570793 bk FF 9/18/07 11:22 AM Page 8 Roderick Elms Roderick Elms studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and appears in concerts, recordings and broadcasts with most of Britain’s major orchestras, both as a principal keyboard player and soloist. He appears regularly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 as well as for Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Foreign tours have taken him round most of Europe as well as to South Africa, the United States and Canada, Israel and the Far East. His solo recordings with the RPO include Hubert Bath’s Cornish Rhapsody, the Spellbound and Warsaw concertos and da Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Other recordings include Frank Martin’s Ballade for Piano and Orchestra with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and The Dream of Olwen and other music of Charles Williams with the BBC Concert Orchestra on the Marco Polo label. In lighter vein, he has made contributions to albums by José Carreras (Pure Passion) and Tony Henry (Modern Arias). As organist, he has recorded an extensive list for EMI and Chandos which includes all the major oratorios of Elgar and the award- winning recording of Britten’s War Requiem with the London Photo: Joanna Smith Symphony Orchestra. He has contributed to many film soundtracks including Aliens, Dangerous Liaisons, Shadowlands, Philadelphia and the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He caused something of a stir in the 2003 Proms when, with friend and colleague Alistair Young, he appeared on live television for the solo piano duet part of Malcolm Arnold’s The Belles of St Trinian’s, dressed in schoolboy uniform, complete with cap and catapult! Roderick Elms is Composer in Association to the Elgar Chamber Orchestra and his compositions, which range in diversity from solo instrumental music to symphonic compositions, are now heard across the UK, the United States and Canada performed by such orchestras as the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Concert, London Philharmonic, English Chamber, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Hallé, Scottish National, Ulster and Toronto Symphony. In addition to his Christmas and festive pieces, his other compositions are regularly broadcast by the BBC and Classic FM and much of his instrumental music has been recorded by the RPO for the Dutton label under the title A Little Fall-ish! This CD includes his popular Concertino for Celeste, Four Seasonal Nocturnes for horn (with Martin Owen as soloist), Cygncopations for cor anglais (with Victoria Walpole) and the Pæan for organ and strings (with organist, Stuart Nicholson). Music for solo piano includes a set of Twelve Astrological Preludes, one for each of the twelve major keys – each prelude alluding to certain character traits traditionally associated with that sign. Other chamber pieces include Burlesca for two horns and piano, and the quirky Funky Fugato for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and piano. His output also includes choral music for church use and includes the popular anthem The Lord is my Strength and Song, a setting of Psalm 118, and a set of Preces and Responses. Details of his music can be found at www.masterkeyboards.co.uk. 8.570793 8 570793 bk FF 9/18/07 11:22 AM Page 2 1 Fanfare da Festa 1:31 THREE MORE CAROLS Stephen Bell Roderick Elms @ Coventry Carol 3:26 Stephen Bell was born in Bury, Lancashire, and won a place to study conducting 2 O Come, O Come Emmanuel 4:01 15th-century arr. Elms 15th-century French melody adapted and arr. Elms and French horn at the Royal College of Music. In addition to holding the post of # Silent Night 3:40 Principal Horn with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia and solo horn of Mark Wilde, tenor Grüber arr. Elms the Haffner Wind Ensemble for several years, he is often asked to exchange his THREE CAROLS horn for the baton and now finds himself undertaking an increasingly demanding $ In Dulci Jubilo 1:57 3 Gabriel’s Message** 3:10 schedule working as guest conductor with orchestras such as the Royal 14th-century German arr. Elms Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Guildford Basque traditional arr. Elms Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, 4 Rocking 2:12 % Sheep May Safely Graze Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers Czech melody collected by Martin Shaw arr. Elms and London Gala Orchestra, and frequent collaborations with prominent artists 5 Angels from the Realms of Glory 3:40 (Cantata BWV208) 3:50 such as Guy Johnston, Stephen Hough, David Childs, Hayley Westenra, Murray Old French tune arr. Elms J.S. Bach arr. Elms McLachlan, Nicola-Jane Kemp, G4, Shan Cothi, Andy Abraham, Lynton Alistair Young, chamber organ Photo: Hanya Chlala Atkinson, Aled Jones, The Celtic Tenors, The OperaBabes, John Scott, Leland 6 Sleepers Wake! (Cantata BWV140) 4:12 Martin Owen and Andrew Fletcher, horns Chen, Camilla Roberts, Evelyn Chang, Bonaventura Bottone and Susan Bullock. J.S. Bach arr. Elms Stephen Bell also holds the post of Artistic Director with the Elgar Chamber Orchestra. It was with this orchestra that Alistair Young, chamber organ ^ Festive Frolic 3:13 he released his first disc as a conductor for Sanctuary Classics, of which critic Ivan March wrote in the international Martin Owen and Andrew Fletcher, horns magazine The Gramophone, “Stephen Bell’s accompaniments with the excellent Elgar Chamber Orchestra could not be Roderick Elms more polished ...”