13 December 2016

Katie Melua launches competition for choirs

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Inspired by her recent work with the Gori Women’s Choir, Katie Melua is inviting choirs across Europe to perform their own renditions of one of the songs from her acclaimed new album IN WINTER. In a video to launch the competition Katie says: “My latest album has been a team up with the Gori Women’s Choir from Georgia. They have been so inspiring to me but I know there are lots of amazing choirs out there so I want to see if you might be up for adopting one of the songs – ‘Dreams On Fire’ – from the new album and bringing it to life in your own way”. The top prize will see Katie visiting the winning choir in its hometown to perform ‘Dreams On Fire’ with the choir. Full details of the competition can be viewed at katiemelua.com/choir-competition-en/. The entry deadline is February 28th 2017 at midnight. ‘Dreams On Fire’ is written by Katie Melua and Don Black, with choral arrangements by Bob Chilcott. The song was premiered on Radio 2 by Michael Ball who said at the time “what a lovely sound, very mellow, very evocative. The sound of the choir…utterly beautiful”. Speaking about the song Katie explained “I feel the stillness of the winter season really causes us to reflect on our lives and relationships, wondering if our loved ones share the same feelings when it comes to growth and the fear of change. I consider Don Black a master of lyric writing, and the words in this song sit right at the heart of a lover’s insecurity.” Warmly arranged and beautifully executed, IN WINTER is a unique collection of songs centred round the theme of winter. Ranging from original works inspired by Katie’s childhood in Georgia, to new interpretations of traditional carols, choral works and folk songs, and performed by Katie and the Gori Women’s Choir in English, Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Georgian, the album features the arrangements of world-renowned choral arranger Bob Chilcott and is co-produced by Katie herself. In addition to ‘Dreams On Fire’ Katie weaves in a pristine cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’, a spellbinding ‘All Night Vigil–Nunc Dimittis’ (Rachmaninov),  the stunningly beautiful ‘The Little Swallow’ and a restrained and enchanting version of ‘O Holy Night’ to deliver a remarkable record which has been widely praised.

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Brothers Duo The Cactus Blossoms Bring Their Timeless Sound To The UK In January

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Brothers Jack and Page Burkhum, The Catcus Blossoms, bring their wonderful and hugely-acclaimed blend of country tinged rock n roll to these shores in January for a short run of dates for that will be their first UK tour including a headline show at Bush Hall, London on January 23rd.   With their 2016 Red House debut, You’re Dreaming, The Cactus Blossoms appeared seemingly from nowhere, garnering comparisons to classic sibling duos. Born and raised in Minneapolis, the brothers found themselves drawn to classic folk and country music, honing their songwriting skills with weekly gigs at former country 1940s honkytonk (and now music club) The Turf Club in St. Paul, MN. With the kind of blood harmonies that make your scalp tingle, the brothers made the genre their own and started working originals into their weekly sets of classics; people couldn’t tell the difference. A chance gig opening for JD McPherson brought him on board as a fan — he is the producer behind You’re Dreaming. Though they came from a musical family, they didn’t naturally inherit their deep understanding of early American music. By tracing their heroes’ footsteps back to the roots, they came into their style in a very genuine way. By absorbing these musical discoveries, a natural alchemy took place and what transpired is the tasteful rejuvenation and transformation of a retro sound by a modern duo. With press ranging from a Rolling Stone “Artist to Watch,” NPR Heavy Rotation, NPR All Things Considered, Folk Alley, Noisey, Garden & Gun, CMT, A Prairie Home Companion and much more, the brothers have brought a breath of fresh air and vitality to the roots music scene.

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Canary Wharf London Announces Dates for the 2017 Nashville Meets London Music Festival

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London-based company, Canary Wharf Management, Ltd has announced the dates for the 2017 Nashville Meets London Music Festival. Scheduled for July 22-23, the two day event will bring together performers that represent Nashville and the UK with audiences from London and beyond to experience performances by established artists and exciting new talent. The event is free and open to the public. The inaugural Nashville Meets London festival, which took place in August 2016, drew thousands of festival goers to the Canary Wharf estate that were actively engaged in the show – singing, dancing and many baring Country-lifestyle attire. The event drew an impressive number of people and left an overwhelmingly positive response among UK-based Country music fans and locals. The site of the annual festival, Canada Square Park, is located in the heart of Canary Wharf and is surrounded by award-winning gardens and over 300 shops, bars and restaurants. Canary Wharf is located in the former London Docklands. For the past ten years, Canary Wharf has hosted the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival, which is largest free jazz festival in the UK, and has a long history of promoting arts and culture throughout its estate. Nashville Meets London is co-produced by Canary Wharf Arts + Events, Peter Conway Management and Nashville-based agency, The AristoMedia Group. Baylen Leonard, BBC Radio 2 Country DJ, is the artistic program consultant. About Canary Wharf: Canary Wharf Group plc has overseen the largest urban regeneration project ever undertaken in Europe, designing and building more than 16m sq ft of iconic London real estate, which now houses local and international companies and renowned retailers. The Canary Wharf Estate is a major retail destination comprising five shopping malls, including the award-winning Crossrail Place, housing one of London’s most stunning roof gardens. It also has world-class, year-round arts and events programme offering over 100 diverse and culturally inspiring events performed throughout the Estate. Canary Wharf Group is a wholly owned joint venture between Brookfield Property Partners and the Qatar Investment Authority.

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