KATE WHITLEY KATE
The Multi-Story Orchestra • Christopher Stark conductor • Choirs from Kender, Lyndhurst & John Donne Primary Schools • Shiry Rashkovsky viola • Ashley Riches bass • Sarah-Jane Lewis soprano 1 Eloisa-Fleur Thom violin • Asher Zaccardelli viola • Kate Whitley piano • Rolf Hind piano KATE WHITLEY KATE
© Ambra Vernuccio 2 Viola Concerto 1 I Recitative, Allegro impetuoso 4’43 2 II Intermezzo, moderato 2’46 3 III Aria, largo 4’11 4 IV Cadenza, vivace 3’23 Shiry Rashkovsky viola • The Multi-Story Orchestra Christopher Stark conductor 3 Pieces for Violin and Piano 5 I 3’48 6 II 4’32 7 III 2’22 Eloisa-Fleur Thom violin • Kate Whitley piano 5 Piano Pieces 8 I 0’42 9 II 1’10 10 III 0’56 11 IV 1’34 12 V 1’04 Rolf Hind piano
13 Duo for Violin and Viola 11’09 Eloisa-Fleur Thom violin • Asher Zaccardelli viola
14 I am I say 12’48 The Multi-Story Orchestra • Choirs from Kender, Lyndhurst and John Donne Primary Schools (JD Singers and Community Choir) • Ashley Riches bass Sarah-Jane Lewis soprano • Christopher Stark conductor
Total timing: 55’33
3 3 INTRODUCTION BY KERRY ANDREW I fi rst heard Kate Whitley’s work in a car that aims to bring classical repertoire park. In the centre of Peckham lies a and new works to wider audiences dour, seven-storey building that for the in unusual spaces. I was at their fi rst last ten years has had its upper echelons performance in 2011, and can honestly transformed in the summer months say that listening to The Rite of Spring by art organisation Bold Tendencies. whilst sitting with a can of beer on the Sculpture, fi lm, classical music abound concrete fl oor about fi ve feet away from and a top-fl oor bar looks towards central the fi rst desk of ‘cellos, with the trains London’s skyline. One summer a couple rattling past and an outrageously bloody of years ago, I sat on a bench amongst sunset appearing to the side, was one a packed and excitable audience to of the best musical experiences of my watch a mass of local children perform life. The orchestra do not merely confi ne Alive, a new piece accompanied by themselves to the car park; I highly an orchestra. The experience was recommend watching the 2012 schools’ glorious. The kids, from around ten tour video on Kate’s website, where you different primary schools and music can see gobsmacked seven year-olds groups, were shoulder to shoulder, sang jiggling about to John Adams. Kate built enthusiastically, mouths and eyes wide, on this early programming by creating and young instrumentalists were dotted her own inclusive pieces, so that not amongst the professional orchestra, too. only the audiences were (at least in part) The music was rousing, spacious and local, but the performers as well. atmospheric, and I was confi dent that Alive won a British Composer Award in many of the family and friends beaming 2015 and was chased up with I am I say, in the audience had never been to a which, like its predecessor, is concerned classical concert before. It felt electric. with beauty in the world, and in this case, Kate, along with conductor Christopher the impact of humans on that natural Stark, co-founded and runs Multi-Story, beauty. There is something magical an orchestra and community project about the combination of not just the
4 children’s voices but their words, too – This is music that keeps you on your toes; Kate has a knack for enabling them to there is a lovely dynamism between the truly express themselves in this driving, violin and piano in her tightly-condensed invigorating musical context. The children three pieces, moving between knotty, are an integral part of the work, not just intertwined dialogue, little periods of an afterthought – they are the musicians refl ection and an ear-shreddingly high at the heart of the work, complemented moment. It’s a real tussle. Her solo piano by the heartfelt soloist lines and works distil this further – fi ve short energetic orchestration. pieces that veer from carefully-layered, refl ective harmonies to darkly vicious Kate is a dynamic, indefatigable stabs of sound. musician and part of a generation with a cheerful Do It Yourself approach. She I’m a big admirer of Kate’s style and often performs her own piano parts her passion for bringing her music, and and solo pieces, and I love that she the music of others, to a wider listening responded to the rejection of a proposed public, by any means necessary. I’m viola concerto by writing it anyway and looking forward to seeing how she moves getting it performed by friends. Her music forward, and know that it will be in is thoroughly engaging, and full of the unexpected and brilliant ways. animation that has so clearly inspired the © 2017 Kerry Andrew children who perform in her work. I love the Viola Concerto’s wildly expressive solo lines and sudden moments of Kerry Andrew is a London-based clarity, winnowing away to almost composer, performer, writer and nothing. My favourite moment is where educator. She has a PhD in Composition the viola comes to the foreground for a from the University of York and has won lyrical, unashamedly rhapsodic passage three British Composer Awards. before the piece rushes headlong into its ferocious conclusion. www.kerryandrew.net
