John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe

John Metcalfe | john-metcalfe.co.uk | Official

The official website of John Metcalfe with news, discography, live gigs, downloads, shop and more

25 August 2009
Peter Gabriel 
I have been busy working closely with Peter Gabriel on his 'Scratch My Back' project. This is a song swap with some of the world's most legendary artists and is due for release in the Spring. My role has been to help re-interpret the music of the songs he has chosen to cover - quite a responsibility as some of the songs are among the best known in the last 40 years. The album will be acoustic, using only orchestral instruments (no guitars, drums or world instruments) and range in size from sparse chamber music to much fuller orchestral sounds. We recently recorded the orchestra at Air Lyndhurst studios (George Martin's studio) in London which was an enormous thrill hearing the arrangements performed by some of the best performers in the UK. We performed one of the songs, Paul Simon's 'Boy In The Bubble' at Womad back in July. I have been working a lot down at Real World studios editing and mixing and will be continuing with that in the Autumn and it's been a huge privilege to work with the great man.

Labels:

Kings Place 
Autumn is looming and it's a busy season at Kings Place in London. On the 5th September is 'Music for the Afterlight', a series of three concerts as part of the second Kings Place festival. It's a great lineup with Ted Barnes' beautiful haunting music, one of 2009's great discoveries The Leisure Society, and Clayhill in what is so sadly their very last show.

Later in October is the return of 'Beyond The Loop', a four-day mini-fest with a series of concerts I have curated showcasing the very best of British creativity and performance at the sharp edge of contemporary classical and electronic scenes. With the programming artist-led and specifically designed to demonstrate a healthy blurring of genre and style these events bristle with artists at the height of their creative energies and experience. From the world renowned Duke Quartet to the electronic artistry of Warp Records' Plaid and from Factory's cult group Durutti Column to electro-whizz Jon Hopkins this festival is an absolute must for fans and adventurous newcomers alike. Culminating in the astounding collaboration involving live composition between electro pioneers The Bays, composers Simon Hale, me and the innovative Heritage Orchestra this is not to be missed. Of course I couldn't do the festival and not book my own band! We are playing on the 8th October at 7.30pm. I've waxed about the acoustics in Kings place before but this time around we are playing in Hall One. Just fantastic. Worth the price just to hear the silence in there.

Check the Kings Place web site for details.

Labels: , ,

Dartington 
Just spent a week with the Duke Quartet down at the Dartington Summer school in Devon where we gave a concert and then coached various chamber ensembles throughout the week. Such a beautiful place and some great performers there such as Karin Georgian, Rivka Golani and Chloe Hanslip.

Labels: ,



- - - -
Blogger Archives

John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe