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NEW! Hilary James Quartet - Six centuries of song and dance

NEW!   Hilary James Quartet -                   Six centuries of song and dance

Quartet - Vocal & Instrumental

Instrumentation

  • Hilary James - Voice, mandobass
  • Florence Petit - violoncello, mandocello.
  • Elias Sibley - Classical guitar, ukulele, theobore
  • Simon Mayor - Mandolin, mandola, mandocello, violin

Repertoire

Six Centuries of Song and Dance.

New settings of Burns, Shakespeare, Housman, Hardy and Rosetti, folk songs and dances ancient and modern as well as pieces by JS Bach, JC Bach, Vivaldi and Handel.

Sensational songs and more than a few show-stopping instrumentals on cello, ukulele, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and the unforgettable mandobass. Musical wizardry, humorous asides and ready repartee. Expect anything from an ancient folksong to a Brazilian tango, Bach, a French Chanson, a new setting of a Shakespeare sonnet and much more.

NB: Please note the fee stated is as a guide. For touring please enquire.

Biography

'One of Britain's finest voices' Hilary James is joined by Simon Mayor 'one of the world's leading mandolinists' and two wonderful young musicians Elias Sibley and Florence Petit.

Hilary James' "elegant singing" (Daily Telegraph) easily crosses the great musical divide from JC Bach to folk, Irving Berlin and Berlioz. She is renowned for an unlikely taste in bass instruments, including her giant mandobass. Her CD of traditional music and poetry settings, "English Sketches," received 4 star reviews in both The Sunday Times and The Scotsman and was one of the Sunday Times Critics' Ten Best World Music Albums of the Year.

French born cellist Florence Petit is an innovative and exciting young musician with a warm, engaging stage manner. The recipient of a diverse host of awards and in demand as a soloist, Florence is a fine exponent of Baroque music. You may have heard her on BBC Radio 3 or touring CMS with the acclaimed quintet 'Ensemble Hesperi'. As an orchestral musician, Florence has performed extensively with chamber and symphony orchestras across Europe including with the Montpellier National Symphony Orchestra, the English National Opera and South Bank Sinfonia.

Elias is a superb classical guitarist and one of the finest finger-style ukulele players of his generation. He combines the ukulele’s traditional characteristics with the guitar’s qualities as a solo instrument. From Bach to the great American songbook Elias takes the ukulele to a new and exciting dimension. He also brings some fine guitar fingerwork to accompaniments to the cello, mandolin and voice. He also happens to be a leading exponent of the classic banjo.

Described on BBC Radio 3 as "one of the world's great mandolinists" Simon Mayor is regarded equally highly in classical and folk circles alike. His recordings and live performances have been applauded everywhere from BBC World Service "Recording of the Week" to the Classical Mandolin Society of America. With a degree in Russian language and literature he changed course to pursue a career in music. He has an ever growing catalogue of mandolin repertoire and tuition books and hosts workshops throughout the UK and USA. He has featured in the UK Classical Artist Chart Top Ten and had an Album of the Year in The Daily Telegraph. One of his many comic songs featured in an eight-week trailer for The Simpsons (USA TV).

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