. He is a regular visitor to the RPO and has recorded an album with them of instrumental music by 7 Cherry Tree Carol 2:09 & Sleep, Sweet Babe! (Dormi Jesu) 3:03 Roderick Elms. Traditional English carol arr. Elms He regularly undertakes live broadcasts for BBC Radio 2 (including the well-loved Friday Night is Music Night) and Words tr. Samuel Taylor Coleridge 8 Away in a Manger 3:19 BBC Radio 3, and has subsequently been requested as conductor for several eminent occasions, including the Queen’s W.J. Kirkpatrick arr. Elms Music by Roderick Elms Golden Jubilee Concert at Chatsworth House, the Royal Festival Hall tribute concert for film music composer Stanley Mark Wilde, tenor Black, the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Alistair Cooke, Children in Need for BBC1 and a live television and Mark Wilde, tenor radio broadcast of the Last Night of the Proms in both 2005 and 2006 with the BBC Philharmonic. WASSAIL DOWN THE WIND * We Three Kings of Orient Are 3:37 Three Festive Drinking Songs J.H. Hopkins arr. Elms for Organist and Orchestra Simon Filsell, Garrod Stephen, Christopher Williams, kings Roderick Elms Stephen Quigley, military drum 9 The Boar’s Head, Coventry 5:24 0 Merry Gents 4:08 ( Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer 2:48 ! Wassailing in the Dark 3:01 Johnny Marks arr. Elms Stuart Nicholson, organ Mark Wilde, tenor Mark Wilde, tenor • Stuart Nicholson, organ Joyful Company of Singers (Peter Broadbent, music director**) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Clio Gould, leader) • Stephen Bell Session photos: Benjamin Ealovega Publishers: Camden Music (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 11-14, 18); Roderick Elms (tracks 2, 6, 8-10, 15-17); OUP (track 4); Warner/Chappell Music Ltd. (track 19) 8.570793 2 7 8.570793 570793 bk FF 9/18/07 11:22 AM Page 6 Peter Broadbent Festive Frolic A Celebration of Christmas Peter Broadbent is one of Britain’s most versatile choral conductors, known for his awareness of style, breadth of experience and commitment to contemporary music. In addition to his regular work with the Joyful Company of Music has been capturing the magic of Christmas for Music, starting with that most graceful of carols, Singers, he has also conducted professional choirs and orchestras in the United Kingdom, France, Hungary and centuries and some of the most beautiful texts and Gabriel’s Message, continuing with the gentle Rocking Ireland, and in 2006 conducted the World Youth Choir in a European Tour. An adjudicator at International Choral melodies have been written in celebration of this season. and concluding with a lively romp through as many Competitions all over Europe and in the United Kingdom, Broadbent also gives seminars and masterclasses at home This present selection contains arrangements of some of keys as feasible by way of Angels from the Realms of and in mainland Europe, South Africa, South-East Asia, the United States and Canada. He is director of Choral the best loved carols together with new, festive pieces Glory. Conducting Courses for the Association of British Choral Directors, having instigated and promoted the courses. for choir, orchestra and organ. I have the privilege of Ideas often come about as a result of chance Peter Broadbent was presented with the Pro Cultura Hungarica award by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture for his spending my working life making music — mostly from conversations and I remember a colleague suggesting services to Hungarian Music. within our London orchestras — and have enjoyed that it would be fun to arrange Bach’s Sleepers Wake! bringing together the combined brilliance and expertise (Cantata 140) as a feature for the horn. I have always of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Joyful been very much in sympathy with the French horn and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Company of Singers for this recording. have written a number of pieces for the instrument, so I Fanfare da Festa is a short celebratory fanfare for set about this arrangement with enthusiasm. I decided to Music Director: Daniele Gatti brass, percussion, harp, celeste and organ and was turn the traditional concept upside down, and in this and The story of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is colourful and dramatic with a reputation worldwide for music- written for the Hallé Orchestra’s 2001 Christmas its companion piece Sheep may safely graze (Cantata making of the highest quality.