Sheku comes to aid of lonely London orchestra
mainThe Philharmonia Orchestra is putting together a summer programme of three socially distanced concerts, highlighted by Sheku Kanneh-Mason playing the first Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto. Details of how and where the concerts will be filmed have nor been disclosed.
Here’s the sketchy press release:
The Philharmonia Orchestra has today announced The Philharmonia Sessions – a summer programme of three world class free digital concerts, broadcast on YouTube and conceived and created especially for an online audience. Whilst live music remains almost entirely inaccessible due to COVID-19, globally renowned musicians will come together with the Orchestra to create bespoke concerts for viewers and listeners to enjoy at home with friends or family. The three concerts will each be 50 minutes long and performed and recorded in accordance with social distancing rules.
The first concert will be broadcast on Friday 17th July at 7pm and will see cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason join the Orchestra to perform Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1, in a programme that also includes Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, both conducted by John Wilson.
Seems like a very good idea.
But: what a wonderful new concept: ‘socially distant concert’.
It could be extended to include ‘musically distant program’ with works which are by themselves distancing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQI6Wu3QxE
(Mind the distant placing of the players, idea far ahead of its time)
What about Birtwistle’s Five Distances too! Just the balm for current times
This is good news. It is a great orchestra
And John Wilson is a great conductor!
About Sheku.
He is a great cello soloist and a super nice human being. Thanks Sheku.