| Arabesque Duo Review | May 2008 |
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BBC Stoke
Chris Ramsden was suitably soothed at St Margaret’s Church at Betley after the performance of Arabesque Duo - flautist Russell Gillespie and harpist Lauren Scott.
Expect rain, I wrote on Wednesday. Well, there was certainly rain. But what I hadn’t expected was that it would be so cold they weren’t just not casting clouts ere May was out, they were dragging them out of the wardrobes and putting them on again.
Never mind. There was a warm bath waiting in St Margaret’s Church at Betley, in the form of the Arabesque Duo. The concert, in aid of the church’s project to build a school in Ghana, was billed as “Tranquil Classics”, and there’s something so relaxing about the combination of flute and harp you could bottle it and flog it to overstressed executives.
That’s not to say there was anything sleepy about this lovely performance. Russell Gillespie and Lauren Scott, who form the duo, are agile and accomplished and the music, though sometimes popular, was never sloppy or soupy.
Exotic rhythms
Indeed, the Sonata by Andy Scott demanded that the harpist drummed on her instrument as it went through some exotic rhythms. Though written only five years ago, this was proper modern classical music with structure, rhythm and attractive melody. But then, it had to be good. Andy Scott is harpist Lauren’s husband.
Mrs Scott also gave us the lowdown on her instrument, which is far more complex than you may imagine. It’s rather swanlike; the harpist smiles and strums on top while her feet do all the work.
Russell Gillespie played the Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen on the alto flute, big brother to the normal concert flute. It demanded an awful lot of puff, he revealed, which is probably why I’d never seen one before.
The duo have made some records too. I overheard someone in the interval recommending one for in-car use. Certainly, it would banish road rage forever, though you might miss several motorway exits as well.
WHERE I’LL BE NEXT
There’s an organ prom in Hanley this (Saturday) lunchtime, and Robert Thompson who performed so well in the Michael Harding International Piano Competition is at Keele tonight.
But I might get back to Stafford again for the Chiarina Trio at St Mary’s Church on Wednesday, for they are playing the cute Dvorak Dumky Trio.
Chris Ramsden
| Waxing Lyrical! | January 2007 |
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We like to think we have come across most situations on gigs over the past 12 years (unexpectedly accompanying a snake charmer and a juggler on stilts being high on the list), but we have never experienced a power failure before yesterday. With the appalling storms across Britain, some households were still without power, including the wedding venue below. The staff valiantly carried on in torchlight to get everything prepared in time and the wedding went ahead as planned. Reading music by candlelight was not fun though and not an experience we would like to repeat!!!
The photo has been heavily enhanced so that you can see Russell!
| Charity Recital | October 2006 |
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Charity RecitalWednesday 18th October 2006 at 7.30pm
St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Nantwich. Cheshire
An evening of “Tranquil Classics” as part of the 150 year celebrations
of St. Anne’s Church in aid of St. Luke’s Hospice
Music to include works by Mozart, Bach, Elgar, Faure and Rodrigo
Retiring Collection
Further details – Rev. John Daly 01270 625494
| Review | June 2006 |
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We are delighted that CDBaby are now selling our "Sonata" CD and that they like it so much they have made it Editors Pick on their home page. Considering they only feature 3 CDs on their home page and that covers ALL genres of music, we are delighted that they have chosen our CD! They are a great company doing fantastic things for independent musicians, so if you haven't bought one of our CDs yet, go visit CDBaby.
Flute and harp: it's a combination long treasured by composers for
the infinite delicacy and expressivity shared between the two
instruments' tessituras, textures and colors. Depicting incredible
lightness and fragility, conjuring images of ice castles and the most
frail of flowers, this combination is only more transfixing and
enchanting than can be expected. While zipping and dancing through a
mesmerizing variety of works, this duo not only holds onto the
intense translucency naturally achieved by their pairing, but these
two players push the listener to a much greater level. Beyond
subtlety and frailty is a passion, an unmovable conviction and
mountainous determination spilling forth, mixing with the luscious
musicality that cascades from these compositions. It is all too rare
to find a duo of this sort with as much guts and might as
sensitivity, driving every note and powering every phrase so that the
listener never leaves the edge of their seat. Arabesque Duo inspires a
new look at the juxtaposition of harp and flute for its potential
gusto and fervency- and that is quite a notable achievement.
Review by CDBaby
| Wedding ban on religious music lyrics lifted | November 2005 |
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| Sir James Galway International Flute Seminar | August 2004 |
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During August Russell took time out to play at the Sir James Galway International Flute Seminar in Switzerland. Sixty flute players from all over the world converged on the small town of Weggis situated by Lake Luzern for a fantastic week with Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway.
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Above: Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway with Russell Gillespie
Left: Sir James Galway and Russell Gillespie |
| REVIEW | May 2004 |
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TAPESTRY
Royal Northern College of Music
19 February 2004
"Also on site was saxophonist and composer Andy Scott, whose three-movement Sonata for flute and harp might just be a hit in the making. Fuelled by concise and skilfully developed rhythmic themes in the outer movements and a wonderfully elegiac melody in the second, this was one of those rare moments when a significant new work strikes gold with both the performers and the audience, the enthusiasm expressed in Gillespie’s spoken introduction more than justified.
Here and elsewhere, the whole Tapestry concept was one of an outstanding team of players with a genuine commitment to sharing new repertoire that attracts rather than alienates. See them, hear them and enjoy..."
Paul Fowles - Classical Guitar Magazine
| Concerts | January 2004 |
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Arabesque Duo are collaborating with Duo Mandala - mandolin and harp duo - for a tour this quarter, combining an exciting range of repertoire for the two duos and premiering a new piece especially written for this tour for alto flute, bass mandolin and harp....
| 12 Feb 04 |
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Essex Lakeside Theatre at Essex University |
1.05pm |
| 13 Feb 04 |
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Cambridge Mumford Theatre, Anglia Polytechnic University |
1pm |
| 19 Feb 04 |
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Manchester RNCM |
7.30pm |
| 8 May 04 |
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Suffolk - OLD GRANARY STUDIO in Raveningham, nr Beccles |
evening |
| 9 May 04 |
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Brighton - Friends Meeting House |
4pm |
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Mozart flute and harp concerto plus duo recital 2nd half of concert: |
| 15 May 04 |
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Cheshire - Middlewich Concert Society |
7.30pm |
| Duo Mandala | December 2003 |
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For info about Duo Mandala and their debut CD release "Tapestry" on the Black Box label visit www.alisonstephens.com
| New Flute Music | June 2003 |
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A. Scott - Sonata for flute and harp
We are really excited about this new addition to the flute and harp repertoire:
- Click here to buy Andy's flute music
- Click here to listen to soundbytes of his piece
| Review | June 2003 |
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Review for Sonata CD Arabesque Duo, ara101
"Andy Scott's piece... will become, I believe, a major work in our repertoire. Andy is Professor of Saxophone at the RNCM, and his writing is both vibrant and refreshing. The work is influenced by both Eastern and European folk rhythms and jazz harmony. It calls for various special effects and timbres form both instruments, and Russell Gillespie and Lauren Scott give a convincing performance. The flute playing throughout is lyrical and expressive, and Lauren Scott's playing is graceful, eloquent and technically assured. This is an enjoyable CD..."
British Flute Society - March 2003
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| Promoter's Info |
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High quality photos for promoters - click here
