Past Events
2009
Recording for HSBC TV Advert Music - Lanterns: December 2009
Having recorded music for HSBC's TV advertisement "Cormorant", the musicians have recently recorded for another TV advertisement HSBC - "Lanterns". It is currently showing on Channel 4.
Music Recording for BBC Chinese 'Harry Potter' style TV Series Nov-Dec 2009 - Bo and The Spirit World
Having worked on dozens of major film, TV and recording projects, the UKCE musicians have teamed up with one of Britain's most influential film and TV composers, Matt Dunkley
(http://www.mattdunkley.com/), who has scored and conducted for over 70 film and TV productions. They will work together to create and make music for the sensational BBC Chinese 'Harry Potter'
style TV drama Series based on ancient Chinese legends and magic stories written by talented young British Chinese writer - Jo Ho (www.joho.com/). The TV drama will introduce viewers to
the character of Bo, a young British Chinese girl, who, accompanied by her brother Timothy, gets transported to a magical spirit world.
The BBC TV film is expected to be broadcast in Spring 2010.
For details, visit
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/09_september/19/bo.shtml
The Spiritual and Contemplative Guqin - Cheng Yu's New Guqin music CD by ARC Music: Autumn 2009.
Invited by the ARC Music International Recording label, Cheng Yu is working on her 5th CD with ARC on the guqin with a special theme - Spiritual and contemplative guqin. It will comprise rarely heard pieces, some of which are of her own 'dapu' (interpretation of the ancient skeletal tablatures). This special compilation will focus on the guqin's philosophical, meditative, devotional and spiritual aspects. The recording is expected to be completed in Autumn 2009 and will be published in Spring 2010.
Music Performance Collaborates with China Arts Carnival Club Won Double Awards at Notting Hill Carnival 2009
Musicians of our UKCE ensemble and the SOAS Sizhu group formed an exciting Chinese wind-and-percussion band to accompany the China Arts Carnival Club (CACC) procession at the Notting
Hill Carnival 2009. The live music of the suona (Chinese shawm or trumpet), drums and bronze gongs and cymbals provided a bright sound and strong rhythm for the parade. The music
played an important part in our winning the double award.
The UKCE musicians have been collaborating with China Arts Carnival Club since 2006. We are delighted CACC won a £5,000 grant from Arts Council England
(http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/)
to perform at London's famous and spectacular Notting Hill Carnival in 2009. In 2008, we provided the Lady Warriors Drumming group, together with members of CAAC, a total of
60 performers who fronted and opened the entire Carnival under the theme of the Olympics. The theme of our parade this year is "A Bridge of Magpies".
We are also proud that the Club has won 3rd Prize for Best Traditional Bands, awarded by the judges and the London Notting Hill Carnival Mas Bands Association. It is the first time a Chinese
group has ever won a prize at London's most significant Afro-Caribbean cultural festival. For details and images,
see www.china-arts.co.uk/Notting_Hill_Carnival.php
Concerts at the Bidasoa Folk Festival, Spain - The Silk String Quartet: 20-24 August, 2009
Following several successful performances in Spain in Seville (WOMEX 2006), Las Palmas (WOMAD 2007), Gran Canaria Tour 2007 and Valencia 2009, the Quartet was invited to perform again at
the Bidasoa Folk Festival in the Basque Country, Guipúzcoa, Northern Spain.
This Festival celebrates the traditional music of the Basque country in which it makes its home. The Bidasoa Folk festival brings together the three villages in which its events take place
through their common desire to support Basque culture. The traditional music of other countries and cultures is also performed.
Venue:
Hendaye - Irun - Hondarribia, Basque Country, Guipúzcoa, Spain
Bidasoa Folk
Almirante Alonso kalea, 8 - 1°
20280 Hondarribia (Gipuzkoa) Espagne
Website
Performances at SOAS, University of London Graduation Ceremonies: 22, 23 and 24 July 2009
UKCE musicians were invited to perform solo and ensemble music at SOAS's annual Graduation Ceremonies to show colourful world music to guests.
Venue:
Logan Hall
University of London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
Time:
2:00 - 5:00pm, 22, 23 and 24 July 2009
Website
Concert at Arts in Action Festival, Oxford - The Silk String Trio: 18 and 19 July 2009
Arts in Action - a truly interesting festival in beautiful Oxfordshire, which showcases hundreds of arts demonstrations from a wide range of disciplines including painting,
sculpture, drawing, ceramics and textiles and music, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year.
Chinese Instrumental - Silk Trio Ensemble
Silk String Trio Ensemble comprising players Cheng Yu, Wang Xiao and Xiao Ran, are from the Award Wining Silk String Quartet - an exciting professional Chinese string group based
in the UK. They have performed at WOMEX and WOMAD festivals and widely in Europe (Holland, Germany, France, Spain and Ireland), the Quartet's UK appearances have included such venues as
London's Royal Opera House, Southbank Centre and LSO's St Lukes, St George's in Bristol and the Manchester, Brighton and Guildford Festivals. The group's debut CD (published by ARC Music)
has been highly acclaimed and was featured by BBC Radio 3. For this occasion, the group will perform a selection of traditional and contemporary pieces both solo and as a trio.
