In the previous edition of the ESME News, we visited the Orchestra and Singers rehearsals — the Big Band got a mention here and there, but we didn’t see them rehearsing. In episode 2, we redress the balance. You will also see a bit of footage from the gig in Wasserburg from May 2014, and then you will get an exclusive look at one of the pieces the band will be performing at the Christmas concert.

ESME, the English-Speaking Music Ensembles of Munich, Germany, have started rehearsals for the winter season. After a brief review of the summer concert, we join the orchestra and the singers for their first rehearsals. The artistic manager of ESME tells us about the pieces that will be performed this season.

A musical weekend and ‘A Summer Night’s Delight’

Once again, ESME orchestra, big band and choir members came together for a magnificently memorable rehearsal weekend. From May 16-18, fifty members travelled to a new venue – Haus Sudetenland in Waldkraiburg – which provided a great setting for a weekend of music.

During the weekend, the singers picked up their repertoire for the summer concert, having appeared just one week before on stage performing their collection of 15 songs for spring. Orchestra and big band members concentrated on their chosen pieces for the upcoming summer concert.

In the orchestra, there was a chance for the string section to do some particularly intensive study with the help of a sax player on loan from the big band – namely, Sarah Ready, who also happens to be an accomplished violinist. The singers also benefited from a workshop on breathing and voice production led by professional opera singer Regina Schörg.

The success of the weekend was due in no small measure to our conductors, Eric Weddle (singers), Andi Partilla (orchestra) and Joe Noelliste (big band). We will be very sorry to lose Joe, who is going back to the US soon for his doctoral studies in church music.

As usual, there was also a chance for games and socializing during the weekend, with the aim of helping members of the various ensembles get to know each other a bit better. One innovation this time around was a game that lasted the entire weekend, the winner being the one with the most clothes pegs at the end, which created a certain amount of competitiveness.

A highlight of the weekend was a spontaneous singalong around the grand piano on Saturday evening. Pianist Tar Viturawong kept the hits coming into the wee hours of the morning.

We left on Sunday afternoon, tired but cheerful, and already looking forward to the next ESME Weekend Away in October 2014.

 

As a result of the hard work put in by conductors and performers during weekly rehearsals and at the ESME Weekend Away, preparations for the 2014 Summer Concert are going well.

‘A Summer Night’s Delight’
Saturday 12 July 2014
19:00
Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig

with the ESME Orchestra, Singers and Big Band and their respective conductors: Andreas Partilla, Eric Weddle and Joseph Noelliste

Tickets are available from München Ticket
and there are concessions for children and students

The programme will feature a selection of music from three continents and spanning four centuries including:

Eric Whitacre – Cloudburst
Leonard Bernstein- Make our Garden Grow
Moses Hogan – Elijah Rock

Hans Zimmer – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Astor Piazzolla – Libertango
Jean Sibelius – Karelia Suite

Jerry Jeff Walker – Mr Bojangles
Charles Trenet  – Beyond the Sea
Burton Lane – On A Clear Day (You can See Forever)

Photos by Daniel Plappert
Graphics by Jeannine Meier

 

 

 

 

Rehearsals for the ESME 2014 Spring and Summer Season are now well underway, having begun in the depths of winter.

The Singers along, with their conductor Eric Weddle, are busy preparing for their Spring Concert, Spring Serenade, on Friday 9 May at EineWeltHaus in Munich.

Andreas Partilla and the Orchestra are working towards the Summer Concert on Saturday 12 July in the Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig.

The Big Band has a new leader, Joseph Noelliste, and they are preparing for a number of events including the Summer Concert and Lions Club Summer Ball.

The first concert of the year is the Spring Concert featuring the Singers and a number of ensembles both vocal and instrumental.

Spring Serenade             Friday 9 May 2014 @ 20:00

EineWelt Haus, Großer Saal
Schwanthalerstr. 80 RGB
80336 München

The concert will include music for all tastes from Monteverdi to Mozart, The Beatles to James Bond.
There will also be the opportunity to hear the first public performance of ‘Angel of Sound’, a piece composed for the ESME Singers by Tar Viturawong.

Tickets can be reserved through ESME Ticketing and collected and paid for in cash at the venue an hour before the concert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2013 ESME winter season ended with a sold out concert “Snowflakes and Sleighbells” at the beautiful Münchner Künstlerhaus on December 1.

This concert was the debut of our two new conductors, Andreas Sczygiol (singers) and Andreas Partilla (orchestra), and was considered a great success by the audience and performers alike.

Highlights of the concert included the world premiere of our own Daniel Wytrykus conducting his orchestral composition, Yggdrasil, the Big Band and singers performing Pat-a-Pan Salsa together, and the orchestra and singers doing the joyous holiday classic, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. The Big Band worked overtime to provide hoppin’ tunes for the after party as well.

 

‘Twas the season so we braved a brisk, chilly hour to sing Christmas carols at the Bogenhausener Weihnachtszauberwald. The enthusiastic audience and ample Glühwein kept us warm, though. We returned for a second performance just before Christmas.

We’re always hoping to attract new performers through our various performances, and word is out that our winter concert may have enticed a few audience members to do just that. Here’s hoping we see some new faces as we start the 2014 season!

Eric Weddle will conduct the singers for the spring and summer concerts and Andreas Partilla will conduct the orchestra. The Big Band welcomes Joseph Noelliste as their new band leader.

This season’s repertoire is as eclectic as ever, ranging from Dvorak to Marvin Gaye. The spring concert will be on Friday 9 May at EineWeltHaus and all three ensembles will be returning to the Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig for the summer concert on Saturday 12 July.

There will be an interesting array of musical challenges ahead for all of us in 2014!

Rehearsals for the Summer Season start soon ­— details can be found in the
2014 Summer Season Rehearsal schedule as well as the ESME Events calendar.

 Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you all soon!

 

Photos by Thomas Hafner, Julia Priestley