Sir David Lumsden after a recital including the World Premiere of Roth’s “Romantic Residues” Bury St Edmunds performance 2001
Since becoming a full-time professional singer in 1996 James Gilchrist has established a reputation as one of the most sought after soloists on the concert platform.
www.hazardchase.co.uk
Alison & James have enjoyed success at Festivals and other venues around the UK, and performed for the World Harp Congress in Dublin (2006) where they showcased repertoire written for them. Their partnership has inspired several important new works; they have given the World premieres of works by Susan Botti, Jonathan Eato, Nicola LeFanu, Alec Roth & Howard Skempton.
Add to these contemporary names the likes of Berkeley, Britten, Caplet, Debussy, Fauré, Trevor Hold, Elizabeth Maconchy, Ronald Stevenson, Ravel, Tournier, Schubert … and you begin to see why this innovative duo is one of the most engaging and accomplished you are likely to hear.
For full details of the extensive repertoire this duo performs please ask at
enquiry@alisonnicholls.com
hear them perform:
Romantic Residues by Alec Roth, a setting of poetry by Vikram Seth (renowned author of “A Suitable Boy”)
extract 1- Round and Round
Quicktime
Realplayer
Andre Caplet "Deux Sonnets" :
extract 2 - No.2 "Doux fut le trait..."
Quicktime
Realplayer
review:
Music: James Gilchrist and Alison Nicholls, Brighton Festival 2004
by Mike Howard
“Tucked away in the series of lunchtime concerts at the Pavilion Theatre have been real gems.
One of the best so far this year has been the recital by tenor James Gilchrist and harpist Alison Nicholls.
He has a voice that charms, soothes and which can move an audience to tears. He acts with style and passion which at times can sear the soul.
Nicholls is at the forefront of the new generation of harpists and is not afraid to move away from the French music that so dominates the instrument's repertoire.
This was a recital to both charm and move and one that could have continued for a good while longer than its 70 minutes.
Alison Nicholls and Philippe Honoré (violin)
Violin and Harp Duo
“Sublime... Delightful music elegantly played by an outstanding duo”
new_classics cd of the month June 2004
The performances of this well established and highly regarded duo have included the Wigmore Hall, London and a showcase recital at the 1999 World Harp Congress held in Prague. Alison & Philippe met through mobius more than a decade ago and have been giving duo recitals ever since. Their shared experience enables élan and virtuosity that charm audiences and critics alike. The violin and harp enjoy a natural empathy and their repertoire reaches from World premieres to old favourites; this duo is consistently masterful and imaginative in their interpretations.
Repertoire highlights include Debussy, Donizetti, Massenet, Pagannini, Ravel, Saint-Saens, Spohr and others. Their benchmark CD, 'Strings Attached' (Meridian CDE 84456) features the world premiere of Alec Roth's Nocturne which was written for them, and the masterful, kaleidoscopic “Fantaisie” Op.124 by Saint-Saens.
Philippe Honoré was born in France and has been a regular recitalist in France and the UK, broadcasting widely on French radio and television. He studied violin at the Paris Conservatoire with Pierre Doukan and was awarded the Premier Prix as soloist and chamber musician. Winning several awards and grants he continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London with Gyorgy Pauk. In 1992 he received the honour Laureat of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation of France. Philippe is a founding member of the chamber ensemble, mobius, a member of the Vellinger Quartet and holds the principal second position in the Philharmonia Orchestra. He plays an Italian violin made by Thomas Eberle in 1786.
The two have also been known to exchange Pilates lessons (Alison is a qualified instructor) for French language coaching!
Harp Duo
Alison Nicholls & Lucy Wakeford
"'Magical' is the word that springs to mind and the warmth of the music was matched only by the charisma ..."
Catherine Greenwood Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery, 1995
It is a rare to come across one truly virtuosic harpist, let alone two sharing the same platform. This wonderful collaboration brings together two of the World’s finest harpists in a very special duo.
photo: Clive Barda
Lucy and Alison first played together in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain in 1986 and were founding members of the National Youth Chamber Orchestra in 1989. Both are first prizewinners of the World Harp Festival in Cardiff: Lucy in 1991 and Alison in 1994.