The pieces will include: Three and Six, Flute and Drum at Sunset, Jasmine Flower, Purple Bamboo Melody, Dance of the Yao People, White Snow in Sunny Spring, The Caprice of the
Qin Opera theme, Horse Racing and more.
Venue:
Waterperry House, Waterperry,
Near. Wheatley, Oxfordshire
OX33 1JZs
Time:
12:15-13:00, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July
Website
Music recording for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures - Video Game: 25-29 June 2009
Our musicians have been invited to record music for the world-wide popular Video Game as the recent series focuses on the Far East and China. The musicians will work with composoer Knut
Avenstroup Haugen (www.knutavenstrouphaugen.com/) and producer Alan Willson.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a fantasy-themed Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) developed by the Norwegian computer video game development company Funcom For
PCs. The game was full release for North America was May 20 2008. Hyborian Adventures is the first instalment in the planned Age of Conan series. Age of Conan itself takes place within the
continent of the Hyborian Kingdoms, a year after the events depicted in Robert E. Howard's Conan novel, The Hour of the Dragon.] Hyborian Adventures' release celebrated the 76th anniversary
of the Conan franchise.
Website
Music and Calligraphy workshops at Cowbridge School, South Wales: 1 and 12 June, 2009
UKCE Musicians with artists from China Arts carried out fruitful music and calligraphy/brush painting workshops at Cawbridge Comprehensive school in Wales.
It was part of the schools cultural exchanged programme with Chongqing City in Sichuan, China. The pupils experienced Chinese instrumental music, singing in Chinese as well as using
their available instruments to try out Chinese percussion and instrumental music. They also learnt how to using an ink-brush to write and paint Chinese characters, names and simple objects and pictures.
Contact us for workshops on Chinese music (singing, percussion and instrumental), dance, calligraphy and ink-painting, origami, story telling with music, lion and dragon dances and Kungfu (martial arts).
Yin-Yang (China-West) Mixed Ensemble performance, Drapers Hall, London - Launch of China Construction Bank (UK): 1 June 2009
Following our highly acclaimed concert at St Marlybone Church in December 2008, the unique Yin-Yang Collective Ensemble was invited to perform at the grand celebration of the
inauguration of the China Construction Bank (UK), in the City of London. Over 300 honourable guests were present including the Chinese Ambassador Madam Fu Ying and Marcus Agius,
Chairman of Barclays Bank, Sir Victor Bank, Chairman of Lloyds Banking group and Stephen Green, Group Chairman of HSBC Holding Plc.
The musicians presented classical and popular pieces from both Chinese and Western cultures and were well received by the guests. The ensemble included Chinese pipa lute, erhu fiddle,
yangqin dulcimer and Western piano, cello and flute.
"Shanghai" - Hollywood film music project: May 2009
After the sensational concert by The Silk String Quartet and piano superstar Lang Lang in late April at LSO's St Lukes, both Lang Lang and the Quartet were invited to work on the music
recording for the Hollywood movie "Shanghai" in May. This is the third Hollywood film linked with Shanghai that the UK Chinese Ensemble musicians have worked on, the others being "Shanghai Noon"
and "Shanghai Knights".
"Shanghai" stars America's John Cusack, China's Gong Li, Japan's Ken Watanabe and Hong Kong's Chow Yun-Fat.
The musicians worked with British composer Alex Heffes. His film scores include the Last BAFTA-winning film "Touching the Void", and Oscar-winning movies "One Day in September" and
"Last King of Scotland". See Projects Page for further details.
Recording for HSBC TV Advert Music - Cormorant: May 2009
While working on the music for the Hollywood big film Shanghai this month, our Ensemble's musicians also recorded the music for an HSBC advertisement - It was filmed in beautiful Guilin, southwest China. This witty advertisement with the music cleverly showed how local knowledge is crucial for business. Currently, the TV advertisement can be seen on ITV.
LSO St. Luke's, London - The Silk String Quartet and Lang Lang: 23 April 2009
Hauntingly beautiful, contemplative music as well as lively new pieces played on piano, pipa, guzheng, erhu and yangqin. A new collaboration between classical virtuoso Lang Lang,
the London-based Chinese quartet Silk Strings and jazz pianist and composer Raymond Yiu, mixing traditional Chinese music with their own ravishing, contemporary interpretations -
including such evocative titles as 'Spring Flowers on a Moonlit Night on the River' and 'At Night on the Lake Beneath the Maple Bridge'. Following The Silk String Quartet and
cellist Matthew Barley's successful concert at the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room In November 2008, the Quartet collaborated with the sensational piano star Lang Lang for the UBS
Soundscapes: Eclectica series project. It brings to audiences an appealing mixture of international musicians presenting a diverse range of musical styles, in the unique ambience of LSO St Luke's.
Lang Lang: piano
Cheng Yu: pipa lute
Sun Zhuo: guzheng zither
Wang Xiao: erhu fiddle
Zhou Jinyan: yangqin dulcimer
Venue:
LSO St Luke's
UBS and St Luke's Education Centre
161 Old Street
London EC1V 9NG
Time:
8:00 pm, Thursday, 23 April, 2009
For more information and photos and DVD films of the project visit:
LSO
Flickr
Lang Lang
Recording for HSBC TV Advert Music - Cormorant: May 2009
While working on the music for the Hollywood big film Shanghai this month, our Ensemble's musicians also recorded the music for an HSBC advertisement - It was filmed in beautiful Guilin, southwest China. This witty advertisement with the music cleverly showed how local knowledge is crucial for business. Currently, the TV advertisement can be seen on ITV.
Essex-Jiangsu Festival Concert Finale - The Silk String Quartet: 22 March 2009
The UK-based award wining Chinese Silk String Quartet performed traditional and new pieces at the concert. They were involved in a series of workshops to train Chinese music tutors in
Essex in Autumn 2009. The Essex-Jiangsu Festival, celebrating 20 years of friendship between Essex and Jiangsu Province in China, has been a tremendous success, exceeding all expectations.
Over 150,000 people attended a Festival event, ranging from traditional puppetry to master craft demonstrations and classical opera.
A taste of China was brought to people across Essex and to celebrate the culmination of the Festival in style, a grand concert finale took place at the Harlow Sports centre.
A must-see music event to mark the closing of the Essex-Jiangsu Festival.
Venue:
Harlow Sports centre
Hammarskjold Road
Harlow
Essex CM20 2JF
Time:
Sunday 22 March 2009: 7:00pm (please note the updated time).
Concert at Sonidos Biodiversidad Festival, Spain - The Silk String Quartet: 6 and 7 March, 2009
Following several successful performances in Spain in Seville (WOMEX 2006), Las Palmas (WOMAD 2007) and Gran Canaria tour 20087, the Quartet was invited again to perform at the Sonidos
Biodiversidad Festival.
Venue:
Bancaja Auditorium,
Castellon,
Valencia - Espana
Time:
8:00 pm, 6th and 7th March, 2009
The Silk and Bamboo Ensemble and Dance Dublin Ireland Tour: January 2009
The Silk and Bamboo Ensemble and Dance troupe was invited by the University College of Dublin Confucius Institute, Dublin City Council and other Institutes in Ireland to give a
special performance tour celebrating Chinese New Year - The Year of the Ox.
Sunday 25 January 2009 - Hayward Gallery
Monday 26 January 2009 - UCD O'Reilly Hall (University College of Dublin, Confucius Institute)
Tuesday 27 January 2009 - Smithfield, Dublin (Dublin City Council)
Wednesday 28 January 2009 - UCC Confucius Institute, Cork City Council
Thursday 29 January 2009 - Chester Beatty Library
Friday 30 January 2009 - Ballsbridge Inn (Dublin City Council)
Saturday 31 January 2009 - Dublin Chinese Centre
Family concert and Chinese music and dance workshops - The Silk String Quartet: 24 January 2009
Enter the enchanting world of Chinese music and dance and help celebrate Chinese New Year with these fantastic musicians. See traditional Chinese instruments and discover the magical sounds
they make - they're completely different from any you've seen or heard before! There will be beautiful fan and ribbon dances too - the most popular dances in China. And, if you take part in
one of the workshops earlier in the day you can even join in the performance!
Make Chinese Music
12:30 - 1:30 pm
Learn Chinese songs and rhythms and perform them as part of the concert! (if you can play a violin, guitar, flute, recorder or clarinet, bring it along. If not, use the percussion instruments
provided, or sing!)
Learn ribbon and fan dances
12:30 - 1:30 pm
Great fun to learn - then perform them onstage at the concert!
Family concert
3:00 pm
With an interval - ends approximately 4:40 pm
Great for adults and children aged 7+
Enjoy simple and delicious Chinese food, on sale from 1:30 pm.
Venue:
Wiltshire Music Centre
Ashley Road
Bradford on Avon
BA15 1DZ
Date: Saturday 24 January, 2009
Pipa and guqin recital - Bristol Cathedral: 13 January, 2009
Cheng Yu was invited to perform a concert on both the pipa lute and the guqin zither - the two most celebrated Chinese classical instruments - at Chinese New Year.
Venue:
Bristol Cathedral
College Green
Bristol, BS1
Time: Tuesday, 1:00-2:00 pm, 13 January, 2009
Website
Admission free
"Beautiful building with an outstanding nave and impressive acoustics..."