Tallis – Miserere Nostri / Purcell – In Nomine / Palestrina – Agnus Dei / Parsons – In Nomine a 7 / Rachmaninoff – Praise the Lord, O My Soul
Georgia has always aspired to be a musician—even before she started playing the piano at the age of five. Later in life, the famous Yossi Zivoni described her as a “born violinist.” She studied at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music with Rudolf Botta, then Wells Cathedral School, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Utrecht School of the Arts, where her teachers included Yfrah Neaman, Jack Glickman and Keiko Wataya. She also had some private lessons with Simon Fischer. And has performed with numerous orchestras and groups. Her career includes tours with Glyndebourne Opera, two years with Phantom of the Opera in Holland, and a year with the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed for the late Queen, then Prince Charles, Neil Kinnock, and others. Georgia plays violins and violas crafted by her father, Robert Vale, who passed away in 1996. In 1998, for health reasons, she took a break from music and earned a degree in Chinese from Oxford University. A few years later, in 2003, she returned to music by teaching violin, viola, piano, and theory, as well as running ensembles such as Bromsgrove Amateur Strings. With fresh eyes, and the experience that comes from benig an examiner for the ABRSM, she began writing materials for her pupils giving rise to the Hey Presto! Series which was followed several years later by Top Ten. She has loved writing these series and particularly enjoys creating the audio tracks for the tutor books, as well as arranging music for various combinations of instruments. Other interests include gadgets, languages (she holds a degree in Chinese and has a working knowledge of several other languages), and dogs (she is the proud owner of a gorgeous border collie named Bonnie). She also enjoys walks in the Shropshire hills where she now lives, jigsaw puzzles, the colour turquoise, and dark chocolate.
Includes works by
Thomas Tallis, Henry Purcell, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Robert Parsons, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Bass Septets Book 1 is a collection of five instrumental …and choral works from the 16th-20th centuries, newly arranged for double bass septet by David Heyes.
Each pieces offers musical challenges alongside great opportunities to showcase the sonorous and singing qualities of the double bass. Contrapuntal, solo and chordal writing is well suited to the double bass ensemble, encouraging good ensemble playing, knowing when to bring the musical line out of the texture and when to balance the music with your colleagues.
The pieces can be performed with or without a conductor.
1) Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) – Miserere Nostri was first published in London in 1575 as part of Cantiones sacrae, a joint publication with his friend William Byrd. It has been described as “an extraordinary feat of canonic writing” and there is something of interest for each bassist, even for Bass 7 with its sustained musical line which underpins the entire piece.
2) Henry Purcell (1659-1695) – In Nomine of Seven Parts dates from c.1680 and was composed for 7 viols or other stringed instruments. The canonic writing adds interest for players and audiences alike, alongside contrapuntal and chordal writing with opportunities to create amazing spatial textures and sonorities.
3) Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594) – Agnus Dei is for seven voices and is a movement from Missa Veni Creator Spiritus. The part writing is exquisite, well suited to the double bass septet, and the addition of dynamics alongside a judicious use of vibrato will help to create beautiful music which is as relevant today as the day it was composed.
4) Robert Parsons (1535-1572) – In Nomine à 7 is consort music for seven instruments and is one of the most significant works of its type. Parsons was a prolific composer of the Tudor period and is noted for his church music in particular. This piece features canonic writing throughout, with effective contrapuntal interplay between the instruments, creating a work of stunning breadth and beauty.
5) Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) – Praise the Lord, O my soul is the second movement from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers Op.37, also known as All-Night Vigil. Originally for soloists and SATB choir it was composed and premiered in 1915 and is a monumental work consisting of settings from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been described as one of the greatest musical achievements of the Russian Orthodox Church and the contrasts between long held harmonies alongside wonderfully expansive melodies creates music which is both splendidly celebratory and magical.
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