This Day: Naxos Recording Project

by Hilary Campbell and Blossom Street in London, England, United Kingdom

This Day: Naxos Recording Project
We did it
On 5th March 2018 we successfully raised £6,170 with 141 supporters in 35 days

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of women receiving the vote, we’re recording a Naxos disc of women composers, performed by women.

by Hilary Campbell and Blossom Street in London, England, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

The more we're able to raise for this project, the larger the group for the recording, and the bigger and better our launch concert!  We'll also be able to offer workshops and other educational elements, and present the repertoire in various locations. 


“One of my favourite choirs” David Mellor, Classic FM

“A fantastic choir” Greg Beardsell, BBC Radio 3

“Gorgeous sound”
BBC Music Magazine

What are we doing?

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of women in Britain receiving the vote (some of them, at least), Blossom Street will be recording a Naxos disc of works for upper voices by British women composers, including Elizabeth Maconchy, Judith Weir, Elizabeth Poston, Judith Bingham, Kerry Andrew, Roxanna Panufnik, Cecilia McDowall and many more fantastic musicians. Most of these works will be recorded here for the first time, both new and old.

Who are we?

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Blossom Street is a versatile chamber choir comprising some of the UK’s best young singers, which performs regularly on TV and radio as well as on the concert platform, and has released two critically acclaimed CDs with Naxos.

Directed by Hilary Campbell, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, the group was formed over a decade ago, while the singers were studying at the University of York, and relocated to London in 2007. Whilst in York, Blossom Street filmed a medley of Christmas carols for BBC2, which was broadcast during the snooker final in 2005, and since then has performed nationwide and beyond. They sang to Prince Charles on ITV1 as part of his 60th birthday celebrations, and gave their debut in Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the Voicelab series in 2009.  Recent projects include performances in Sweden, Japan and Spain as well as at the Edinburgh Fringe, broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and 4, recording projects for Resonus and Guild, several education projects and corporate, concert and festival work. The group has featured regularly on BBC Radio 3, performing live on The Choir and In Tune.  Their most recent BBC Radio 3 broadcast was in September 2017, when they broadcast The Choir: Proms Extra edition of the Last Night of the Proms, an engagement they have undertaken two years in a row.  The group also works in partnership with the Royal Academy of Music, running an annual composition project for postgraduate students, led by Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music.  In 2015, the group filmed for the remake of ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ for Columbia Pictures, and the following summer filmed for a new Film 4 project entitled ‘Animal Shadows’, due for release in early 2018.  The group has just recorded for the Eden Project’s 2017 Festival of Light and Sound, and will be undertaking a third Naxos recording in 2018, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of women in Britain receiving the vote.

On the concert platform, Blossom Street has performed at many of the major London venues including Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square and St James Piccadilly, and further afield at places like the Royal Palace, Madrid. Their Naxos CD, ‘Sleep, Holy Babe’, was released in 2011, tracks from which featured on BBC Radio 3’s ‘The Choir’ and on Classic FM.  They performed tracks live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, and the disc was announced as ‘Christmas CD of the Year 2011’ on David Mellor’s New CD Show, Classic FM.  It was also CD of the Week on WQED Radio (Pittsburgh, US), and received several 5* reviews.  In 2013, their second disc, ‘Down by the Sea’, a compilation of a cappella choral folk songs, many of which are premiere recordings, was released by Naxos, again to critical acclaim (“At the risk of prejudicing any latecomers and with 2013 barely half gone, I declare this release to be my choral album of the year. I’d be stupefied if anything stronger comes long. Five stars.” Norman Lebrecht).  In 2014, they released a disc of Warlock repertoire on the digital label, Resonus (“A programme offering a genuine expansion in our understanding of Warlock... Gorgeous sound; highly engaging, dedicated performances” BBC Music Magazine).

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Want to listen to the group?

Here's a taste of Blossom Street's sound, in a track from Down by the Sea: 

Mo Nighean Dubh

Though our Warlock disc  predominantly featured mixed voice repertoire, we also included some upper voice works, including this gem: 

The Bailey Berith The Bell Away

Blossom Street in concert, highlighting our upper voices and also one of the composers to be featured on our disc, Judith Weir: 

Love Bade Me Welcome

Why do we need support?

As is the case for many musical ventures, we're passionate about what we do, and believe wholeheartedly in the group and in our project.  We're committed to showcasing neglected composers and works and to encouraging emerging musicians, and particularly given the centenary, recognise that now is the opportune time to offer a platform to this music.  However, as is also the case for most ensembles, the associated costs of such a project are vast, and we therefore need your help!  We're lucky to have received some assistance from trusts, but as a professional ensemble without government funding, we are compelled to seek additional support.  Recording is an essential element for any group, and will allow us to bring this somewhat overlooked repertoire to new audiences, but we can't do it without you!  Please read on for details of what we can offer in return.

Thank you very much!

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£30 or more

Signed copy of the CD

For those able to donate £30 or more, we will send you a copy of the CD, hot off the press, as soon as it's released, signed by our MD. Your name will also appear as a supporter in the disc's liner notes.

£40 or more

CD and launch concert ticket

For those able to donate £40 or more, we will send you a copy of the CD, hot off the press, along with a ticket to our launch event, which we assume will be in October (more to follow on this: as soon as funds are in place, the schedule will be finalised, and we will contact you with the date). Your name will also appear as a sponsor in the CD liner notes.

£350 or more

Conducting lesson and/or singing lesson

For those of you interested in learning first hand with our MD or a member of the choir, we are offering a one to one singing lesson or conducting lesson with a member of Blossom Street. In addition, we'll give you a copy of the CD, invite you to our launch concert, and your name will appear as a supporter in the disc's liner notes.

£1,000 or more

Invitation to attend part of the recording

Ever wondered how a recording is made? For sponsors donating £1000 or more, we'll invite you to attend one of our recording sessions in London, and you can witness first hand how the process works. We'll also invite you to the launch event, and give you a copy of the CD; you can compare the final results with what you heard live! Your name will also appear as a supporter in the disc's liner notes.

£3,000 or more

Private Performance

Would you like Blossom Street all to yourself?! The group will perform to your and your guests* on an agreed date, and can offer a variety of different programmes. We'll also include you in the disc's liner notes as a supporter, invite you to the launch event, and send you an advanced copy of the CD, hot off the press. *At a UK venue

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