5 5 Sarah-Jane Lewis with The Multi-Story Orchestra NOTES BY KATE WHITLEY Viola Concerto an orchestra of musician friends and Written for violist Shiry Rashkovsky when gave the first performance in autumn we were both students, this was the 2010. The piece is made up of four first orchestral piece I wrote. Shiry had short movements joined together by won a University Concerto competition, repetitions of the phrase that opens the and asked the panel if I could write her piece. This comes back 5 times in total, a concerto to play. They said no, but a each time in a slightly different form. friend of mine was brave enough to take The first movement develops dramatic on the idea instead! We put together elements of this opening phrase and
6 has the orchestra supporting the pieces in the set. The second is a song viola’s exposed, expressive lines. The with two verses, which is broken at its second movement is made up of busier climax by a coda of repeated sharp orchestral textures, with a promiment chords. This leads into the fast third solo for the glockenspiel. The third movement where the violin has repeated movement is slow and singing, with a tremolos which struggle against the repeatedly melody in the viola. The final piano, colliding only in the last few bars. movement has continuous fast notes in the viola with dramatic interjections 5 Piano Pieces from the orchestra, escalating until the I’ve played the piano since I was 4, and opening music returns for the last time. when I started writing my own music as a teenager it was to write pieces for myself 3 Pieces for Violin and Piano to play. I eventually moved away from the Commissioned as a set by violinist piano as I learnt how to write for other Beatrice Philips, we first performed instruments, and by the time I came to these pieces together at the 2013 write these piano pieces in 2014, it felt Lewes Chamber Music Festival. I had like re-discovering something familiar but played Janáček’s Violin Sonata with her from a new viewpoint. The 5 pieces are and wanted to write something with a written in a personal, expressive style. similar tense and fragmentary character, In a similar way to the 3 violin and piano which is what brought me to the idea pieces they are self-contained movements of 3 self-contained short pieces. In the made up of repeated sections. Each one first piece the opening muffled bars takes a different and distinct mood – (where the pianist dampens the piano titled declamatory, spacious, aggressive, strings by hand to match the pizzicato sad, and triumphant. sound of the violin) lead to an explosive middle section which dissipates almost Duo for Violin and Viola instantly. This short and self-contained My duo for violin and viola was written shape then repeats from the beginning. for a choreography by Malgorzata This feature, of the music ‘happening Dzierzon in 2015 and commissioned by twice’, is also used in the other two Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge. We took a
7 shared inspiration – a sculpture called two verses (the Sea and the Tree) and ‘Wrestlers’ by Henri Gaudier Brzeska – we then asked the children who were and created the dance and the music taking part to come up with their own separately. The sculpture – of two words for the final verse (the Sky). We figures interlocked in a ‘wrestle’ – could asked them to imagine what they might almost be a dance, it’s hard to tell say if they were the sky – what damage whether they are fighting or supporting humans might be causing to them and each other and their pose strikes an how they might be if left alone. The amazing balance between strength middle section, for two operatic soloists, and elegance. I chose to reflect the imagines this world – a place that ‘beats two dancing/wrestling figures with two with beauty’ – if it were free from the musicians, and the music is made of negative impact of human activity. The two lines which vie against each other, music is made up of simple, repeating poised and delicate but with a withheld phrases and the three verses use the inner tension. Sometimes one takes a same music. At the end of the Sky verse supporting role, sometimes they make a the soloists join in with the children’s unified statement, and sometimes they choir before taking us into the climactic compete against each other, reflecting final section. the relationship between the two figures in the sculpture. © 2017 Kate Whitley
I am I say After performing at Bold Tendencies car park in Peckham in 2016 we recorded I am I say with The Multi-Story Orchestra and a choir of children from 3 primary schools. The words were written by my friend the poet Sabrina Mahfouz, and are about the world around us and how we look after it. Sabrina wrote the first
8 I am I say
I am the sea, and I have something to say I don’t want a plastic tongue I don’t want oil in my hair Let me breathe coloured coral Let me see my friend the sky.
I am the tree, and I have something to say I don’t want fire in my throat I don’t want to be sliced like bread Let my leaves sing with birds Let my roots roam with bugs.
Close your eyes. And think of a place That beats with beauty.
