Hello!
Here is a list of concert concepts that I have developed, produced and conducted with the Academy of St Mary-le-Bow. This page is designed to give an idea of how these formats work and how they might be adapted for future performances. Please accept my apologies for the quality of the media (both visual and audio), and note that these concerts were originally performed by non-professional musicians. Due to copyrighted music request that you do not share any of the material publicly.
Thanks :)
Alex
Romeo and Juliet
- A carefully curated 50 mins of music (one half of a concert) taken from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Ballet and Suites, interspersed with audio clips from famous productions and films (including Baz Luhrmann & Zeffirelli films and Globe and National Theatre stage productions).
- The music and audio clips closely follow the action of the play. This enhances the audience experience as they can follow exactly what the music is depicting. In places, the music has been adapted to provide underscoring to the speeches. A programme with a full synopsis and movement breakdown is also given to the audience, though not necessary.
- The audio clips include lots of the famous/recognisable sections of Shakespeare’s text.
- This was performed as the first half of a concert with the second half featuring Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture and West Side Story Symphonic Dances, completing the Romeo and Juliet theme.
- Music out of copyright, so reduced orchestration could be produced.
- The concept could be expanded to be a full concert with an interval.
- If it were necessary to obtain copyright for audio clips, then new recordings of the text could be commissioned.
Excerpt 1 (programme p. 1)
Excerpt 2 (programme pp. 4/5)
The Nutcracker
- Full concert (two halves) featuring the majority of the music from Tchaikovsky’s ballet (with some cuts) performed with newly written narration for one narrator.
- The music is adapted so that narration fits seamlessly with the music.
- The concert includes some audience participation and some ‘surround sound’ playing from the percussion section.
- Music out of copyright, so reduced orchestration could be produced.
The Firebird
- Stravinsky’s 1945 Firebird suite (25mins) (plus the addition of one cue from the Ballet) performed with newly written narration for one narrator.
- Pauses and repeats have been added to the music so that narration fits seamlessly.
- We worked closely with a lighting designer to produce a lighting plan which changed with the music and text (both in-between movements and during), enhancing the music and the architecture of the specially picked venue.
- Before the concert and during the interval, a specially commissioned soundscape played in the space featuring excerpts from the works performed.
- Music is in copyright, so can’t be rescored (though the cue from the Ballet is out of copyright, so its inclusion is possible).
- This was the second half of a concert called ‘Fairy Tales’, with the first half featuring Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Overture and Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
- A one-half (about 40 min) performance of Mendelssohn’s incidental music from A Midsummer Night's Dream with an actor (+ 2 soprano soloists and a small upper voice chorus).
- The actor plays Puck and tells the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a specially developed script using text adapted from Shakespeare’s original, expanding considerably on the text already included in Mendelssohn's score.
- The actor uses giant emojis which hang on frames to help tell the story of the swapping couples (these could be changed or adapted to projections or pictures in frames rather than emojis).
- We worked closely with a lighting designer to produce a lighting plan which changed with the music and text (both in-between movements and during), enhancing the music, script and the architecture of the specially picked venue.
- Before the concert and during the interval, a specially commissioned soundscape played in the space featuring excerpts from the works performed, along with birdsong to set the forest scene.
- This was performed in the first half of a concert called ‘Enchantment’, with the rest of the programme being Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique.
Excerpt 1
Excerpt 2
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The Sea
- The programme detailed below was presented by a marine biologist from the Natural History Museum.
- The short presentations between pieces made links between fascinating scientific facts on the ocean and musical aspects of the works.
- A lighting designer worked with me to produce a lighting plan which changed with the music (both in-between pieces and during), enhancing the music and the architecture of the specially picked venue.
- The programme featured: Debussy La Mer, Britten ‘Sunday Morning’ from Four Sea Interludes, Williams excerpts from Sea Sketches and Long The Deep, Deep Sea (concerto for alto flute and piccolo).
Max Richter Surround Sound
- A performance of Max Richter's Four Seasons performed with the ensemble and soloist (/soloists) moving around the audience to pre-planned points.
- This was performed in a concert of music for strings, with the rest of the programme being Anna Meredith Tul and Yoshimatsu's And Birds are Still...
