< return
Wednesday 16th June7pm
The Music Behind the Painting: a concert with Russell Painter (tenor); Micaela Schmitz, (piano and alto voice); with Abigail Seabrook (mezzo soprano), Mikael Onelius (tenor) and James Davies (baritone), which celebrates the music of the Victorians and especially in Broadway. (Photo is in this order)
Russell Painter, who did a masters degree specialising in music of the Gilbert and Sullivan era and Dr. Micaela Schmitz, who researches and performs early music from the Middle Ages up to the Victorians, will have led an afternoon workshop with young people from Broadway. Those participants will have the opportunity to share their work during the concert, when Russell and Micaela will joined by three other vocalists to give a sampling, both lighthearted and serious, of music that inspired Sargent or that fits with the concept of his most famous painting.
There'll be plenty of flower-related songs such as 'The Damask Rose'; we'll hear the glee whose words provided a title to 'Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose' in various formats; after dinner tunes for lusty male voices; solos from the lighthearted to the virtuosic by Elgar and more; and delightful partsongs by Arthur Sullivan side by side with some of his collaborations with Gilbert.
Join us and be transported back to 1880's Broadway... and beyond. There may even be costumes! Suitable for ages 8 and up. The concert will include an interval and should conclude by 9pm.
Tickets £12.00
Venue: St Michael and All Angels Church
Like to know more?
Russell Painter- Tenor
Having started singing life as a chorister in St George's Church, Kidderminster and performing in many productions at King Charles, Russell moved to London to gain his BMus and MMus at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study voice on an unconditional place under the tutelage of Mr Ian Kennedy, with whom Russell remains to this day. After leaving collrge Russell has made his mark as a freelance singer up and down the country and is in great demand. Opera credits include Tamino (The Magic Flute), the title role in Albert Herring, Pedrillo (The Abduction from the Seraglio) Don Basillio (The Marriage of Figaro), Don José (Carmen) and the second brother in the world premier of Laurence Romans Isabella and the Pot of Basil at Covent Garden.
Russell has a very keen interest in the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, going so far as to write his Masters thesis on their life and music. His tenor roles in these operas to date are defendant, Marco, Frederic, Ralph, Strephon, Alexis, Nanki-Poo and Box –only six more to go! Russell has also performed a recital of Sullivan songs at the arts centre on the island of Jersey.
Not only happy in operatic roles, Russell is also a keen concert recitalist and after dinner entertainer, having performed six times with his young proms colleagues in the West Midlands area, and having raised over £60,000 for numerous charities. Further afield Russell also works for the London agency www.hartleyvoices.co.uk with its group AKA opera providing unaccompanied opera classics for dinner entertainment. Russell also heads the AKA Barbershop whose arrangements of up-to-date music and old classics have been gaining popularity at city dinner and wedding reception venues. Three years ago Russell brought the musical talents of three of his closest musical friends to form the mixed voice group DARE who have entertained for a number of years on cruises for the Swan Hellenic company and various church services in the London area.
Apart from his singing work, Russell also finds time to teach for Worcestershire Youth Music in Evesham, Worcester and Bromsgrove. At Catshill Middle School he leads the acclaimed boys only singing group “Boys Make Noise” who performed their third sell out concert earlier this year.
Future engagements include tenor solos in Mozart’s Requiem in the Dordogne, tenor solos in the African Missa Luba with the Wolverhampton Choral Society, Archibald Grosvenor in Patience at the Jersey Opera House and much work with AKA opera!
More interestingly Russell is a lover of real ale, a fully qualified safari park tour guide and a keen walker, who in May next year with fellow colleague and school friend David Morgan will attempt the world famous three peaks challenge!
http://russellpainter.com
Micaela Schmitz
Dr Micaela Schmitz (originally from the U.S.) specialises in early keyboard instruments, including harpsichord, fortepiano and clavichord. She earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts (on 18th century keyboard music) under Arthur Haas at the Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, New York. This was preceded by a first degree in Music at U.C. Berkeley, and a Masters in Choral Conducting.
She spent two years studying with Jacques Ogg and Bart van Oort at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. As a soloist she received acclaim for her performance of Bach’s Goldberg variations, which features an entertaining pre-concert talk to help audiences appreciate the masterpiece.
Programmes include ‘England V. Holland’ (a lunchtime concert which features in this series)‘ ‘For the Sun King’, ‘Dancing in the Isles’, and ‘The Fantastic and the Avant-Garde.’ She has performed with Laurence Cummings, Paul Simmonds (duo keyboard repertoire); gambist Jacqui Robertson-Wade, with baroque flutist Clare Beesley as the ensemble Terza Prattica, and with Cathryn Dew. Her ensemble Lady Georgianna now offers costumed presentations and her new ensemble the Bach Duo features Bach and his contemporaries. She has edited music of Christopher Wood. She edits Harpsichord and Fortepian , conducts children's choirs, and gives workshops to a range of ages.
http://www.earlymusica.org
Abigail Seabrook
Abigail Seabrook studied Psychology at The University of Birmingham. After graduation, she performed as a rock singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist before pursuing music as a singer and songwriter in a variety of original rock bands, one of which had an EP released by Incubator Records. Studying singing with Pauline Alder (with whom she still works) broadened her musical horizons to include classical, early music and musical theatre. An Arts Council grant in 2006 allowed her to attend part time courses at Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting.
As a songwriter, Abigail has been involved in a musical theatre production about the life of Jane Austen, which was performed at the Artrix theatre in Bromsgrove. She has also co-written with dance producer Ian Wallman.
Abigail particularly enjoys performing little-known repertoire, and is a founding member of 18th century costumed trio Lady Georgianna along with Micaela Schmitz. She also performs regularly with 30’s style gypsy jazz band Playing Django. In October 2009, with Owen Walton, Abigail devised and performed a semi-staged concert of late Romantic song cycles, “In Memoriam”, her first solo classical singing project.
As well as performing, Abigail works as a community musician, devising and running workshops that engage a variety of people in music-making. She often involves other disciplines in participatory arts projects, such as drama, art and craft.
Abigail is active in the Musicians' Union, and since 2007 has been a member of the Musicians' Union Regional Committee (Midlands) and a Musicians' Union Learning Representative. She became a member of the Executive Committee in 2010.
http://www.lady-g.co.uk
Mikael Onelius
24 year old Mikael Onelius is currently in his final year at Birmingham Conservatoire under the tuition of Justin Lavender. During his first two years he studied with professor Julian Pike.
He has had the chance to take part in many productions including playing Tamino in The Magic Flute and Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro. In excerpts he has played parts including Don Ottavio, Don Carlos, Lindoro and others. Mikael regularly performs with choral societies all over Britain and has sung the tenor solos from Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Mendelsohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Mass in C-minor and Requiem, Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Saint-Saen’s Christmas Oratorio, and Schubert’s Mass in G and Magnificat. Mikael has had the pleasure of working with many conductors including Stephen Barlow, Lionel Friend, Paul Spicer, Jeffery Skidmore, Andrew King and more. Currently Mikael sings under a scholarship for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Choir. Over the last two summers Mikael has performed recitals in and around his hometown in Sweden.
James Davies
James Davies is currently in his 4th year at Birmingham Conservatoire studying under Gordon Sandison. In 2009 he won the Conservatoire's prestigious John Ireland Singing Prize. During his time at Birmingham he has been in many productions, including. Mozart’s Magic Flute and Le Nozze Di Figaro as well as Bernstein’s- West Side Story. As a soloist James has performed in many concerts including a performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Upcoming events include the Birmingham Conservatoire’s production of the David Blake opera Scoring a Century where he will play the role of Lloyd George.
