News and Reviews
News: Scottish Flavour for New Year's Eve
Oct 2008
Derbyshire musician Graham Hall's Fantasia on Scottish 'Tea' Songs will take centre stage at this year's popular sinfonia ViVA's New Year's Eve Classical Gala with the premiere of his special arrangement of Scottish tunes.
Graham, who is a percussion player and one of the original players of sinfonia ViVA when it started life as the East of England Orchestra 26 years ago, has brought together his favourite Scottish music into a unique arrangement. It will be performed by the Orchestra as part of The Scottish Connection Gala Concert at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall on December 31.
Graham is married to ViVA violinist Janet Hall and started his musical career with Nottinghamshire County Youth Orchestra before winning a coveted place at London's Royal Academy of Music. As well as being Timpanist with ViVA he is also Principal Percussion with Opera North.
He said: "When I was first asked to put together a medley of Scottish tunes for New Years Eve, I immediately thought of the other 'traditional' Scottish form, the comic song and in particular 'Donald Where's Your Troosers' as the audience participation section. That led me to the music hall style of Sir Harry Lauder and to pick out three of his most popular songs, 'I Love a Lassie', 'Roaming in the Gloaming' and the sublime(!) 'Stop your Ticklin' Jock'. With some of the music chosen I needed a 'hook' on which to hang the piece and with 'The Bluebells of Scotland' (when played on an oboe), sounding uncannily like 'Home Sweet Home' from Henry Wood's 'Fantasia on British Sea Songs' I knew that I’d found the answer."
"There are all sorts of other Scottish classics mingled into the arrangement from the 'Skye Boat Song' to 'Scotland the Brave' which all come together in a Scottish Fantasia which I hope will raise a chuckle and a smile from both the audience and players alike."
The toe-tapping concert, under the baton of 'Mr New Year's Eve' and ViVA's Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kok, goes onto celebrate Hogmanay with a programme including 'Halcyon Days' by Hucknall-born composer Eric Coates who dedicated the work to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother whose ancestral home was Glamis Castle.
The rest of the programme includes Mendelssohn's 'Hebrides Overture' inspired by his visit to the picturesque landscape of Fingal's Cave; three dances from Verdi's operatic version of 'Macbeth'; and Peter Maxwell Davies' tribute to the Orkney community where he went to live in the 1970 as well as traditional celebratory pieces from the Strauss family.
Graham Hall continued: "The focus on Scotland's rich musical heritage is a perfect way to celebrate New Year's Eve and this concert is the ViVA players' favourite gig of the year. Music making is a fantastic occupation. To play with talented players and watch charismatic conductors ply their trade, to see the audience enjoy themselves and then to smash seven bells out of a drum, what more could you want from life?"
Early booking is advised for this hugely popular concert, which sold out last year. Popular Premium seats are back again this year and the booking includes a free programme and £3 bar voucher on the night. Tickets are on sale now from the Royal Centre Box Office, Tel 0115 989 5555. Prices start from £7.50 with discounts available for Friends of ViVA. Online booking available
Media enquiries: Peter Helps - 01332 207570, email Peter
or Sarah Jenkin-Jones - 01332 515102/07951 945 665 sarah@jjpublicrelations.co.uk