Craig Fortnam (composer, arranger, conductor, guitar and voice)
Sharron Fortnam (solo voice)
Dug Parker (solo voice)
Luke Albery (voice and guitar)
James Larcombe (chamber organ, piano, monosynth)
Ben Davies (piano, chamber organ)
Hugh Wilkinson (percussion)
Jez Wiles (percussion)
Harry Escott (cello)
Brian Wright (violin)
Sara Longe (violin)
Luke Crookes (bassoon)
Nicola Baigent (clarinet)
Geri Peach (oboe)
NORTH SEA CHORUS:
Bill Drake
Suzi Kirby
Melanie Woods
Louise Harrison
Gideon Miller
Kavus Torabi
Swallows, swifts, the roman road and the Mighty Thames,the Monument and the Pool.
PRESS FOR NSRO's 2nd album 'BIRDS':
'...like a heavenly daydream' Daily Telegraph,
It's a strange thing that a Fairport Convention influenced chamber orchestra could sound so contemporary, or even interesting, but there is a definite pop element to the songs presented in 'Birds'.
Clash Magazine 8.5 out of 10
'A truely lovel, soothing, joyous combination of folk and chamber music'
ALBUM OF THE FORTNIGHT - Leeds Guide
'Utterly bewitching' Losing Today
'Beauteous and sinister, like the dance of the maidens before the Wicker Man goes up
in flames....bewitching' Q Magazine
'To call them a modern chamber ensemble gives you no idea of the strange beauty of their music as they take the transcendent power of Vaughan Williams, marry it to the intricate shapes of Nyman and Glass, throw in the cheery playfulness of Vernon Elliott's soundtrack music for Oliver Postgate's short films'.
Yorkshire Evening Post - 4/5
'"Birds" is a unique 40 minutes - captivating, beautiful, peaceful and thoughtful. It’s seemingly so far removed from most people’s experience of everyday life that it can’t but help transport you elsewhere - it floods your mind eye with a pollution-free rolling green world and entirely resets the rhythm of your day. How could that not be worth exposing yourself to?'
The Quietus
North Sea Radio Orchestra is a unique chamber group who perform music of beauty and originality that has, at its heart, lyricism and melodic richness. Featuring wind, strings, percussion, guitars, organs and voices, theirs is a world in which melody and harmony abound.
Here's how it all began...
In the October of 2002, composer and guitarist Craig Fortnam found himself walking through the City of London with a sackful of tunes slung over his shoulder; tied to a stick (Dick Whittington style). Now, as all music comes from the air, the sack was all that stopped Craig's tunes from escaping and following the Thames out to sea. Needing a substance with the weight of history behind it, Craig bent down and began to scoop up handfuls of London clay, folding and kneeding it into the melodies and chords from his sack. As this was such hard work, he got his wife, Sharron, to help. As she folded and kneeded, she began to sing, so her beautiful voice found it's way into the expanding mixture.
When the music was almost ready, Craig called together twenty musicians and singers (North Sea Chorus) from all over the Metropolis and they all ducked into St. Martin's-within-Ludgate where the North Sea Radio Orchestra was born. As the clay music was still wet, and therefore somewhat fragile, the NSRO only performed in the City of London for the first while. So, their growing audience had to travel to the strange and magical streets of old Londinium to hear the beautiful sounds.
Finally, the music was ready and the NSRO ventured forth into the wider world where they have attracted many glowing reviews for their live and recorded performances. Their first release, 'The Flower' (oof!records 7" single) has been broadcast on BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 and 6music. They have been regular favorites on the Chiller Cabinet on Chill FM and have featured in many regional stations' playlists. The success of the single can be attrubuted to the truly unique sound of the NSRO - an alliance of various influences and elements: Benjamin Britten, Vernon Elliot, Incredible String Band, London Clay, Vaughan Williams, Water from the Thames and shingle from Bankside.
In October 2006, NSRO released their debut self-titled album (oof006) to sparkling reviews in print and online media from the world's music press.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE NSRO MAILING LIST? Send a message to: info@nsro.co.uk
Working only with Viveka Eriksson voice on Forecast Proof, I saved a lot of energy by not singing. In two takes, she can nail down an abstract melody and almost nothing will sound out of place !
Because I went for a straight forward approach with Viveka, everything vocal on Forecast Proof sounds more cool, emotionally urgent and less stretched by the intellect.
It's The Garden's wonderful Midwinter Wassail, Friday 18th ..the Blue Room @ PJ McGintys, Ipswich.
Winter tunes and madness with the truly amazing OWL SERVICE, NANCY WALLACE, THE NORWICH HARP SOCIETY and as ever, The Garden DJ's bruising your minds eye. 8pm, £4.
This will celebrate the end of a great psychedelic year, big love and thanks to all the fellow Gardeners!
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