SouzaWinds.com

Reviews of our March performances

Jonathan Harris — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:14:32 +0000

Thank you to everyone who came to our concerts in Darlington, Manchester and Carlisle during March. The following review appeared in the Cumberland News on the 6th April 2012.

Innovation and tradition

To look at, five different musical instruments, only two – oboe and clarinet – in any way similar. To listen to, five quite different sounds which, played together by these five gifted young musician, produced an excellent conclusion to the North Cumbria Recitals season.

Unlike the string quartet, the wind quintet thrives on the blending of contrasting tone colour. Souza Winds – Carla Sousa, David Benfield, Lucy Rugman, Lucy Keyes and Jonathan Harris – worked hard together and amply rewarded a very appreciative audience.

Their programme was adventurous. Two late 20th century pieces - Untold by James MacMillan, a haunting piece marked particularly by the presence of the mellow-toned cor anglais in place of its smaller sister, the oboe; and Boulevard by Jim Parker, a skilfully written and performed portrait of street bands, an organ grinder and cafe conversations.

From earlier in the same century came music by Ibert, a lively opening performance of his Trois Pièces Brèves, a quartet by Jean Françaix, and, as a fitting conlusion, one of the great wind quintets of recent times by Carl Nielsen, played with style and passion.

By contrast a trio of familiar Mozart opera arias, arranged by their Cumbrian horn player, Jonathan Harris, were very much in the tradition of similar 18th century popular wind band arrangements.

Christoper Morris.

If you click on the below link our concert is featured in a review of the Manchester Mid-day Concerts Society season.

Manchester Salon

Thank You All

Jonathan Harris — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 13:49:20 +0000

A huge Thank You to everyone who watched one of our concerts during March and to everyone who listened to us live on BBC Radio 3′s InTune programme on 20th March. Please visit the Gallery to see a photo of us taken in the Studio.

Happy New Year

Jonathan Harris — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:36:06 +0000

Happy New Year from Souza Winds! We can now announce three more confirmed recitals for 2012.

We will be performing at St Georges in Thornton Hough on September 22nd, for Three Rivers Music Society on October 19th and for Grimsby Concert Society on December 6th.

If you go to the diary page there are links to the societies websites which will display ticket information.

Concert Promoters’ Group brochure

Jonathan Harris — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:22:10 +0000

We are delighted to have been selected for Making Music’s 2012-13 Concert Promoters’ Group brochure. To view our entry please follow the link below, load the brochure full screen and go to page 17.

Concert Promoters’ Group brochure

Manchester Mid-Day Concert Tickets

Jonathan Harris — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:26:05 +0000

Tickets are now on sale for our concert in Bridgewater Hall as part of the Manchester Mid-Day Concert Series. Please follow the link below for tickets and more information.

Bridgewater Hall

Falkirk and Didsbury

Jonathan Harris — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:30:21 +0000

We are now returning back to our routines after summer travels and preparing for two concerts this September. Firstly we are travelling up to Falkirk on the 16th September to perform for Classic Music Live! Flakirk. Our programme for this recital will include Quintets’ by Ellerby, Holst, Berio, Pärt & Nielsen and Françaix’s Wind Quartet.

At the end of the month we are hosting a night, alongside Manchester based String Ensemble, Strata Strings, for the Didsbury Arts Festival. On the evening of Sunday 25th we will perform Mozart’s D Major Flute Quartet, Horn Quintet, Ibert’s Wind Quintet, Richard Rodney Bennett’s Wind Quartet and Janácek’s Mladi.

Click on the respective links below for more details.

Classic Music Live! Falkirk

Didsbury Arts Festival 2011

Manchester Mid-day Concert Series

Jonathan Harris — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:01:05 +0000

We are delighted to announce we have been selected to perform a recital as part of the prestigious Manchester Mid-day Concert Society’s series at the Bridgewater Hall. This will take place on Wednesday 21 March 2012.

Carols by Candlelight

Jonathan Harris — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:31:41 +0000

Please join us for an afternoon of singing and festive fun at St Margaret’s Church Whalley Range on Sunday 19th December. The afternoon will begin with a Christmas fair from 1pm. At 3pm we will begin our concert with a narrated performance of Humperdink’s Hansël & Gretel, this will be followed by a carol singalong.

Entry is free. All are welcome. Please join us.

Review of RNCM Recital

Jonathan Harris — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:10:05 +0000

After our recital as part of the Royal Northern College of Music’s 2010 Woodwind Weekend we received the following from Dr Paul Goodey, head of Wind, Brass & Percussion at the RNCM.

Thank you so much for your wonderful lunchtime concert at the RNCM’s annual Wind Weekend. Your programme was varied and interesting and your presentation (including your verbal introductions) was excellent. The audience clearly thought your performance was superb, and I received many positive comments during the afternoon. In addition, RNCM staff were extremely proud of the quality of your playing – you are a real credit to the College.

Review of Carlisle Concert

Jonathan Harris — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 14:59:42 +0000

Below is the review of our recent recital for North Cumbria Recitals that appeared in The Cumberland News

JOYS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Souza Winds for North Cumbria Recitals, St Cuthbert’s Church, Carlisle North Cumbria Recitals 2010-11 season opened with a splendid concert given by Souza Winds. Much of the music was from the 20th century – not the usual fare for the Carlisle audience but thoroughly enjoyable.

It was refreshing to hear what was unfamiliar to many played with such panache. Each member of the quintet demonstrated expertise on their instrument and the overall sound was excellent. One highlight of the evening was Luciano Berio’s Opus Number Zoo which demonstrated the group’s dramatic ability – during each of the four movements a story is narrated by the members of the quintet. Jean-Michel Damase’s Variations for Wind Quintet provided a truly grand finale to a very colourful and enjoyable concert.

TOM HOWE – The Cumberland News