Black Swan Film & Video

Second filming of last week - on Friday we were at Queen Elizabeth Hall with Odyssey Festival Orchestra conducted by Peter Ash, performing The Last Waltz, a wonderful programme of music by Ravel and Gershwin, narrated by the inspiring actor Sir David Suchet. The musical highlight for me was 'Rhapsody in Blue' with young soloist Sebastian-Benedict Flore who gave a joyful, energetic performance which resulted in the audience giving him a well deserved standing ovation 😃👏🎹🎶

A busy start to the year for us - last Tuesday we filmed our first concert of the year; London Schools Symphony Orchestra - LSSO conducted by Dominic Wheeler at The Barbican, performing works by Sibelius and Rachmaninov, plus two world premieres - Danyal Dhondy's 'If We Shadows' and Joshua Borin's 'At Every Turn'. Both pieces are based upon the character Puck from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and featured soloists Lucas Robson on cello and Amy Roberts on oboe - and they were very well received by the audience 👏👏🎶🎵

Second day of the Music for Youth Proms 2022!

Sounding great, RAH roof will be lifted off tonight 😃🎶🎵⭐️

No prizes for guessing where we are! Filming two nights of Music for Youth Proms with 8 cameras 🎥 🎶🎵

This is what a 13 camera shoot looks like - in the loading bay, and rehearsal of Mahler’s 8th Symphony with Vasily Petrenko and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

It’s getting serious at BSFV HQ.. Preparations for the very early start on our 13 camera shoot at the Royal Albert Hall next Sunday!

Set up ready to record the debut performance by Odyssey Festival Orchestra, conducted by Peter Ash. This innovative concert based upon the mythological being Prometheus will include a rare appearance by Dame Janet Suzman as narrator.

https://facebook.com/events/s/prometheus-romantic-superhero-/726398621765391/

The delicate task of lens cleaning today.. 🎥🧴

This evening we're live streaming a local event - this is to raise money for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

Watch the show featuring 4 brilliant local bands here: https://youtu.be/MINxEqaVQGw

Reading fundraiser for the Ukrainian refugees concert livestream A night of Punk / Ska / New wave / Rock from local bands - The Skangsters - The Echo - The Deckchairs - The Skavengers with all proceeds being donated to the...

Yesterday we were back at Wigmore Hall for the first time since before the pandemic, recording an absolutely amazing concert featuring the compositions and performances of Ayanna Witter-Johnson, multi-talented musician and composer.
This brilliant show combined Ayanna's wonderful music with elaboration about each piece, and stories about her life and influences.
Joining her to perform this premiere showcase of Ayanna's work were: Jess Gillam, Solem Quartet, Ligeti Quartet, Nitin Sawhney, Héloïse Werner, Andrea Baker, Marianne Schofield, Thea Sayer and Darren Bloom - thank you all for a fabulous evening of music 🎵🎶💖

Monday saw us back at Cadogan Hall for our first post-pandemic recording with The Purcell School - it's been too long!

The programme included the world premiere of Philip Theodorou's 'Blue Speck', Lili Boulanger's 'D’un matin de printemps' and the powerful Sibelius 'Symphony No. 1'. Yinong Xiao took to the stage as violin soloist for Prokofiev's 'Violin Concerto No. 1', and was rewarded for his efforts with thunderous applause after a great performance 👏👏👏

Wonderful to see The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra back in a concert hall again, under the baton of Paul Hoskins 🎵🎶

Last week we recorded two concerts in two days - the first of which was a special celebration to mark an amazing 75 years of Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra 🎼🎻

They chose a lovely varied programme, including the seldom performed Still 'Symphony No. 1 Afro-American', a brilliant piece. Barber's 'Violin Concerto' was played with passion by guest soloist Joo Yeon Sir 🎶

Congratulations Stoneleigh, may you continue to go from strength to strength!

