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Thread: Adopt a Composer Success

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    Default Adopt a Composer Success

    The Fretful Federation Mandolin Orchestra is thrilled to announce that they have been selected for the Adopt a Composer Scheme 2017/2018. One of seven groups to have come through the competitive process, they have been paired with composer, Esmeralda Conde Ruiz. They now begin a journey together which will result in a brand new piece of music written especially for them and eventually available to the world! The premiere of the work next year will be recorded and aired by BBC Radio 3. They will be mentored by Fraser Trainer who has been involved in the scheme for a number of years.

    This scheme offers leisure-time musicians the chance to work directly with a composer, become actively involved in the creative process and contribute to the development of new music. The composer, in return, has the opportunity to form a close working relationship with the ensemble – with the time to respond to the groups personalities and interests; an opportunity not always possible in professional commissions.

    Esmeralda is a multi-award winning composer and conductor.
    In 2015 she won the award for ‘Best Original Music’ at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and ‘Award of Excellence for Best Score’ at Indie Fest Film Awards for her unique soundtrack of British short film ‘Cusp’. Additionally she runs interdisciplinary choral projects, conducting a 500 strong choir of community voices at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall and collaborating with leading composers, contemporary artists and musicians all over the world including David Lang, Matthew Herbert, Susan Philipsz, Peter Liversidge, Mira Calix and many others.
    www.econderuiz.com

    The Brighton, UK based group of fretted instrument players was formed in 1995. Originally playing pieces typical of mandolin orchestras from the early twentieth century, the Fretful Federation has expanded and developed its repertoire to include a wide range of material including exciting contemporary music by living composers as well as classical work, popular pieces and concertos.
    There are currently about 25 members from all over Sussex who meet weekly to rehearse. Everyone is welcome without audition.

    This is such exciting news for us all. Esmeralda will first come to meet and listen to us in rehearsal and concert and then begin working with us in workshops to produce something wonderful which we aim to perform for the first time next summer.

    Adopt a Composer is run by Making Music in partnership with Sound and Music (the national agency for new music), in association with BBC Radio 3, and funded by PRS Foundation and the Philip and Dorothy Green Music Trust. For the second time Creative Scotland has provided additional funding for a Scottish project.
    jacky

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  3. #2
    poor excuse for anything Charlieshafer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    What an interesting program! Thanks for posting this. Gotta start something like that around here.

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    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    This sounds great - keep us posted!

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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    This is most interesting. Wow.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  6. #5

    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    Sounds like a wonderful program! Thumbs up to all.
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

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    Registered User maudlin mandolin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    Quote Originally Posted by jacky View Post

    For the second time Creative Scotland has provided additional funding for a Scottish project.
    I look forward to hearing the broadcast. But what has Creative Scotland to do with this project?

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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    Quote Originally Posted by maudlin mandolin View Post
    I look forward to hearing the broadcast. But what has Creative Scotland to do with this project?
    Ah well, as I understand it, Creative Scotland provided some additional funding so that one of the groups could be chosen from Scotland. This year it was the Edinburgh Concert Band who are paired with Gaynor Barradel.

    More information here - https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/news/...poser-pairings.

    The seven composers took part in a workshop yesterday and others will take place for the groups in due course. We feel so lucky to be involved in this and hope it will raise the profile of mandolin groupw in the UK.
    jacky

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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    Here is the first blog about this project from musical director, Lindsay Stoner. More to follow.

    https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/news/nothing-fret-about
    jacky

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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    Here is an update on this project. The music has now been written and takes the form of 7 short movements which we will perform accompanied be decriptive film archive material provided by the Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton. The performance will take place at Sussex University as part of the CINECITY film festival on November 18th. The journey thus far has been an exciting one for us, working with the wonderful Esmeralda Conde Ruiz to produce something very different to anything we have played before. However, I'm pretty sure the rest of the trip is going to be even more amazing as we get into serious rehearsal and preparation for this big event.

    This is what Esmeralda has to say about the piece :-

    I created ‘The other ocean’ to explore memories through music and images. We all might see
    the same image but it will trigger a complete different memory and that duality fascinates me.
    What makes the piece so special for me is the combination of real memories from Brighton and
    the South East combined with memories of the Fretful Federation Mandolin Orchestra, who all
    live in the region. The show will be a unique opportunity for the audience to connect with their
    own memories in exciting new ways.
    jacky

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    Default Re: Adopt a Composer Success

    The premiere performance of this piece took place in November 2018 and was the result of an enormous amount of rewarding work by composer, Esmeralda Conde Ruiz, the Fretful Federation mandolin orchestra and conductor, Lindsay Stoner.
    The final production can now be seen on Youtube here. The home movies were provided by Film Archive South East.
    This was a really exciting project to be involved with and taught us so much about playing to match a film. We plan to play the piece again this year.


    jacky

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