It is technically exacting to perform two-harp duos; intonation and ensemble require great precision and discipline. But when you bring together two harpists of this calibre you can take all that for granted and simply enjoy listening to artists who know each other’s playing inside out and are able to challenge each other to their full potential.
Lucy Wakeford began playing the harp at the age of five. She studied with Daphne Boden for nine years at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music and then continued her studies with Marisa Robles at the Royal College of Music, London. Many prizes and outstanding achievements later, she is now co-principal harp in London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, and also holds positions with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Britten Sinfonia and the Nash Ensemble.
Like Alison, Lucy plays a harp made in Germany by Joseph Obermayer.
Flute and Harp
“There’s a reason this combination is such a classic…”
There is a wonderfully rich repertoire for these two beautiful instruments. Mozart's 'Flute and Harp Concerto' is perhaps the best known work (with orchestra) and there is a wealth of recital material too: Bach transcriptions, Bizet, Debussy, Fauré, Ibert, Jolivet, Saint-Saens, also a variety of more modern works including those by William Alwyn, Stephen Dodgson, Vincent Persichetti, George Rochberg, Ravi Shankar and Toru Takemitsu to name but a handful.
Alison is about to join forces with distinguished flautist Judith Hall (www.judithhall.co.uk) so watch this space!
CONCERT REVIEW FOR EVENING HERALD
South West Sinfonietta with Judith Hall (flute) & Alison Nicholls (harp)
Emmanuel Church
08/10/05
Opening concert a real delight
“Girl-power was very much to the fore at the opening concert of South West Sinfonietta’s new season, given in front of a packed and appreciative audience.
Firstly there was the absolutely delightful partnership of flautist, Judith Hall, and harpist, Alison Nicholls… in Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto. Judith’s beautifully-shaped lines and rounded tone proved the ideal complement to Alison’s excellent technical control and wide dynamic range, in what was certainly the programme’s undoubted highlight”
Various other instrumental combinations are also available, including flute, viola and harp, which features trios by Bax, Debussy, Takemitsu and others.
mobius programmes often feature the harp in larger works: harp and string quartet, quintets to septets. Hear Alison’s recording of Introduction et Allegro by Ravel with mobius on the EMI debut series (link to cd).
Voice and Harp
Benjamin Britten’s - A Ceremony of Carols is a wonderful work for choir and harp that Alison has performed frequently at home and abroad. Alison is in great demand as harpist of choice for this major work. In 2004 she accompanied the World famous King’s College Choir directed by Stephen Cleobury on their US tour to capacity audiences and great critical acclaim:
St. Paul Pioneer Press www.twincities.com
Tuesday 14 December 2004-12-21
King’s College choir brings light, heat to cold night
By Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press
When it comes to hot tickets on the local classical music scene this year, few have been as hot as those for Monday’s concert by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, a group that has been the standard-bearer for the English choral tradition for 550 years.
…
The highlight of the evening came when the men left the singing to the boys on Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols.” Accompanied by renowned harpist Alison Nicholls, the 16 choristers proved everything you could wish for in a collection of young voices, especially so on the haunting soprano solo of “That Younge Child” and a duet of two high crystalline voices on “Spring Carol.”
However, harpist Nicholls almost stole the stage out from beneath the boys on two pieces of disparate moods: The rapid-fire, almost flamenco-flavored “This Little Babe” and a haunting, hypnotic “Interlude.” Both were harp tours de force, the latter setting the ideal tone for the following “In freezing Winter Night.”
Whilst Alison particularly enjoys these ongoing, long-term collaborations, she has also worked with an impressive roster of other musicians in a wide variety of contexts and relishes new challenges. It has been her privilege and pleasure to perform with artists as diverse as Mark Padmore, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Charlotte Church and Andrea Bocelli. Yet further afield and perhaps even a little ‘off-piste’, she has been known to appear with “The Who”, “The Chieftans” and countless others. As a session player she can be heard on several film tracks and she was the hand double for Embeth Davidtz in “Mansfield Park” (1999)!