Last Saturday saw a welcome return for both ourselves and Imperial College Symphony Orchestra to a fully open Cadogan Hall. Load in and set up was much easier with the new rigger's gloves purchased earlier in the week - no more ripping my fingers open trying to detach tricky BNC connectors 👍
The orchestra were delighted to be playing live in this magnificent concert hall again, for the first time in several years - I had to direct some of the players around the backstage as it had been so long they were getting lost!
The students and musical director / conductor Oliver Gooch had decided to begin the programme with the Ukrainian National Anthem to show their support to the currently war torn country 🇺🇦 during which the audience respectfully stood.
The main programme consisted of:
BRAHMS, Schicksalslied (with members of IC Choir, IC Chamber Choir and London Philharmonic Choir)
STRAUSS, Four Last Songs (Soprano: Francesca Chiejina)
and
NIELSEN, Symphony No. 4, 'Inextinguishable', written during the First World War, and featuring a battle between two sets of timpani, its sentiments perfectly representing how many of us are feeling about the current situation in Ukraine.

First filming of 2022 - with London Schools Symphony Orchestra - LSSO and soprano soloist Olivia Boen, under the baton of guest conductor Dominic Wheeler, performing pieces from Wagner, Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky to an appreciative audience 🎶🎵👏👏👏

Wishing all our colleagues, supporters and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄

Our final project of the year, recorded last Saturday with The Hanover Band, will be premiering TONIGHT at 6pm GMT on YouTube - don't miss this stunning performance 🤩

Thanks to Bill Hiskett for the excellent aerial footage of St Nicholas' Arundel 👏

https://youtu.be/K4GzKYbECk4

HB Messiah 2021 MASTER 1080p

Last weekend saw us in London, filming a CD recording being made by soloist Esther Yoo - 에스더 유 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 🎵🎶🎻
The two day shoot went very well, and the recording is sounding great 🙂

Last week saw us in London for our first large scale live event since early March 2020 - it was fabulous to be back recording the Music for Youth Prom 2021! 🎶🎵🎤🎷🎸🤩🥳

We're now busy editing the footage from 9 cameras, in the meantime, here's a few photos charting our day 🎥😃

(Please don't use these without permission from us, all copyright belongs to Black Swan Film and Video 2021)

Yesterday saw us back recording for the Blyth Centre at Imperial College, London - this was the first of a new series of jazz, world and folk music performances from some of the most exciting artists in the UK!
This first lunchtime concert was performed outside, by Alvorada, the UK’s leading performers of Brazilian choro, a rich and uplifting style of instrumental music originally from Rio de Janeiro.
They drew a good crowd who loved the exciting tunes being played 😍🎵🎶😎👏

Ali turned this edit around in under 24 hours! See the full concert here:

https://youtu.be/u0LA7pzQEDo

Last week saw a return to full strength for London Schools Symphony Orchestra - LSSO - performing to an audience for the first time in over 18 months!
We were delighted to be treated to the premiere of Eleanor Alberga's magnificent new trumpet concerto, featuring guest soloist Pacho Flores 🎺
This concert marked the start of LSSO's 70th anniversary year, a triumphant start to the season for them 😃🎵🎶👏

Last week saw the last of the series of lunchtime livestreams from the Blyth Centre - a massive THANK YOU to all who have performed over the last academic year, allowing the music to continue despite restrictions 👏🎶🎵🎹🎺🎻😀

A big THANK YOU also to Oliver, Naomi, Sam and all at Imperial who have worked so hard to make this happen - it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with you 🙂👏

Thursday's concert featured talented violinist Sara Trickey accompanied by brilliant pianist Ivana Gavric performing Stravinsky's 'Dancing with Apollo' and Szymanowski's 'Mythes' Op 30. A wonderful performance to end the concert series, and the socially distanced live audience very much agreed! 👏👏☺️

