UYMP University of York Music Press

Sadie Harrison’s 'Gallery' in the USA and on BBC Radio 3

19 September 2016

Sadie Harrison's The Flight of Swallows from Gallery (Room 1) for solo violin was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Show (Martin Handley) on Sunday 18th September, the beginning beautifully dovetailed with the sound of chattering swallows. The broadcast, of a recording by Peter Sheppard Skaerved, follows a number of performances of movements from the set of miniatures given by Sheppard Skaerved in the USA this month; a selection in Brandon, Vermont at the Compass Center (13th September) and then a couple of days later at Ithaca College in New York as part of his Autumn residency. 

Peter’s recording of the work (Toccata Classics TOCC0304) has been described by Kate Wakeling in the BBC Music Magazine as ‘a vivid exploration of the miniature. No single movement exceeds four minutes and the shortest is just 24 seconds, yet these five magnetic works explore content and form with a dazzling intensity. Many of the compositions are exphrastic in nature…Gallery is by turns meditative and skittish, exploring the paintings and drawings of artist and violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved who also performs the work (and writes the disc’s engaging liner notes).’

Fiona Maddocks (The Guardian) also, upon hearing this recording, praised Gallery (Rooms I and II), describing them as '19 musical glimpses to be played in any order – takes the paintings of the versatile violinist Peter Sheppard-Skaerved as a starting point….each glittering in their intensity.’ 

Listen to the BBC broadcast again here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vwg4x

http://www.peter-sheppard-skaerved.com/2016/09/continua-autumn-2016/

https://toccataclassics.com/product/sadie-harrison-strings-and-piano/

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