Turangalila-Symphonie in Royal Festival Hall

Yeah, you read right.

On May 23, 2013, I had the opportunity to perform with the RCM Symphony Orchestra on stage at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall – only one of the biggest and most prestigious concert halls in the world – under the direction of Thierry Fischer.

We played only one work, the 90 minute long “Turangalila-Symphonie” by Messiaen.

While it may be very modern and incredibly loud, holy heck, what an amazing piece of music. And what a thrill to be able to play on the stage of Royal Festival hall, sitting in the same chair where I normally see my teacher playing!

…I have to admit though- RFHs stage is not NEARLY as big as I thought it would be.

The house is still huge, no matter the vantage point.

If you haven’t heard of Turangalila, please do go look it up on youtube or spotify or wherever. You may not want to sit through the whole thing, so here are my recommendations for the “highlights” from the 10 movements: Listen to numbers 4 (big picc solo 😀 ) five and ten. You’ll get the idea.

As a side note, here’s a write up on it I found from our concert listing on Southbank Centres website:

Messiaen’s great symphonic work, first presented after the Second World War, shocked audiences with its ecstatic music and opulent orchestrations.

Inspired by the Tristan myth, it channels intense feelings of ecstasy and erotic love using a culmination of all the techniques Messiaen had developed so far.

Free pre-concert event, 6pm until 6.30pm, Royal Festival Hall
RCM Sparks, the College’s innovative Learning and Participation programme, have been working with composer and animateur Rachel Leach, a team of RCM students and pupils from West London Free School and Richmond Park Academy to create a unique piece based on Messian’s Turangalila. The pupils are working with theme’s and motifs to create and inspire their own 21st-century young person’s version bringing together a joint schools mixed ensemble to perform on the stage on Royal Festival Hall.

Here’s a quick pic of me getting ready for dress rehearsal, taken by my friend J.S:

So proud of this moment, and even happier that my parents were there to see and hear it! We played so well!

Talk soon
x

Aberdeen May 9-12

I know this blog is WEEKS late, but I’ve just been absolutely blocked with work and then I finally got a break and haven’t been able to do anything productive, at least in terms of blogging!

Anyway, here is the month-over-due blog about my trip to Scotland!

My Aunt K, Uncle T and cousin’s E and K moved to Aberdeen, Scotland just last year. They live in a beautiful cottage (actually called “lodge”) at the top of a hill in the Milltimber area of Aberdeen, over looking beautiful farm land. I went up to visit them for a weekend, as I hadn’t seen them in ages AND it was a good reason to go see some of Scotland, for which I have always had an affinity.

Being frugal, I took the overnight National Express bus from London Victoria, to Aberdeen. The ride up was relatively uneventful, with the exception of being an hour or two late getting going. Thankfully we made up the time and still arrived midmorning!

Scotland is absolutely breathtaking.

It is exactly what is portrayed in the movies: the hills are rolling and a shade of green I have never seen before or after that trip.

I had such a great time hanging out with my family- my aunt and I sat out in the sun the first afternoon, enjoying a cup of tea in the peace and quiet of the country side- seeing the sights of Aberdeen (including a few castles!) and just generally enjoying the “family” lifestyle.

Its amazing how you get used to living in a communal residence, and then what a luxury having a big bed and “private” bathroom etc. And not having to wear flip flops in the shower! Oh joy oh bliss!!!

Anyway, because its been a month my memories are not quite as vivid, but the general overview of the weekend was that we ate awesome food (including steaks, bbq hot dogs, taco salad, REAL AMERICAN BUTTERMILK PANCAKES and burgers from Handmade Burger Co. – one of the best I’ve had in the UK and I would know, being a burger connoisseur and all 🙂 ), did some fun sight seeing and generally enjoyed Aberdeen.

I didn’t really get to enjoy the Scottish accent, but to be honest, it was nice to be with other Newfoundlanders and just have a laugh together.

The first exploration of the trip was to check out the Cullerlie stone circle – its not Stonehenge size or anything, but it was still very interesting, and I greatly enjoyed the neighborhood sheep, including the new born lamb we saw!

Up next was the Crathes Castle. This one had been restored somewhat inside, so you could go in and see all the rooms decorated as they would have been when the castle was active hundreds of years ago, as well as learning about the history of the families who lived there. The gardens at Crathes are particularly spectacular which you’ll see from the million photos I took. My particular favorite was the “Egg in an Egg Cup” topiary … who would’ve thought!

We checked out the Aberdeen beach which was lovely, although the wind was blowing which made it a bit chilly! By far my favorite part was Dunnottar Castle. These Castle ruins are absolutely exceptional. You have to hike out to them, and I mean HIKE! First you walk out a gravel path, then down a bazillion stairs and back up a basquillion more. Originally there was a pathway you could walk across to get to the peninsula, but it has been worn down over time and is now just a big hole!

Anyway, the ruins were so inspiring and amazing. You can just feel the hum of history and tell that something bad went down there. If you want to read about the history, check this link: http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

We tried to get a deep fried mars bar from Stonehaven on the way home, but the little fish and chip shop (which claims to have invented the deep fried mars bar) wasn’t open! So instead we got baklava from the local weekend market 🙂

Perhaps my favorite meal in Scotland was at the Handmade Burger Company. Oh mama.

I had a beef burger stuffed with cranberry jam and wellensleydale cheese. It was divine. Not to mention that because they forgot to put my order in with the others (so I didn’t get my meal till 15 or 20 minutes later) the meal AND a second round of drinks was on the house! Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

We also ate at Jamie’s Italian restaurant, which of course is one of Jamie Oliver’s brainchildren.

It was absolutely divine – we had a big cheese and meat platter to start and then I followed it up with a pasta/prosciutto/pea dish wish was divine! Definitely a great way to start my long, long, LONG trip home.