Watch the concert here:

https://youtu.be/SNd1tJHpedE

A 4 camera livestream today, as we recorded Reiko Fujisawa perform Bach/Busoni's dramatic 'Chaconne in D minor' with gusto to online viewers and a live audience 🎹🎶🎵 She was then joined by the Carducci String Quartet to perform Schumann's 'Piano Quintet in Eb major' - the largest group we've had for some time at the Blyth Centre!
Today's audience were thrilled with their energetic performance! Bravo 🎶🎵👏👏

View the concert here:

https://youtu.be/mrSxd_sb1nA

Last week saw our second lunchtime livestream with audience present - including a certain Imperial College Professor of Science and Society, Lord Robert Winston, who stayed at the end to chat and even helped move the piano back into the cupboard afterwards! 🙂 😊
This lovely concert featured violinist Jacqueline Roche, accompanied by pianist Dinara Klinton, and once again was warmly received by the audience who have been denied live music for too long 😀🎶🎵👏👏

View their wonderful performance here:

https://youtu.be/wM7BAI-1K9U

Two weeks ago, we recorded our first Blyth Centre livestream with an audience present since last year! The musicians of the Albion Quartet were overjoyed to be playing to real people, and to have their appreciation and applause at the end of the concert 😊🎶🎵👏👏

View their brilliant performance here:

https://youtu.be/olwonYaatsM

A welcome return to filming a concert with an audience! (albeit small and socially distanced) Last night we recorded a fabulous perfromance by the Great Exhibition Ensemble, a brass quintet playing period instruments, for The Blyth Centre of Imperial College.
The lively 19th century music from Alabiev, Maurer and Bellon was warmly received and heartily applauded by all in attendance in the lovely setting of Holy Trinity 👏🎵🎶

Thursday's livestream featured the talents of final year Physics and Music Performance joint degree Imperial undergraduate and pianist Avishka Edirisinghe, and first year ABRSM Scholar Cellist at the Royal Academy of Music, Danushka Edirisinghe.

The wonderful lively performances by these talented brothers can be viewed here:

https://youtu.be/u14yMjGwYO0

An emotional day for us - our last recording in this series with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was on Wednesday 😢 A lovely seasonal programme including Walton's 'Facade', Delius' 'On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring', Ireland's 'Concertino Pastorale' and Finzi's 'Eclogue' with piano soloist Mark Bebbington, all under the sweeping baton of guest conductor Michael Seal 🎶🎵

We also recorded two of Ireland's solo piano pieces with Mark, 'Months Mind' and 'The Island Secret' 🎹

Audio recording was done by BBC Radio 3, for later radio broadcast, and they kindly provided us with a copy for the video recording 🙂

We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the RPO family over the last few months, and look forward to working wth them again soon - thank you to management and musicians for welcoming us so warmly, and of course for the wonderful performances it has been our privilege to record for you 😊👏

Last Thursday, back for the next lunchtime livestream from the Blyth Centre, with Joseph Spooner (cello) and David Owen Norris (piano). Tried out some different camera angles with excellent results; the performance can be viewed here:

https://youtu.be/uWnYwKd4tAM

Today it was lovely to be back at Imperial for the start of the summer term of livestream lunchtime concerts! An enjoyable programme performed by soprano Julia Sitkovetsky and pianist Will Vann - view the concert here:

https://youtu.be/H5whVGme-nA

On Tuesday we were back with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for their brass and percussion showcase (plus some woodwind too!) performing Purcell (arr. Stucky) Funeral Music for Queen Mary, Tower's Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, Arnold's Symphony for Brass and Gounod's Petite Symphony, under the capable baton of guest conductor Matthew Coorey 🎺🎶🎵

A much busier week for Black Swan! On Monday we spend the day and much of the evening recording various performances by the talented young musicians of the London Schools Symphony Orchestra - LSSO. (See photo descriptions for pieces played)
It was wonderful to see and hear them performing again after such a long break - bravo to all of them for continuing with their music under difficult circumstances, and we look forward to seeing them all back together again when restrictions are lifted 😀❤️🎶🎵