Musical Activities of the UK Chinese Ensemble: 2002 – 2004

Music performance: popular traditional and regional music of China

Diaspora Music Village
Regent’s Park, London

2:00 - 4:00 pm 27 June 2004

Dream River Great Wall

UK Chinese Ensemble & Rainbow International Ensemble
Includes a contemporary music/theatre piece

Bath Fringe Festival
6:00pm 11th June 2004,
Venue: The Forum, St. James’s Parade, Bath BA1 1UK

The UK Chinese Ensemble held spring concerts at these venues:

2 pm 9th January and 6.00 pm 27th February, 2004
Victoria Room, Bristol University

1 – 2 pm 18th February 2004
Wren Church, City of London

10.30 pm 24th February 2004
National Theatre, London

6.00 pm 19th March 2004
Somervale School,
Midsomer Norton (Near Bristol)

The UK Chinese Ensemble performed on Gerard Street (near the pagoda) in London's Chinatown for the 2003 Mid Autumn Moon Festival. Other features included Chinese opera, acrobatics etc. throughout the day on September 14th, 2003.

The UK Chinese Ensemble performed as part of celebrations for the establishment of the Chinese Commercial Bank (Zhongguo Gongshang Yinghang) on Shaftesbury Avenue on September 24th, 2003.

THE END OF THE GOLDEN ROAD

A collaborative Chinese music project between the UK Chinese Ensemble and the Grand Union Orchestra.
There were six workshops in two schools, three half-day sessions in each school:

Wednesdays 4^th, 18^th, 25^th June 2003, 10.00 – 12.00
St. Anne’s RC Primary School London E1

Tuesdays 10^th, 17^th, 24^th June 2003, 11.00 – 1.00
Mulberry Secondary School, London E1

Music Performance & Demonstration by the UK Chinese Ensemble

Saturday, 5^th July 2003, 12.00 – 4.00 pm
Chinese Association of Southampton

CITY OF LONDON FESTIVAL JUNE – JULY 2003 EVENTS:

One-day Workshop

Tuesday, 1^st July 2003, 10.30 -3.00 pm
Brad Centre , Woodseer Street, London E1

Four music performances by the UK Chinese Ensemble

Wednesday, 2^nd July 2003, 2.30 – 6.00 pm: Royal China (FREE)
30 West Ferry Circus, Canary Riverside, Canary Wharf, London
Thursday, 3^rd July 2003, 12.30 – 2.30pm: Royal Exchange
Threadneedle Street, London EC4
Thursday, 3^rd July 2003, 6.30 – 9.30pm: Royal Exchange
Threadneedle Street, London EC4
Friday 4^th July 1 – 2.30 pm: Spitalfields Market (FREE)
London EC2

The UK Chinese Ensemble played throughout the day at this year's SOAS graduation ceremony on July 29th. Logan Hall, Institute of Education, next door to SOAS.

Following the success of the Ensemble's recording of music with composer Randy Edelman for the film Shanghai Noon, the Ensemble and Randy Edelman recorded music for the sequel, Shanghai Knights, in October 2002.

Corsham Festival 2002 - East Meets West: Classical and Traditional Music from China

The river was the theme of this concert which featured Chinese and European classical music performed by the UK Chinese Ensemble and the Rainbow International Ensemble.

Chunjiang Huayue Ye (Spring River and the Moonlit Night)
Jianghe Shui (Flow of the River)
Long Chuan (Dragon Boat) - pipa solo
Pinghu Qiuyue (Autumn Moon over the Still Lake)
DEBUSSY
Movements from Images for piano
Reflets dans l’Eau
Cloches a Travers les Feuilles
Poisson d’Or
PER NORGARD
I Ching for percussion
JOLYON LAYCOCK
Mengjiang Weeping at the Wall: a unique piece of music theatre based on an ancient legend about the Great Wall of China.

Venue: Corsham Town Hall
Date: Tuesday 25 June 2002

Chinese New Year on the South Bank

An evening of Beijing Opera and Classical Chinese Music at the Purcell Room. Asian Music Circuit presented a double bill featuring classical Chinese music and extracts from well known Beijing operas, performed by the UK's foremost ensembles for Chinese music, the UK Chinese Ensemble and the UK Beijing Opera Society.

Venue: The Purcell Room
Date: 22 March 2002

Recording Projects

CD Recording – Oriental Journey, published by Music House, MHS-50, LC 08048, 2002
CD Recording – Picture Soundtracks, Shanghai Noon, LLC (BMI) Publishing, 2002.
CD Recording – East Impressions, Xper.Xr ID-03458, 2002
CD Recording – Chinese Music, to be published by Extreme Music, in May/June 2003.
Film music – Shanghai Knight, the Ensemble’s second recording of film music with composer Randy Edelman. October 2002.

Concerts since Spring, 2002

Croydon Clock Tower, Croydon Spring Festival (22nd February, 2003)
Paul Roberson Theatre, Hounslow, London (8th, February, 2003)
Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester (1st February, 2003)
Oxford Town Hall (6th & 7th February, 2003)
Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes (15th &16th February, 2003)
Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, York University (28th February, 2003)
The Concert Hall 3, ICC, Birmingham (6th & 7th January, 2003)
The Conway Hall, Holborn, London (25th October, 2002)
Victoria Room, Bristol University (23rd October 2002)
St Georges Church, Hanover Square, London (17th October, 2002)
Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton University (14th, October, 2002)
Royal Museum Scotland, Edinburgh (7th – 9th September, 2002)
Rhymney Valley Music Club, Wales (8th August, 2002)
St. Bartholomew’s Church, Corsham Festival (25th, 26th June, 2002)
The Chancellor’s Hall, Keele University (7th February, 2002)
Queen Elizabeth Hall Theatre, Bristol (28th March 2002)
Purcell Room, South Bank, London (22nd March, 2002)