Leicester Grand Music Festival 2027

26/06/2017

After rushing to get the concert organised for last September (because I was turning 40) I took the (hard) last minute decision to postpone the concert as we were missing some key orchestral positions and needed to make sure the concert gave musical justice to the original festival from 1827 + being on the other side of the world made pinning certain musicians down hard!

That said I’m happy to announce the event is now rescheduled to the weekend of 5/6th September 2027 as a full on 200yo anniversary event.

I would like to make a (delayed) thanks to everyone who offered their support from Leicester City Council, the Leicestershire School of Music, ex LSSO players/staff, Leicester Cathedral as well as the young soloists lined up from Leicester / Ho Chi Minh Conservatory / Thailand.

(There is always the opportunity to bring forward the concert to tie in with one of Leicester’s established Music Festivals otherwise there are 10 years to plan!)

With the extra time the plans is to hold 3 concerts

1. Full Cathedral Service of Sacred Music - at St Margaret’s Church

2. Grand Miscellaneous Concert - at Leicester Cathedral
3. A concert of classical music featuring in “Pop music” – at venue TBC
In terms of the content of each concert think:

1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPrQYEW4JN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPrQYEW4JN0

2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6SL5BVPrxU

3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n70c3Dzw-ZM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ereyAaPf6M0 (cello starts on 44 seconds)
Already in discussions with some international artists for #3 and #1 & #2 should be relatively straight forward based with enough notice to book people.

Please register your details on the website http://www.leicestergrandmusicfestival.com (or message me on FB) so I have a full list of interested parties.

In the meantime – next year is the LSSO’s 70th anniversary concert on 24th March 2018 so please see the website below

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LSSOreunion2018

http://www.lsso.co.uk/

The choir of Westminster Cathedral sing the Gloria from Messe de Minuit pour Noel by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. From the broadcast of Midnight Mass 2009. And ...

22/08/2016

POSTPONED to Q1 2017 due to some key players unavailable and cannot do an 189yo music festival justice.

We could use the Guildhall for an exLSSO reunion from 7pm. Get in touch if you're free and if enough people we can get something social going.

19/08/2016

Tick tock only need a few more confirmations - worst case we can have a LSSO reunion at the Guildhall anyway a (Strung out Sisters providing the music ? )

16/08/2016

# players at evening time Tuesday - still some key parts to fill and generally more string players - if you have not got in touch please do so - likewise if you have any friends etc who can play please pass them on


Instrument Count of Players
Bassoon 1
Cello 7
Clarinet 2
Flute 1
French Horn 1
Harp 1
Oboe 2
Percussion 1
-
Trombone 1
Trumpet 3
Viola 3
Violin 7

Grand Total 30

15/08/2016

John Whitmore who runs the lsso.co.uk website has asked if anyone from the Don era has any audio/visual tapes of the LSSO from the 1990s.
If you do please upload to http://www.lsso.co.uk/audiovisual.html or send an email (data transfer can also be arranged)

1) PYE Tippett / Ridout / Mathias / Arnold Klassic Haus

14/08/2016

Invitation are going out for the 2016 festival - initial list

Mayor of Leicester, Peter Soulsby
Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Stephen Corrall
Prof Surinder Sharma, High Sheriff of Leicestershire
Under Sheriff Kate Blank
His Excellency Nguyen Van Thao
His Grace The Duke of Rutland
Rt Hon Keith Vaz
Rt Hon Liz Kendall
Rt Hon Edward Argar
Rt Hon Alberto Costa
Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan
Rt Hon Elizabeth Kendall
Rt Hon David Tredinnick
Various LCFC staff and U21 Hong Kong Soccer 7s players

14/08/2016

I might need to rethink my travel plans -

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/british-airways-stops-musician-from-flying-with-cello-as-it-didnt-have-a-visa-a7187516.html

- although so people might be glad to hear I'm leaving my cello in Vietnam.......

An amateur musician has said she was stopped from carrying her cello on board a British Airways flight as the instrument needed a visa to travel in the extra seat she had booked for it. Jane Bevan, 35, based in Switzerland, was attempting to board a flight from Zurich to Baltimore, where she was att...

13/08/2016

Had an interview with BBC Radio Leicester yesterday for a piece on the concert .
Staring to work on the media promotion but we still need to recruit players.

I'll send out a map and details for both rehearsals tomorrow and if anyone wants the music in advance please email [email protected]

We def need a pianist and a celeste players as well as fattening out the orchestra so please spread the word.

Tickets will go on sale in the next few days
I'm thinking £5 , £10 family ticket and £1 current LSSO players - any thoughts ?

The afterparty is basically a party for players and friends and suggest we all get warmed up at The Guildhall and leave your stuff there then head back after the concert

Regards
Patrick
+84 167 812 0508
+65 9126 4965
+852 6338 9089

13/08/2016

I'm now late for football kick off but the visa application for our young Vietnamese violinist soloist is in.

Dear Keith Vaz, if you are coming to the concert please give the Ambassador a ring to expedite.

08/08/2016

We are pending scores and orchestral parts to be delivered with the provisional programme below, anyone a bit rusty and needing some extra practice get in touch and will figure out the easiest way to get parts to you ahead of the first rehearsal on Thu 25th August

# Title
1 Mozart: Overture Magic Flute
2 Creston: Concertino for Marimba
3 Bedřich Smetana: Má Vlast Moldau (Vltava)
4 Ravel: Tzigane Rapsodie de Concert
5 Schubert: Unfinished Symphony
6 William Walton: Richard III (Prelude) (1955)
7 Ramin Djawadi: Main Title (Extended) [Game of Thrones]

08/08/2016

Last call for exLSSO people during the Don Blakeson years before widen the search for orchestral members - 2 rehearsals scheduled for Thu 25th Aug and Thu 1st Sep. There will be an afternoon rehearsal on the day in the afternoon.