Madeleine Mitchell will be performing music by 3 Sussex composers – Howard Blake OBE, John Ireland and Martin Butler at Brighton’s Chapel Royal, North Street, Brighton, BN1 1EA Tel: 01273 328767
The performance takes place from 1.10-1.55pm and will feature Madeleine Mitchell on violin and Martin Butler on piano.
Entitled ‘Concert – Composers of Sussex’ the programme will be:
Howard Blake – Penillion
Howard Blake – Folk Ballade from Jazz Dances
Martin Butler – Suzanne’s River Song
John Ireland – Violin Sonata no.2
Tickets on the door £3
http://www.lccr.org.uk/programme.htm
The 3 composers all have a Sussex connection; Blake was born in Brighton in 1938. Martin Butler (b.1960) is Professor of Music at Sussex University as well as being a well regarded composer and pianist. John Ireland loved the landscape of Sussex, which inspired some of his music and he eventually retired to Sussex in 1953 when he bought a converted windmill, Rock Mill, underneath the Downs. He died there on 12th June 1962. He had overnight success with his stunning second violin sonata written during WW1.
All the music in this concert is appealing and lyrical. Howard Blake (who’ll be 80 later this year), will attend the concert and has a long association with Madeleine Mitchell from her solo recording in the Bowie film ‘The Hunger’, for which Blake was Music Director. Mitchell has recorded Blake’s violin and chamber music on an album for Naxos with the composer as pianist (including the pieces from this concert):
https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.572083
He arranged his famous ‘Walking in the Air” (from The Snowman) for Mitchell, for violin and piano. The Chapel Royal, dating from 1795 is a stunning venue for concerts, with a long tradition of these lunchtime concerts, offering value for money.
Madeleine Mitchell has been described by The Times as “one of the UK’s liveliest musical forces (and) foremost violinists”. She has performed as soloist in some 50 countries and has an acclaimed discography including works written for her by some of Britain’s best known composers such as Michael Nyman and Sir James MacMillan. Her latest album was featured on BBC Radio 3 on International Women’s Day 2018 with the violin duos she recorded of Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music. She has previously appeared in the Brighton Festival.
Her new album details are here: https://divineartrecords.com/recording/violin-muse/
More information see:
https://www.madeleinemitchell.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Butler_(composer)