The bus ride back to London was meant to be another 12 hours. Unfortunately we broke down in a little tiny town in Scotland, no where close to another bus station, and ended up sitting in a parking lot for four hours, starting at 1am, waiting for a rescue bus to come save us. When the bus finally did show up, I managed to get a few hours sleep before they announced (at 8:30 am) that we would be stopping in Milton Keynes, which is about 40 minutes tops outside of London, to switch busses and drivers … and THEN I almost didn’t get on the third bus because it was already half full.

Not sure if I would have been better off waiting the 20 minutes for Bus #4, because Bus #3 took the SCENIC route home through London. Eff.

All in all, I didn’t get home till 12:30 lunch time, when I should have been home at 7:30am. Brilliant.

Ah well, my trip to Scotland was AMAZING either way.

Enjoy the photos!

x

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MTT / AT

Its been SO long since I wrote a blog entry about life in London that I just wanted to pop up a few quick exciting things for you guys to catch up on, before I go to bed.

I promise that over the next couple of days, I will post about my trip to Scotland, and my mom and dad’s visit here to London for the Turanagalila-Symphonie concert at Royal Festival Hall (under the direction of Thierry Fischer) and my graduation recital!

 

What I want to tell you about right now is the exciting masterclass I attended last night, as well as a short story from my alexander technique lesson today!

 

Last night, I went along with I.F. and T.T-B to the ‘LSO St. Lukes’ venue to see a conducting masterclass with Michael Tilson Thomas.

MTT Is one of my favorite American conductors. He is currently principal conductor with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (my favorite American orchestra!) but is also principal guest conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra.

 

Last night he gave a brilliant three hour class for a large audience at the LSO St Lukes hall. That place in itself was amazing (Check out the story here: http://lso.co.uk/lso-st-luke-s ) but to be in such an inspiring venue AND getting to watch MTT himself in action was unreal.

 

First of all, I was mildly thrown off by his Harry Potter-esque glasses! Perfectly round, dark framed glasses are definitely NOT how I am used to seeing Mr. Tilson Thomas, so I was a little shocked when he first came out in front of the orchestra. To be honest, I think they make him look older than his more familiar rimless, rectangular glasses!

 

Either way, he had some great ideas about conducting Shostakovich 5 (finale), Coplands Short Symphony and Britten’s Young Persons Guide. It was also a thrill to hear the LSO play again, and nice to be in such a casual setting.

 

For me, as an arts administrative type with a love for all things music education & social justice, I found being in LSO St. Lukes with a very vibrant orchestra to be a little overwhelming. The LSO has so much energy and camaraderie amongst the players, I couldn’t help but feel energized right from the start. Thinking about all the work the LSO has done (including rebuilding St. Lukes into a music center, from ground up) just made me so excited about getting back to my own work at home in Newfoundland.

 

I really think I should have been following this orchestra more this year! Shame on me I guess, but can I really be blamed for being a bit loyalist to my teachers’ orchestras?

 

There are only SO many concerts a girl can see.

 

Either way. MTT had some great things to say so I learned a bit more about conducting and got the thrill of seeing him in person.

 

T.T-B. went to go meet him afterwards but I.F. and I got left behind and ended up not meeting him…. Oh well. Another time maybe, when the poor guy isn’t so jet lagged.

 

He’s here for another number of days doing several concerts with the LSO and Yo-Yo Ma:

 

Fri 7 & 21 of June at LSO St. Lukes, 12:30pm: American Themed Music, lunchtime concert

Fri 7 June at LSO St. Lukes, 6:15pm: Artist Conversation, Gareth Davies with MTT

Sun 9 June at Barbican, 7:30pm: Copland Orchestral Variations, Shotakovich Cello Concerto No. 1, Copland Short Symphony and Britten Young Persons Guide

Tue 11 June at Barbican, 7:30pm: Copland Quiet City, Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2, Britten Prince of the Pagodas suite

Wed 12 June at Barbican, 7:30pm: Copland INscape, Britten Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

 

 

Yay!

 

 

 

Okay, on to my Alexander Technique lesson.

 

Today, whilst we were doing table work and having a lovely conversation about who knows what, my wonderful AT teach stopped me to say he thinks I should do the certification to be an AT teacher! I was pretty excited at that, because I’ve worked hard on my AT this year, and while I’m certainly not perfect, I am very interested to keep studying and working to get better, and to help others!

 

I’d previously thought about doing my AT certification but it is a long process that I don’t think I can commit to just yet. Funnily Enough, immediately after P.B. had said I should get certified, he followed it up with an “although I don’t know when you’d do it because you’re so busy all the time”.

 

This man gets me.

 

 

That said. If I can get settled away in a job, I can totally see myself getting certified in 10 years time. The certification process is a 3 year commitment to at least half days at “school”. I think it is definitely a marketable skill to have though, as more and more conservatories and music schools are hiring AT teachers to help their students.

That brings me to another point I could rant about for ages but wont now, I’ll just state my opinion.

 

Musicians need to talk about health and injury when kids are YOUNG. Teachers need to be aware of it all the time and make sure their students are forming healthy playing habits from the moment they start learning to sing or play an instrument.

 

No student should have to give up their passion because of an injury, or spend years in therapy (whether medical or with a method like AT, as I have done) trying to learn how to cope with or improve their condition.

 

Just don’t do it, folks!

 

Commit yourselves to being BETTER, HEALTHIER musicians… and commit to passing that on to every other musician (student colleague or otherwise) that you meet in your daily life.

 

 

Phew.

 

Rant over…. and its bed time for this “maiden of the dwarf flute”! Need some rest if I’m going to be ready for Paris in a few days!

 

xoxo