The beautiful St Cuthbert’s Church Norham (described by The National Churches Trust as an architectural gem) will be a fitting setting for this lovely programme to be performed by AMICI.
This highly talented sextet was formed in 2022 by a group of friends from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and the Borders, all passionate professional chamber musicians keen to explore a larger scale repertoire.
The programme consists of
Strauss – Sextet from Capriccio
Capriccio, the last of Richard Strauss’s ground-breaking operas opens with an extended movement for string sextet— the result is of ‘searingly intense emotion’
Greg Harradine – Flux Alluvia
For those unfamiliar with the Flux Alluvia this is the unique composition, by Borders based Greg Harradine, inspired by the Tweed and the journey of the Water Organ art installation along sections of the river last summer. The piece had its world premiere in Kelso in March this year, and this is a wonderful opportunity to hear it in Norham (where the Water Organ spent a couple of days).
Brahms Sextet No2 in G
Described as ‘the most ethereal of Brahms largest works’
More About The Musicians
Gina McCormack (Violin) is one of Britain’s leading violinists and chamber musicians, recently leader of the Brodsky Quartet, previously leader of the Sorrel Quartet and frequent performer on BBC Radio 3. Her love of dance has also lead to collaborations with Matthew Bourne whose orchestra she also leads. Gina teaches violin at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and gives regular master classes at home and abroad.
Iona Brown (Violin) won a scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music, and during her studies won three major violin prizes and several awards for chamber music. She is currently Principal First Violin for Northern Sinfonia.
Jane Atkins (Viola) won at scholarship at the age of 6 to the Yehudi Menuhin School. She has appeared as a guest soloist with many orchestras in the UK and abroad including the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the English and Scottish Chamber Orchestras. She was until recently Principal Viola with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Jane is in great demand a as soloist and principal player. She recently toured Australia with the LSO and Simon Rattle.
Kathryn Jourdan (Viola) is a performer, teacher and researcher based in Edinburgh. She freelances as a viola player with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and other chamber ensembles, and for a number of years taught academic music, viola and chamber music in the specialist setting of St Mary’s Music School. Kathryn studied music at Clare College, Cambridge and viola at the Royal Northern College of Music. She played for five years with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle.
Niamh Molloy (Cello) studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, and the Royal College of Music, London. As a chamber musician she has performed in many concert venues throughout the UK and Ireland, including the Wigmore Hall and the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Recent highlights include a series of trio concerts aboard a cruise ship in the Indian Ocean, whilst being pursued by pirates!
Clea Friend (Cello) studied music at Edinburgh University, and then cello with Steve Doane at the Eastman School of Music in America. She works as a freelance cellist, teacher and community musician, playing with the SCO, BBCSO and RSNO. She runs the Stockbridge Music Hub in Edinburgh and the church and her community work has taken her to the Balkans, Lebanon and recently Ukraine, working with the charity Edinburgh Direct Aid.