Classical music has been known to have a calming effect on people for centuries. Many people turn to classical music to relax after a long day at work or to help them sleep at night. But why is classical music so calming?
Preparing for a concert is a bit like preparing for a job interview; with the exception that you face a panel of 80 or so players, staring and waiting to decide in the first five minutes of a rehearsal if you're the worst candidate in history or not. That first three-hundred seconds can make or break you, regardless if you have a baton in your hand or just a good old CV - and as anyone who has been successful in an interview knows, it's all in the preparation. So how does this conductor prepare for those three-hundred seconds?
Robert Emery talks to John Rutter, composer and conductor best known for his choral compositions, including many Christmas carols and anthem. John talks about his process of composing, the commission to write an anthem for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and how tragedy stuck in 2001 with his son being killed in a road accident. He of course also answers a quick-fire round of questions culminating in the big question; Composing or Conducting?
Preparing for a concert is a bit like preparing for a job interview; with the exception that you face a panel of 80 or so players, staring and waiting to decide in the first five minutes of a rehearsal if you're the worst candidate in history or not. That first three-hundred seconds can make or break you, regardless if you have a baton in your hand or just a good old CV - and as anyone who has been successful in an interview knows, it's all in the preparation. So how does this conductor prepare for those three-hundred seconds?
Easter has inspired some of the greatest works in classical music. First of all let’s get the whole religion thing out of the way; YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RELIGIOUS TO ENJOY THIS MUSIC! Right. Now I’ve said that, in my humble option, here are five incredible Easter pieces you need to listen to before the boulder is moved for the 1986th time…
In this special episode of the ‘Backstage with Robert Emery’ podcast, RDCE takes you through what a Musical Director actually does; and it involves a lot more than arm waving...
Discussing everything from conducting technique through to some scary real life stories in theatre; he covers it all with the odd funny story along the way.
I am often asked what it's like to be a musician, and with respect, that's almost as broad as asking what it's like to be a human. I'm pretty confident that a day in the life of Robert Emery will be radically different from Puff Diddly, or Simon Cattle; yet we are all musicians, allegedly. So if the making of music is the only thing that connects us, what is it like to be this musician?
The journalist Jeremy Clarkson has his gargantuan stomach and the pianist Glenn Gould had his wooden chair. Novelist Mary Shelly (think Frankenstein) wrote with a Boa Constrictor around her neck, and artist Salvador Dalí carried around a piece of Spanish driftwood. Nigel Kennedy performs in an Aston Villa t-shirt and Robert Emery, yes that's me, conducts barefoot.
Well have just finished working on the opening of St Pancras International Terminal. I have to say, although I did very little at the event, it was truly an occasion I am proud to be part of. To be conducting a choir in front of the Queen was certainly something to remember for a long time...
Key images of RDCE in categories of Conducting, Pianist, PR and Working With Other Artists. Click 'View Post' to see all the images.