Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Listings release: The Night Shift 10 June

oae — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:13:41 +0000

The Night Shift: the rules-free classical night where the audience can talk, come and go with drinks and clap when they like during the performance – makes a special appearance at the Royal Festival Hall on 10 June 2012 with an 80-piece orchestra and one of the classical world’s biggest stars, Sir Simon Rattle.

There’ll be a full performance at 10pm of Debussy’s beautiful and evocative depiction of the sea, La Mer, and his famous Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune with chat between the conductor, OAE players, and the audience.

Beforehand, from 9pm, there’ll be music in the foyer, and afterwards a DJ set until midnight (acts to be confirmed).

For further information contact Natasha Stehr on 020 7239 9374 or email natasha.stehr@oae.co.uk

For full information, please download the Listings release Night Shift 10 June here.

The Night Shift at the Roundhouse: Audience Reaction

oae — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:03:56 +0000

Wow, it’s hard to believe that our show at the Roundhouse was almost 3 months ago now! We were there to kick off the 2012 Reverb festival, and we did it in style with a massive orchestra and Sir Mark Elder conducting Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet.

In this vid we catch up with some punters to find out what they thought of it, and also speak to Sir Mark about how it was for him – and violinist Kati reminds us that this particular event was not just classical music minus the rules, but also minus the brass section…

A big thumbs down to noise abatement!

oae — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:42:02 +0000

You may have read about our adventures back in March where we took a 20-piece OAE orchestra around the country to deliver workshops and concerts under the banner Anthem for a Child. (If not, you are missing out: read about the cake, tandems, 5000 children, concerts and kettle bells here). The pinnacle of each concert was the performance of James Redwood’s ‘My Cry’ where the whole audience, consisting of local school children, sang along with the Orchestra. Filmmaker Joseph Bicknell filmed some of the work we did on our journey and has put together this amazing video which beautifully captures the spirit of the tour. This video features ‘My Cry’ recorded at our final schools concert in York. For me, this was one of the most beautiful moments of the tour as the children from York primary schools Dringhouses, Bootham, Heworth and Dunnington sang with such gusto the words echoed round the Jack Lyons concert hall long after the final note.

But don’t take my word for it… have a watch.

We are still doing plenty of work as part of the Anthem for a Child project, with lots of preparation going into our summer term performances. As well as a host of schools concerts for local London primary school pupils, we are busy preparing for a concert in June as part of the Spitalfields Festival. This concert will involve young performers from across the country who will join the OAE and ‘My Cry’ will be performed – I can’t wait to hear the final lines ‘I am here’ ringing out across the Old Market!

Ellie Cowan, OAE Education Officer

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

oae — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:21:38 +0000

His times: Debussy’s career straddled one of the most fascinating periods in music history: the dusk of Romanticism and the emergence of Modernism. Music was becoming less a harmonious, evolving journey of mutual learning and agreement and more an outright battle between opposing ideologies. German dominance, particularly from Wagner’s angst-ridden music dramas, became the reactive springboard from which Debussy would spawn the first pages of modernist music and forge his own unique sonic world.

His music: Debussy famously disliked it, but the word ‘Impressionism’ does much to outline his approach to composition. In contrast to the German method of taking a theme and developing it, Debussy put the emphasis on texture. Impressionist painters used short, built-up brush strokes and multiple colours to create the visual equivalent – leaving explicit details to the imagination of the observer while conjuring a new sense of light and movement. Debussy’s orchestra became a medium of exotic beauty and colour; through his move away from traditional harmonic ‘preparation’ and ‘resolution’, his superimposition of short motifs and his emphasis on passing, shifting textures, he created a language of suggestion – of free thought and mood evocation rather than narrative angst and forthright explanation.

Himself: Debussy was an artist through-and-through; he enjoyed the high life and the exoticism of travel. But the scandalous nature of his private life alienated him from many of his friends led to a life of stilted happiness.

Anthem for a Child @ Southbank Centre

oae — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:52:49 +0000

Throughout 2012, we’ve been working with thousands of young people to inspire, enthuse and share the wonderful music of the Baroque era, and Anthem for a Child celebrates the power of music through playing and song.

Presented by James Redwood and OAE Education Director Cherry Forbes, musicians are joined by OAE Experience Players, the New Foundling Choir and young performers from across London.

This performance at 5pm is preceeded by three workshops, which you are welcome to come and watch:
3pm – Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall
3pm – Level 3 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall
4.30pm – The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival

Event promoted by Southbank Centre

Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall

oae — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:46:32 +0000

OAE TOTS: Going on a Journey

oae — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:37:41 +0000

Come and join Cecelia Bruggemeyer, double bassist from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, on a lively journey around Europe. Do you have your singing voices ready?

Suitable for 3-5-year-olds and their parents.

Please note – this free event requires a ticket which can be booked online, by phone or in person at the Southbank Centre from 16 June 2012 at 10am.

Event promoted by Southbank Centre

OAE TOTS: Going on a Journey

oae — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:33:02 +0000

Come and join Cecelia Bruggemeyer, double bassist from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, on a lively journey around Europe. Do you have your singing voices ready?

Suitable for 3-5-year-olds and their parents.

Please note – this free event requires a ticket which can be booked online, by phone or in person at the Southbank Centre from 16 June 2012 at 10am.

Event promoted by Southbank Centre

Bostridge sings Bach: Audience Reaction

oae — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:13:51 +0000

Here’s what the audience thought of our all-Bach concert with Ian Bostridge, a few weeks ago at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. We’re about to go off on tour with Ian with the same programme, so if you live in Vienna, Dresden, Prague, Warsaw or Innsbruck you still have a chance to catch this concert. Details in the what’s on section.

The Night Shift

oae — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:21 +0000

The Night Shift returns to the iconic Royal Festival Hall for a very special event starring one of the biggest names in classical music – conductor Sir Simon Rattle.

He will lead an 80-piece Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in two pieces by the impressionistic composer Claude Debussy: Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune, and La Mer. In both of these pieces the orchestra acts like a painters palette – the music is all about light, shade, texture and colour, with La Mer being an amazing depiction of the beauty and power of the ocean.

Sir Simon will be joined on stage by presenter Alistair Appleton, and as usual with The Night Shift, drinks are welcome in the hall, plus there’s pre (from 9pm) and post-show music, with acts to be announced.

Tickets on sale Monday 14 May at 10am.

Special offers
Text tickets at £5 available from 25 May. Details will be available here.
3 tickets for the price of 4 – available by phone only, ask for the ‘mini group’ offer.