19 March: O Duo and Sinfonia Viva , Assembly Rooms, Derby 7.30pm
Breaking Silence, a new concerto for orchestra and O Duo percussionists Oliver Cox and Owen Gunnell, is their second major work created with funds from a BBT Special Commissioning Award in 2008. Co-commissioners are the Fidelio Trust, Sinfonia Viva which gives the world premiere conducted by dynamic young Hungarian Gergely Madaras, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which performs it on May 30 in Melbourne Town Hall.
Trainer cites ritual, dance and song as the three key elements within the sounds, textures and rhythms of this unusual combination. The four movements – Earshot, At the Double, Breaking Silence (Secret Song) and Hook – harness the brilliant technique and animated physicality of Cox and Gunnell, from the opening reveille, through wisps of melodic and lyrical percussion calls in the third movement, to virtuosic drumming and dance-like loops, drops and grooves in the finale. The second movement is a showcase for O Duo alone, playing on instruments that range from marimba and vibraphone to reception bells, African thumb piano and biscuit tin.
The stirring programme at the Assembly Rooms also includes Haydn’s Symphony No. 103 ‘Drumroll’ and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’, while in Melbourne Breaking Silence is part of the orchestra’s Meet the Orchestra Education Week featuring O Duo and Fraser Trainer in a range of musical programmes including BIG BANG! for orchestra and audience.
Breaking Silence 19 March 2013, Assembly Rooms, Derby 7.30pm (Talking Music at 6.30pm) Sinfonia Viva, Gergely Madaras conductor, O Duo (Oliver Cox and Owen Gunnell) soloists. Box office: T. 01332 255 800 www.vivaorch.co.uk
3 April: Tine Thing Helseth and Kathryn Stott, Wigmore Hall, London 7.30pm
Following its world premiere in Stavanger on 15 March, Graham Fitkin’s specially commissioned work for Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth and pianist Kathryn Stott (co-commissioned by Stott and BBT), comes to the London concert platform.
Helical Strake explores the ideas of air frequencies and flows, relentless wind and things on the edge of collapse – and is described by Fitkin as a real test of stamina for both players who need to be perfectly synchronised for the entire duration of this ten-minute piece.
helical strake: When a cylindrical object, such as a chimney, is buffeted by wind from one side, a low pressure vortex is created on the other side. This can create instability and weird air flow vibrations. Violent oscillations called vortex shedding, can occur and unstable chimneys, or bridges can go down. To get round the problem a ‘helical strake’ is used. A helical strake is quite simply a spiral ring of ‘fencing’ or cabling which runs down the exterior of the cylinder that prevents vortex shedding with low separation frequencies.
Helical Strake 3 April 2013 Wigmore Hall, London 7.30pm Tine Thing Helseth trumpet Kathryn Stott piano Box Office: T.020 7935 2141 www.wigmore-hall.org.uk