vocalist. KT will be performing a variety of songs from her extensive back catalogue, as well as a handful of tracks from the Scarlet Tulip EP, with the help of her trusted loop pedals, drum machines, tambourines, keyboards and any other instruments that come to hand along the way.

Elvis Costello

28 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 28 Oct 2011 10:31PM
Description:

Tickets: £35, £32.50, £28

Elvis Costello is widely considered to be the UK’s most consistently creative artist and songwriter of his generation.

Starting with classic rock songs like “Oliver’s Army”, “Alison” and “Watching the Detectives”, he went on to explore a wealth of musical collaborations ranging from Burt Bacharach to The Brodsky Quartet. He has produced albums by The Specials and The Pogues, and gone down the country road with Almost Blue which included the hit single “Good Year for the Roses”. Never one to rest on his past achievements, he is constantly writing, recording and collaborating with other artists, pushing the boundaries of his enormous talent. One American critic described him as “a pop encyclopaedia” based on the huge range of musicality he has exhibited in more than 30 albums and his ability to “reinvent the past in his own image”.

Costello grew up in London and Merseyside as Declan McManus, son of a well known jazz musician, Ross McManus, with Co. Fermanagh roots. Success came with the change of name when he combined his mother’s maiden name and that of his musical hero. Elvis Costello is making a rare European solo tour this autumn and the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s is a unique opportunity for music lovers to enjoy a magical musical experience with a true rock aristocrat.

Ana Moura

29 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 29 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £14, £12

The elegant and vivacious silhouette of Portuguese vocalist Ana Moura has graced stages worldwide. Her voice has the intensity and soul necessary to transmit the depth of melancholy associated with the famed Portuguese genre of Fado.

Ana Moura has been lauded as a part of a new generation of fado singers that tackle contemporary issues. She collaborates regularly with guitarist Jorge Fernando who has been the inspiration for her most important songs. The duo performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in March 2005, a show that gave Ana the honour of being the first Portuguese singer to perform at the legendary venue. Not a stranger to the limelight, Ana appeared on stage with the Rolling Stones in 2008, at the invite of Mick Jagger. Prince is also a fan of her music and last year they performed together at Portugal’s Super Bock Super Rock Festival.

Bourne, Davis, Kane

15 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 15 Oct 2011 11:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £10, £8

Matthew Bourne Piano Steve Davis Drums Dave Kane Double Bass “Music with wit and intelligence, heart and soul” The Guardian Improvising jazz piano trio Bourne Davis Kane abhor complacency. Their desire to really connect with an audience is palpable in everything they do. They demand not just attention but engagement too.

These three like-minded musical partners commit themselves totally to the performance. Emerging from the Leeds music scene, the trio’s members are all adventurous musicians and composers in their own right. Alone, they have wowed critics, broken boundaries and challenged conventions. Together, they have produced albums of democratic inter-activeness, pooling their unique resources to create an admirably unified sound. Speaking about the trio’s 2010 release The Money Notes, The Jazz Man had this to say “Its humour is tempered with experimentation; its irreverence with impeccable musicianship. I can’t imagine ever tiring of it”.

www.myspace.com/bournedaviskane

Suzanne Savage: Album Launch

16 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 16 Oct 2011 11:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £5

Suzanne Savage has been hailed as “the best voice out of Northern Ireland in the past thirty years” (Jackie Flavelle, Downtown Radio). The former lead singer of Giant Steps and Spree is probably the definition of diversity in a musician, having worked with musical royalty across a myriad of genres.

Suzanne’s career highlights include appearing at SXSW, supporting Van Morrison (at his personal invitation), singing backing vocals with Paul Brady, Eleanor McEvoy and Jimmy Cobb, performing as a soloist with The Florence Symphony Orchestra, RTE Orchestra, Riverdance and touring with the critically acclaimed choir New Dublin Voices, to name but a select few.

In her solo music, Suzanne is slicker than your average singer songwriter, heavily influenced by jazz and Irish songwriters and informed by her experience as a performer of funk, heavy rock, drum and bass, contemporary classical music and everything in between. The launch of her first solo album at this event in the Black Box will be a culmination of many of these influences and the début of one of the most unique voices in Irish music today.

“One of Ireland’s hidden music heroes” Belfast Telegraph

“Earning a respectable place near the modern soul of Jill Scott or Angie Stone” Stuart Bailie, BBC Northern Ireland

Suzanne Savage acknowledges the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Artists Career Enhancement Programme

Eliza Carthy

17 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 17 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £13.50, £10.50

“A gloriously natural singer” Q Magazine

Eliza Carthy is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and engaging performers of her generation. Twice nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and winner of innumerable other accolades over a 15 year career, Eliza has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Nick Cave, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth. More than most, Eliza Carthy has revitalised folk music and captured the most hardened of dissenters with intelligent, charismatic and boundary-crossing performance.

Peter King and the Global Arts Ensemble

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £17.50, £15

“The finest alto saxophonist that Britain has ever produced, and one of the finest in the world” Dave Gelly, 'The Giants Of Jazz', A concert dedicated to one of the UK's greatest living musicians and one of the finest saxophone players in the world.

