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OCTESSENCE – A Chamber concert is planned to be held at the Novotel Al Dana Resort on Thursday and Friday, June 14 and 15.
The Culture Vultures are once again hosting a high quality musical event in Bahrain. The latest cultural offering comes in the form of OCTESSENCE, a newly-formed chamber group consisting of four Bahrain-based musicians, and four from Saudi Arabia. All players play regularly for the Bahrain Concert Sinfonia.
OCTESSENCE will play Mendelssohn and Schubert at the two-day event at the hotel. There will be a lecture demonstration prior to the concert each day. This demonstration will provide a brief explanation of the works, which will help audience members to understand the music and recognise its themes.
The concept was devised by Theresa Finzi, violinist and Hanrich Claassen, cellist, and the Culture Vultures were delighted to be approached to organise the event. As chairperson Susie Spratt explained: “We are only too thrilled to be asked to put on such special events, particularly when the standard of musicianship is so high”.
The eight musicians have been coming together to rehearse tirelessly to ensure that the concert is of the highest quality – for Mr Claassen, it will be particularly poignant as it is his ‘swan song’ - he leaves the Middle East for Shanghai, China in the summer.
“After almost three years in Saudi Arabia, it seemed like an excellent idea to say farewell to the Middle East by getting together the best of my colleagues from Khobar and Bahrain to perform two of my favourite chamber music pieces” he said.
“The Schubert Quintet was Schubert’s last chamber music work (written in 1828, only one month before his death) and the attraction lies in the tremendous power of its expression. It is profoundly lyrical, with delicate, extended melody lines. The two cellos in this string quintet, instead of a second viola as was the norm in the classical period, is the real treat!
“The beauty and endless possibilities of the instrument as soloist and as a pair gets utilised to its fullest; the bass lines, haunting solo melodies, as well as duet passages. The Mendelssohn is a tour de force for us all! It's going to be an unforgettable concert.”
Canapés and welcome drinks will be served by the resort before the concert, and attendees also have the option to go for the dinner-inclusive ticket with which they can eat at any of the Novotel’s three fine restaurants before or after the concert.
The pre-concert talk will be held at 7pm, welcome drinks and canapés at 7.30pm and concert starts at 8.00pm. Tickets priced BD11 (concert and canapés) and BD19 (concert and dinner) are available from the Bookcase, Budaiya Highway and Hava Java, Seef Mall. For reservations call the hotel on 17298008 or visit the website www.novotel-bahrain.com
The world’s number one DJ Tiesto will make his Bahrain debut this summer. Trance, techno and house music fans have started snapping up tickets for the Dutch DJ’s show that will take place in Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), Sakhir on July 4. Having won DJ Magazine coveted “Best DJ in the world” title for three consecutive years, Tiesto hardly needs an introduction Born in Holland, and he became a DJ because he liked to share music with others and sought to emulate the talent of his idol DJ Ben Liebrand. After starting out with mobile shows around his country, he later performed at students parties before earning a residency at a club where he perfected his skills.
He began production in 1995 and gained fame for his singles including Lethal Industry, Flight 643, Suburbian Train, In My Memory, Traffic and his latest, Elements of Life, while his remix of Delirium and Sarah McLachlan’s hit Silence became a club anthem.
His collaborations have also brought him success including “We Came, with Ferry Corsten, Just Be featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw and Danced4Life, which features Maxi Jazz of Faithless.
Pre-sale tickets are priced at BD25 and will cost BD35 on the night. VIP and VVIP tickets priced BD60 and BD100 respectively will not be sold on the night. For more information call Ayman on 36600462.
