News

Selected pieces from the Orgelbuchlein Project received another performance last Monday, 14th October, in Christ Church Spitalfields. These included ‘Gott hat das Evangelium’, along with pieces by Jacques Pichard, Joris Verdin, Benoît Mernier and baritone Roderick Williams, whom Solfa previously interviewed for The Oxford Musician in 2015. Organist Tom Bell continues to perform works from the project in various concerts, championing new work and furthering the contemporary organ repertoire.

On Monday 19th August, ‘Gott hat das Evangelium’ received another performance by organist Tom Bell, at St Mary’s Church, Titchmarsh, London. The organ recital included 3 pieces from the Bach Orgelbuchlein Project, alongside works by Bridge, Vaughan Williams and others.

Dystopia for solo flute will receive another performance at the Kleiner Ehrbarsaal in Vienna, Austria, on the 22nd of April in a concert entitled ‘SETTING THE TONE: MNÁ NA HÉÍREANN‘ featuring flautist Miriam Kaczor and pianist Elaine Loebenstein. Kaczor previously performed Dystopia during lockdown in 2020, as part of a series for the Contemporary Music Centre, and continues to include it in her performance repertoire.

A new solo organ work, Natus Est, composed for Christ Church Cathedral sub-organist Richard Moore, will receive its first performances in December, in concerts at St John’s Smiths Square London, and carol services at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. The work, partly based on the musical theme of ‘Come All Ye Faithful’, is a challenging and exciting work for the instrument, and will be featured in live stream concerts from the venue. Richard has commissioned two previous works from Solfa, Edwyllm and Silver Tree Fanfare. More information about Richard Moore and his work is available here.

Solfa has produced a new choral arrangement of favourites from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker for American publisher JW Pepper, under the title ‘The Nutcracker Song’. The Nutcracker Song features the most popular pieces from The Nutcracker, including March, Trepak, Waltz of the Flowers, Dance of the Reed Flutes and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Words to accompany the music, about the excitement of Christmas time, have been added by Orison Carlile. The music is available to peruse and purchase here. Solo, 2 and 3-part choral arrangements are also available via Sheet Music Direct here.

Solfa’s solo organ piece, ‘Gott hat das Evangelium‘, commissioned in 2018 as part of the International Orgelbüchlein composition project, will have another performance at the Main Church of St. Catherine in Hamburg on 18th June. It will be performed by organist Rainer Thomsen as part of the JS Bach marathon, along with other new pieces previously commissioned over the course of the project. More information is available here.

The sheet music for Storybook Land, which premiered on April 13th as part of the Music Network tour, is now available for purchase as a digital download here.

Physical copies can be purchased on request from the CMC (Contemporary Music Centre) along with a note asking for the separate Trumpet part to be included.

Solfa’s new work, Storybook Land, commissioned by Music Network Dublin, was premiered on Thursday 13th April at Abbeystrewry Church, Cork, in a concert by Claudia Boyle, Niall O’Sullivan and Conor Linehan. The piece received its world premiere at the concert, and will receive repeat performances during the trio’s April tour, details of which can be found here.

Solfa’s new work Storybook Land, commissioned by Music Network in 2022, will receive its premiere performance on Thursday 13th April at St Barrahane’s Church, Castletownshend, Cork. The piece will receive subsequent performances as part of an April tour by musicians Conor Linehan, Niall O’Sullivan and Claudia Boyle. As part of the concert on 13th April, Solfa will present a brief ‘composer insight’ session explaining a little about the compositional process and the inspiration behind the work. Details regarding the concert are available here.

Solfa’s piece ‘Dystopia’ will feature at the New Music Festival in Dublin, as part of a programme by contemporary music group Evlana. Also featured in the concert are new works by contemporary Irish composers, including the premiere of Jenn Kirby’s ‘Surrounding’ for flutes and electronics.