Peter King is also a prolific composer and arranger, working in both the jazz and classical fields. During this unique concert the audience will have a rare opportunity to hear some of his works for strings and jazz quartet in a variety of formats. Programme Content Janus - The main piece on this concert is a work commissioned by the BBC, for Jazz Quartet and String Quartet. It is a bold and innovative work, which combines both the jazz and classical forms. This piece was performed at the South Bank as part of London Jazz Festival in 1997 and in June 2011 at Pizza Express Jazz Club, London where it was received with great critical acclaim.

Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares

19 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 19 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £20 (£15 groups only)

Internationally renowned vocal ensemble Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares blend traditional songs with contemporary arrangements. Formerly known as the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, the group was created in Bulgaria by Philip Koutev, aka ‘the father of Bulgarian concert folk music.’ Le Mystere des voix Bulgares’ 4AD records have enraptured the world, and we are delighted that this Grammy award-winning choir are bringing their spell-binding music to Belfast.

You will find a sample of the singing below.

Carlos Bica's Azul featuring Jim Black and Frank Möbus

20 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 20 Oct 2011 10:30PM
Description:

Tickets: £15, £12.50

Portuguese native Carlos Bica is both a remarkable composer and an outstanding bass player. He has the rare ability to write melodies that essentially are songs without words, haunting and unforgettable. Inspired by many different sources - classical music, jazz, rock, pop, fado, world music, folk - Bica's music always possesses a special atmosphere of poetry and magic.

Bica started his trio ‘Azul’ in the nineties, incorporating tenacious Berlin guitar genius Frank Möbus (leader of Der Rote Bereich) and fascinating New York drum wizard Jim Black (of Dave Douglas fame) into a unique ensemble concept. The trio go for a fresh mixture of jazz beats, rock twists and Mediterranean melodicism and a soundscape that is repeatedly compared to Radiohead and Tortoise.

Sound And Image: Minotaur Shock / The Salt Flats / The films of Darren Lee

21 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 21 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £10

Moving on Music and Score Draw Music present a night of innovative new music from Minotaur Shock and The Salt Flats, plus live projections from filmmaker Darren Lee.

Recording and producing under the name Minotaur Shock, David Edwards has released three albums and a compilation of EPs. His most recent release Amateur Dramatics came out in 2009 on 4AD (and Audio Dregs in the US).

The Salt Flats are Katie (minus the carnival) Cara Cowan, Mark (Score Draw/Skibunny) and Ewan (Coney Island Sound). The band’s debut EP includes adaptations of traditional and modern folk songs, inspired by dusty 78s, LPs and field recordings made at a Yorkshire Shanty Festival. It features modern and traditional elements including vintage synthesizers, rhythm boxes, omnichord, harmonium, guitars, percussion and lots of harmonies. www.thesaltflats.co.uk

Darren Lee is fast becoming Northern Ireland’s most exciting and innovative music video director. He has shot films for a range of bands and artists, and will be projecting a selection of these, as well as showing some of his other work as a director.

www.maverickrenegade.net
www.movingonmusic.co.uk
www.scoredrawmusic.com

Orchestre National De Jazz: Broadway in Satin

26 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 26 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £19.50, £17.50

Founded in 1986 France’s Orchestre National de Jazz has made a name for itself for its forward-looking and innovative approach to the big band format. The Orchestre is based on principles of unearthing new talent and attracting musicians who are keen to explore collective music making in all its forms. Orchestre National de Jazz’s Artistic Director Daniel Yvinec continues his rereading of the great American standards with Broadway In Satin evoking the memory of Billie Holiday.

Keeping intact the marvellous contours of the original melodies, the ONJ will perform a selection of songs associated with the star, painting them in unusual orchestral colours and taking them into hitherto unexplained territory. This is a show where tradition meets modernity, charting its path through a multitude of genres, like Tom Waits in top hat and tails conducting a Tim Burton soundtrack arranged by Gil Evans and Ennio Morricone.

“The Orchestre features players of outstanding calibre” BBC Music

Eve Risser               Piano, prepared Piano, Flutes
Vincent Lafont         Keyboards, Electronics
Antonin-Tri Hoang    Alto Saxophone, Clarinets, Piano
Rémi Dumoulin         Tenor Saxophone, Clarinets
Matthieu Metzger     Saxophones, Electronic treatments
Joce Mienniel           Flutes, Electronics
Sylvain Bardiau        Trumpet
Pierre Perchaud       Guitars, Banjo
Sylvain Daniel          Electric Bass
Yoann Serra            Drums

Orchestre National De Jazz: Around Robert Wyatt

27 Oct 2011 8:00PM - 27 Oct 2011 11:01PM
Description:

Tickets: £19.50, £17.50

A timeless, instinctive and spellbinding singer, Robert Wyatt is one of the most intriguing voices in today’s music and has been cited as an essential reference by the likes of David Bowie, Elvis Costello and David Gilmour.

Conceived as part of a collaboration between Robert Wyatt and Daniel Yvinec, especially for the ONJ, this programme pays homage to the universe and protean personality of the singer.

Artistic Director: Daniel Yvinec
Arrangements: Vincent Artaud
Images: Antoine Carlier
Recorded Voices: Robert Wyatt, Arno, Camille, Daniel Darc, Irène Jacob, Yael Naïm, Rokia Traoré.