5th April 2012 - 12.30 Lunchtime Concert
Anna Tam
violoncello
Programme
Magnus Lindberg – Coranto from Partia (2001)
Krzysztof Penderecki – Per Slava (1986)
Roy Chilton – Suite for Solo Violoncello (premiere)
Albert Schnelzer – Solitude (1999)
Robert Dwyer Joyce – The Wind that Shakes the Barley (19th century)
Anna Tam – The Love Song of Polly Garter (2010)
It was a most unexpected pleasure to find that Anna's Leatherhead concert was the premiere for Roy Chilton's Suite for Solo Violoncello. By way of introduction Anna read to us Roy's notes to her.
Roy Chilton (b.1950) studied double bass at the Royal Northern School and has since had a career as a classical bassist performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Players and also as a jazz bassist and guitarist.
Here are the notes Roy sent Anna Tam, regarding his Suite for Violoncello, which he wrote for her:
I thought of the four movements rather as letters to a friend or lover expressing the trials and tribulations of the path through life. The first movement I wrote on Eurostar, travelling from Paris to London.
Prelude (apprehension)
Three short repeated sections exploring the anxiety and apprehension of living away from home. The music has a 'Funky' feel to it, reflecting a hectic young lifestyle, perhaps wondering where you will ultimately end up.
Waltz (over confidence)
I'm getting the hang of this but it's more complicated than I first thought. Maybe I should slow down and chill out for a bit. Collect my thoughts before moving on.
Chanson (confessions)
Here, you're expressing doubts in your ability, pouring out your troubles to a friend like a Ballad or Folk Song.
Finale (acceptance)
Whatever it is you do, it will be hard work. You only, in my mind, have one life and its full of distractions - so better to get on with it. Accept it and work at making it good and you will be Triumphant. The music is Jagged at first, fragmentary outbursts stem the development of the stalwart opening. The cello begins to quell these distractions and moves on to a triumphant Jig.
Roy Chilton (b.1950) studied double bass at the Royal Northern School and has since had a career as a classical bassist performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Mozart Players and also as a jazz bassist and guitarist.
Here are the notes Roy sent Anna Tam, regarding his Suite for Violoncello, which he wrote for her:
I thought of the four movements rather as letters to a friend or lover expressing the trials and tribulations of the path through life. The first movement I wrote on Eurostar, travelling from Paris to London.
Prelude (apprehension)
Three short repeated sections exploring the anxiety and apprehension of living away from home. The music has a 'Funky' feel to it, reflecting a hectic young lifestyle, perhaps wondering where you will ultimately end up.
Waltz (over confidence)
I'm getting the hang of this but it's more complicated than I first thought. Maybe I should slow down and chill out for a bit. Collect my thoughts before moving on.
Chanson (confessions)
Here, you're expressing doubts in your ability, pouring out your troubles to a friend like a Ballad or Folk Song.
Finale (acceptance)
Whatever it is you do, it will be hard work. You only, in my mind, have one life and its full of distractions - so better to get on with it. Accept it and work at making it good and you will be Triumphant. The music is Jagged at first, fragmentary outbursts stem the development of the stalwart opening. The cello begins to quell these distractions and moves on to a triumphant Jig.
Anna Tam, cello
Anna Tam was born in London in 1983. She began studying the cello aged 6 at the Bromley Youth Music Trust. Later, as principal cello in their Symphony and Chamber orchestras she toured to Austria winning the Internationalen Jugendmusik-Festival in Vienna. Anna studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 2002 to 2006 with Leonard Stehn and has since then taken lessons with Raphael Wallfisch and Lionel Handy. With the Guildhall School Symphony Orchestra she played Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra and Elliot Carter's First Symphony and The Minotaur on Radio 3. She has also performed on Radio 3 with the Young Musician's Symphony Orchestra and has played with the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Future Firsts.
In 2010 Anna composed and performed the music to the Boii Theatre Company's production of Dolls and Dollies by Arnošt Goldflam. That year she also performed with Opéra de Baugé and at the Tete a Tete Opera Festival with Vocal Motions Elastic Theatre - a contemporary opera company that devise their productions through improvisation workshops.
Anna began playing chamber music aged 9 and has been a member of various groups since then, performing with a piano quintet at the Wigmore Hall aged just 17. With pianist Jonathan Musgrave she is currently part of the Beorg Duo who specialise in performing British music.
Anna devoted 2009 to studying JS Bach's six suites and performing them throughout the UK from Southampton, Kingston, London, Oxford, Harrogate, York and Edinburgh to Findhorn Bay. In February 2011 Anna gave performances of Bach alongside Stockholm based composer Schnelzer's 'Solitude' for solo cello in Gothenburg, Fjaras and Partille - Sweden. She has composed two works for solo cello - Daniel on the Beach and The Love Song of Polly Garter - and in 2012 is focusing on late 20th and 21st century repertoire.
These notes are taken from Anna's website.
