Pinner Festival Choir, Soloists & Orchestra

PINNER MUSIC FESTIVAL CHOIR & ORCHESTRA 

Orchestra Leader: Rebecca Boyle

EMMA WALSHE (Soprano)

DAVID GOULD (Counter Tenor)

MICHAEL HICKMAN (Baritone)

Conducted by PAUL JEANES

Purcell

Come Ye Sons of Art

Marco Galvani

Eternity (PMF26 commission)

Russell Pascoe

Secular Requiem (extracts)

Fauré

Requiem

Purcell’s Ode for the Birthday of Queen Mary is a joyful start to the final concert of this year's PMF, with skilful interplay between the three soloists, choir & orchestra, bringing smiles to our faces. The PMF26 commission, Eternity by Marco Galvani sets three poems by Emily Dickinson for choir. Of this lovely work, Marco says: "I have chosen these three poems for the incredible use of pacing and imagery. I wanted to evoke a world where the strings represent ideas of nature and beauty underneath the very literal statement of the text in the vocal parts, making a dream space where the meaning of the words can come through". Two extracts from Russell Pascoe's Secular Requiem give a glimpse of his special sound world and melodies that suit the texts. The beautiful and finely crafted Requiem by Gabriel Fauré takes us from awe and wonder, through a gamut of understated emotions – in tender gems exquisitely presented by the choir & two soloists, to a final serenity, In Paradisum.

After graduating in Music from Cambridge in 2008, Emma Walshe began her career in the Monteverdi Choir Apprenticeship Scheme under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. She has since become widely sought after as a soloist and consort singer, working with all the leading early music groups including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Tenebrae, The Tallis Scholars, Arcangelo, The Gabrieli Consort, The Sixteen, Polyphony and the Early Opera Company.

Her career has seen her perform in some of the world’s most prestigious venues including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Wiener Konzerthaus, Felsenreitschule Salzburg, Kölner Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique Paris and the Royal Festival Hall.

Solo highlights include Handel Dixit Dominus at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Versailles; Bach St John Passion at the Lausanne Bach Festival; Bach Cantatas at King’s Place; Bach Mass in B Minor at the British Museum; Purcell Indian Queen at Stour festival.

Paul Jeanes studied conducting, composition, organ and piano at Trinity College of Music and is the holder of several awards including the Chappell Composition Prize, the Harold Clarke Prize for Accompaniment and the St Marylebone Award for Musicianship.

He divides his time between a number of musical endeavours, including choral directing, performing, composing and arranging. He has been Musical Director of the Amici Chamber Choir since January 2017 and is also Musical Director of Ember Choral Society, The Anselm Singers, and is Organist and Choir Director at Hampton Parish Church. He has previously been musical director of Kennet Opera, Norwood Green Choral Society and Eastcote Choral Society.

As an arranger, he has orchestrated music for several television and film projects, and has recorded at some of London’s most prestigious studios including Air, Hoxa HQ, and Abbey Road.

Paul is much in demand as an accompanist and recitalist. He performs regularly with tenor Stephen Anthony Brown, and flautist Nina Robertson, in recitals across the UK and Europe, Paul also works with several leading performing arts institutions including the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and Italia Conti.

When not immersed in music, he is to be found pottering in his garden, cycling, or playing nursery rhymes to his three granddaughters.