Palladio Sax Quartet
Mara Ermogemous
Palladio was inspired by the sixteenth-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, whose work embodies the Renaissance celebration of harmony and order. Two of Palladio's hallmarks are mathematical harmony and architectural elements borrowed from classical antiquity, a philosophy which I feel reflects my own approach to composition. The first movement I adapted and used for the 'Shadows: A Diamond is Forever' television commercial for a worldwide campaign. The middle movement I have since rearranged for two female voices and string orchestra, as heard in 'Cantus Insolitus' from my work Songs of Sanctuary.[1]
"Harmonious proportions and mathematics" play a role in music as in architecture. The architect Palladio based his designs on antique Roman models and studied especially the measurements of Vitruvius. Jenkins in turn based his music on Palladio's "harmonious mathematical principles".[2]
The music, especially the first movement, has been arranged for different ensembles, including wind quintet[3] and wind band.[4] Jenkins made a version for piano and used the motifs of movement I for an aria "Exultate jubilate", related to his 70th birthday.[5]
Palladio is featured on a 1996 CD Diamond Music, played by members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer.[1] It is combined with other music by Jenkins including variations from Adiemus and his second string quartet.[6] Movement I appears in other collections, such as Karl Jenkins & Adiemus: The Essential Collection.[7]
The English string quartet Escala recorded a version of Palladio in 2009 which featured on their self-titled debut album, following their appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent. It was released as a single and peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart in the week ending 6 June 2009. The single spent one week in the top 40.
Palladians (formerly the Palladian Ensemble) is a quartet of the highest calibre, firmly established on the international music scene since 1991. They present baroque chamber music infused with style, uninhibited virtuosity and intelligent musicianship.
The original members of the Palladian Ensemble (Rachel Podger, Pamela Thorby, Joanna Levine and William Carter) met during their studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) where they specialised in virtuoso chamber music of the baroque period. In 1991 they won the Early Music Centre International Young Artists' Competition, in 1992 they won the South East Arts Young Artists' Platform and by 1993 they had released their first album (An Excess of Pleasure) and made their Wigmore Hall debut.
Gamba player Susanne Heinrich replaced cellist Joanna Levine in 1995 and the Palladian Ensemble went on to tour extensively throughout the UK, South America, the US and Europe, enjoying consistent popularity with audiences and critics worldwide. They recorded six more albums on the way. By 2003 Rachel Podger decided to pursue a solo career and thus stepped in the prize-winning violinist Rodolfo Richter. The Ensemble made two more albums Les Elemens and Sonatas and Chorales - J.S. Bach.
The Palladian Ensemble's award-winning series of recordings for Linn Records have received unanimous praise. An Excess of Pleasure, A Choice Collection and Held by the Ears won the prestigious Diapason d'Or, with others winning Gramophone 'Editor's Choice' plaudits.
In 2007 Pamela Thorby left the Ensemble in order to pursue new performance opportunities. Nowadays, the Palladian Ensemble is known as "Palladians" allowing more artistic freedom for players to come and go as required, depending on the programme being performed.
In 2008 the Ensemble won a further two Diapason d'Or awards for "The London Collection: A Choice Collection / Held by the Ears" and "The Venice Collection: An Excess of Pleasure / The Winged Lion". The winning albums are part of four double albums re-issued as the Collector's Series in September 2008. These two new awards brings the Ensemble's total number of Diapason d'Or accolades to seven!
The quartet are graduates of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Northern College of Music. They've played at many prestigious venues such as Kensington Palace, Blenheim Palace, Hampton Court, the Tate Gallery, the Natural History Museum and top London hotels such as the Savoy, the Lanesborough and Claridges.
As individual freelance musicians they have extensive experience playing a variety of musical styles. They have worked with major orchestras such as the CBSO, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, D'Oyle Carte and West End shows such as "Les Miserables" and Dr Dolittle".
Palladio Saxes are a dynamic saxophone quartet from London; four unique musicians brought together through a craving for collective creativity that has led them to establish a firm reputation for excellence. Their innovative approach to music has seen their popularity rise and resonate with audiences throughout the UK and beyond.
Alongside their busy recital and festival schedule in the UK, the group has performed internationally in Croatia at the World Saxophone Congress, in Italy by invitation from composer Michael Nyman, an extensive tour of China and a sold-out recital at Opera Ghent in Belgium.
From when we contacted the quartet, they could not have been more helpful. They totally understood our requirements concerning the music for the occasion and about how we would like them to vary the volume so that they did not make it difficult for guests to have conversations during the wedding reception.
The admin all went very smoothly (they gave us the insurance that the hotel required) and they were a delight to work with. We would not hesitate to recommend them and would be happy to speak with any future clients who might like to talk with us about hiring them.
A flugelhorn, from the same family of trumpets and cornets is typically the main feature of a brass band, and its expanding size results in a tone bridged between a cornet and lower pitched instruments.
Whilst cornets carry the tune in the band, its pitch is dependent on the length of the tubing in the instrument. The smaller the instrument, the higher the pitch. The trombone tubing gives a much deeper and more mellow sound unlike the ones of a trumpet, as it changes pitch by moving a slide up and down rather than valves. The Alto and Baritone accompany them with more subdued tones.
The repertoire of brass bands are uniquely and unusually flexible, with pieces consisting of anything from original works, orchestral transcriptions and featured soloists to novelty compositions, medleys, marches and more.
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