The world-famous Philharmonia Orchestra chose an historic Leicester church to perform its annual musical Christmas card, the first time the project has been recorded outside London in its 10-year history.
The Church of St Mary de Castro next to the De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) campus, played host to The Christmas Card project, which is annually recorded by the Philharmonia and produced as an e-card for their loyal supporters to send to friends and family.
It comes as the orchestra, formed in 1945, also formally launched a five-year partnership with DMU at a special concert and signing ceremony held at London’s Festival Hall on Southbank, part of DMU’s music development strategy.
The day of celebrations to mark the partnership also saw eight DMU students have the opportunity to watch the orchestra in rehearsals and get a behind-the-scenes look at the huge backroom operation which supports the orchestra.
After a reception and the official signing of the partnership, the students then watched the Philharmonia in concert in the grand setting of the festival hall, as the orchestra performed a programme of pieces by Vaughan Williams, Ravel and Walton.
DMU’s partnership with the Philharmonia will create a wealth of opportunities for students, develop links with musicians and staff from the two organisations, and support DMU’s world-leading research in the field of electronic music.
DMU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dominic Shellard said: “DMU’s partnership with the internationally-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra highlights many of the things of which we are most proud: our commitment to academic excellence and the student experience, our engaged and dynamic research culture, and the creativity of our students and staff.
“Co-produced concerts and site-specific events will deliver outstanding opportunities for student engagement, while the development of new media for musical presentation and appreciation, with our Music, Technology and Innovation academics, will enhance the experiences of audiences within and beyond the concert hall.”
The Christmas card is the first of many collaborative projects between DMU and the Orchestra, alongside the student ambassadors’ concerts at De Montfort Hall.
Following the recording, cellist and composer; Richard Birchall, critically acclaimed as one of the UK’s most versatile young musicians said: “This is a beautiful church and a great setting for this project which I am honoured to be part of.
“The aim of the Christmas card is to send Christmas joy to our fans and I think this venue and our arrangement of Silent Night do just that.”
Richard has appeared as concertmaster of the London Cello Orchestra in the UK, Europe and Asia, as well as performing himself at many European festivals.
He will return to DMU in July 2017 as he has been commissioned to write a piece for the DMU Orchestra and Chamber Choir concert.
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Speaking about the partnership with DMU, Richard said: “I am excited to be at DMU and be part of this fantastic partnership.
“I am extremely excited to be coming back next summer and with a full orchestra. I love composing and I’m glad I will have that opportunity in Leicester as a result of our partnership with this growing university.”
Chris Heighton; Head of Music Development at DMU, said: “As an extension of DMU’s partnership with the internationally-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra, I and John Burton from Church of St Mary de Castro were absolutely delighted to welcome members of the Philharmonia Cello section to Leicester.
“This unique recording that will be viewed hundreds and thousands of times across the world during the festive season is just tremendous.”
The Church of St Mary de Castro is a Grade I listed building close to Leicester Castle which is currently being transformed into the Leicester Castle Business School.
The church is scheduled to host many more DMU Music events throughout the next academic year, including the DMU String Orchestra concert in April 2017.
Posted on Friday 2 December 2016