I am the sky, and I have something to say I don’t want smoke in my eyes I don’t want holes in my skin Let my stars shine at night Let me see the sun and moon.
Words by Sabrina Mahfouz except verse 3 ‘Sky’ written by the children in the choir.
Photos: Choirs from Kender, Lyndhurst and John Donne Primary Schools
9 “When we are singing it really makes me feel “Kate is a brilliant nice inside” professional piano-ist!”
“I even sang the song in my bedroom and my shower!”
“She really put her effort into making it, because it sounds amazing” “Everything was a really great experience. I “I loved being part liked singing one of of something with the many parts of the Sarah-Jane, complicated song” she is amazing” Kender Primary School John Donne Primary Lyndhurst Primary School School (JD Singers and Evelyn Afeawo Gadid Adaweh Okiki Akinsanya Community Choir) Awele Benokwu Ruby Andrews Kate Birch Freddie Clarke-Stanislas Adesuwa Omoregie Amel Bouacida Verrel Edwards Aminata Sesay Nur Hakeemah Burhanudin Si Jie He Emmanuella Koblavi Ben Canning Callum Hennessy Blessing Madu Natasha Ekuerhare Jaheem Johnson Walker Comfort Oluwatusin Dylan Evans Aminata Kamara Daniel Guglielmo Emmanuel Folarin Annette Kamau Dolapo Hamzat Deja-Riann Foster Kajus Motiejaitis Eduardo Sion Rafaella Kane Carolina Novez Hurtado Eloise Cowan-Layne Lulu Koloi Sharon Nzau Emma Peppas Theo Moran Orien O’Connor Victory Olisaokafor George Ngwem Nevaeh Rowe Abdalla Omar Jesse Igbinosa Leo Sioufi Destiny Toma-Elias Junisa Marah Kirsty Dumfeh Abraham Valverde-Falch Makuula Navo Intisar Adekanmbi Meiyama-Karen Soumahoro Adaeze Agbasi Mia Parkes Abraham Ajaelu Ogooluwa Taiwo Floyd Berona Precious Nabwire Joseph Cooper Princess Mansaray Lela Davies Stacey Sarpong Ofori Milo Gray Starr Macauley-Toomer Anna Hickson Timmy Karim Gus Leggat Jennika Lubwama TJ Townsend Eva McTavish Nsikan Otuk George Seedhouse Ena Sejdovic Rain Villa Poppy Wood ‘…a generation tainted by nothing except enthusiasm, daring, virtuosity and idealism is blazing onto the scene. Kate Whitley is typical of this bold new breed’ The Times
a ‘remarkable and innovative young musician’ (Seen and Heard International), and her music described as ‘uniquely sensitive’ (Bachtrack) and ‘powerfully moving’ (Edinburgh Fringe Review). She was 2013 Music Fellow at Rambert Dance Company and 2015 New Music Programmer at Kettle’s Yard Art Gallery. Her music for Flight by choreographer Malgorzata Dzierzon for Rambert toured the UK in 2016. Her opera Paws and Padlocks with librettist Sabrina Mahfouz Kate Whitley and Christopher Stark at was commissioned by Blackheath Opera the I am I say recording session. for their community opera programme Kate Whitley (b. 1989) is a composer and is about two children who get and pianist based in South London. trapped in a zoo overnight. Her piece She runs The Multi-Story Orchestra with Speak out, using words taken from Christopher Stark, which is based in a Malala Yousafzai’s 2013 UN speech, car park in Peckham as part of Bold was commissioned by the BBC for Tendencies. She won a 2014 Borletti- International Women’s Day 2017. Buitoni Trust Special Award and a 2013 Sky Academy Futures Fund Bursary. www.katewhitley.net Her 2014 piece Alive to words by Holly McNish won a British Composers Award Information about all the composers and was described as ‘a remarkable and artists on this disc can be found on feat, with a genuine emotional gravity’ NMC’s website: www.nmcrec.co.uk (The Telegraph). She has been hailed as
12 I heard a great deal of optimism in ‘3 Pieces’ as well as a very stark beauty. I Debut Discs is NMC’s acclaimed showcase series for the most talented wanted to retain that whilst also creating a remix that stood very much as its ownemerging thing. It composerswas only my from second the Britishtime remixing Isles. Assomething a charity with NMC no needsvocal trackto orraise big funds melodic each top year line soto wehang can things continue around. to createI had amore lot of Debut fun trying Discs to with get myyoung head composers. around that! If I thistreated recording all the audiohas inspired parts from you Kate’sto help, piece please like avisit new samplewww.nmcrec.co.uk library – I took phone some 020bits to 7759 create 1826 a piano or emailpad and [email protected]. others to build a new string section. So the only sounds that came from elsewhere were the drums. Thank you for your interest. The sun was shining through a little window into my studio while I was working on the remix and I think some of that light made its way into the music. OA With special thanks to Borletti-Buitoni Trust, RVW Trust and Christoph & Marion Trestler for their support of this recording.
The Borletti-Buitoni Trust (BBT) helps outstanding young musicians to develop and sustain international careers with awards that fund tailor-made projects. As well as financial assistance the Trust provides invaluable support and encouragement to an ever-growing family of young musicians. www.bbtrust.com
Thank you to the trusts, foundations and individuals who are investing in NMC’s Debut Discs series:
The John S Cohen Foundation James and Anne Rushton Nicholas and Judith Goodison’s Martin Staniforth Charitable Settlement Duncan Tebbett The Mercers’ Charitable Foundation Judith Weir Terry Holmes and everyone who donated through Robert McFarland NMC’s Debut Disc Appeal
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14 Kate Whitley would like to thank: Joe Morgan and St Thomas the Apostle College for hosting the recording of I am I say in their Drama studio. The Multi-Story team who made the recording of I am I say possible: Jude Carlton, Penny Desbruslais, Natalia Franklin-Pierce, and Sarah Roseblade. Hannah Barry and Diana Cordoba Barrios at Bold Tendencies.
I am I say was recorded on 20 June 2016 at St Thomas the Apostle DISTRIBUTION College, London. Viola Concerto was recorded on 26 September 2016 NMC recordings are distributed worldwide in CD and download format. at All Saints, East Finchley, London. 3 Pieces for Violin and Piano, For more information visit our website. 5 Piano Pieces and Duo for Violin and Viola were recorded on 19-20 You can also purchase recordings direct from our online store April 2016 at All Saints, Tooting, London. www.nmcrec.co.uk DAVID LEFEBER Recording Producer & Engineer DAVID LEFEBER Mastering SUSANNE STANZELEIT Digital Editing (tr 13) FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT: How I learned to stop worrying and love (Download only: see page 16) NMC Recordings Ltd by Olugbenga Adelekan (remix of Kate Whitley’s 3 Pieces for Violin Somerset House, Third Floor, South Wing, and Piano) Strand, London, WC2R 1LA IAN CARTER Mastering Tel. +44 (0)20 7759 1827/8 • Fax. +44 (0)20 7759 1829 E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.nmcrec.co.uk COLIN MATTHEWS Executive Producer for NMC All rights of the manufacturer and owner of the recorded material FRANCOIS HALL Cover image & graphic design reserved. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting and copying of this recording prohibited. NMC Recordings is a charitable company (reg. no. 328052) established ® 2017 NMC Recordings Limited for the recording of contemporary music by the Holst Foundation; it © 2017 NMC Recordings Limited is grateful for funding from Arts Council England, the Britten-Pears Catalogue no.: NMC D229 Foundation, The Boltini Trust and The Delius Trust. ANNE RUSHTON Executive Director ELEANOR WILSON General Manager GWENDOLYN TIETZE Head of Development ALEX WRIGHT Development and Projects Co-ordinator RACHEL WILMOT Label Assistant
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15 Get your FREE DOWNLOAD of Olugbenga Adelekan’s remix of Kate Whitley’s 3 Pieces for Violin and Piano from our online store:
Olugbenga Adelekan How I learned to stop worrying and love 3’43
Enter code: RMX229 www.nmcrec.co.uk/recording/how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-love I heard a great deal of optimism in ‘3 Pieces’ as well as a very stark beauty. I wanted to retain that whilst also creating a remix that stood very much as its own thing. It was only my second time remixing something with no vocal track or big melodic top line to hang things around. I had a lot of fun trying to get my head around that! I treated all the audio parts from Kate’s piece like a new sample library – I took some bits to create a piano pad and others to build a new string section. So the only sounds that came from elsewhere were the drums. The sun was shining through a little window into my studio while I was working on the remix and I think some of that light made its way into the music. OA
Re-Mix App “R:Strng”: Taking music by NMC Debut Disc composer Kate Whitley as a starting point, this App features a specially devised remix by Olugbenga Adelekan, of Mercury Prize nominated band Metronomy. Designed to meet the KS3 and KS4 school curriculum, the App provides the software for students to create their own remixes, using the same techniques as Adelekan, with the best to be featured on the NMC website. For more information visit: www.nmcrec.co.uk/education