Sara Deborah - violinist

Very atmospheric venue for our London Obbligato Collective lunchtime concert today. National Gallery London

Looking forward to our next concert with the London Obbligato Collective at the National Gallery, London. This Thursday 25th Jan, at 1pm.

The SouthDowns Camerata and the Spirit of Music Festival wish you all a Merry Christmas and lots of blessings and joy in the New Year! May it be filled with beautiful music and community!

As a seasonal greeting, here is a live recording of Lucy Flint's new piece 'I sing of a Maiden', premiered on 9 December in Petersfield. With Bass-baritone Edward Roberts and the SouthDowns Camerata led by Sara Deborah - violinist. Enjoy!

Lucy piece.mp3

This happened today! And it's been great fun to play with all these wonderful colleagues and to start something from quite a different angle. The London Obbligato Collective explores repertoiere from the mid 18th century that is centred around the harpsichord as the main instrument, partnered and enhanced by other instruments to form a duo, trio or quartet, resulting in intimate chamber music making of the sort you usually encounter in a string quartet or duo sonata. The musical language is also very interesting as it branches away from baroque language to galant style ('empfindsamer Stil') paving the way to the classical period. Every composer featured tonight - from Avison to Garth, Giardini to JC Bach - was active in England, but you can discern very distinctive individual styles. Thanks to Harpsichordist Masumi Yamamoto for her vision and hard work in bringing this about as well as her amazing virtuosic playing.

⚜️Our INAUGURAL concert is TOMORROW!!🎉

The Church of Ascension Timbercroft Lane Plumstead SE18 2SG
4-5pm, Sunday 22nd October 2023

⚜️London Obbligato Collective⚜️
Sara Deborah, baroque violin🎻
Sarah Moffat, baroque violin 🎻
Carina Drury, baroque cello 🎻
Masumi Yamamoto, harpsichord 🎹

Very happy to be part of this new venture! Here is my artist's profile by the London Obbligato Collective .

✨Artist Profile✨
Sara Deborah, Baroque violin

German-born musician Sara Deborah is a versatile performer on the violin and viola covering solo, chamber and orchestra repertoire on both historical and modern instruments. An alumni of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and former string junior fellow at the Royal College of Music, she won a Making Music Award for Young Musicians and the Premio Bonporti for baroque violin in Italy 2017.

Praised by international press for her ‚singing elegance’ and ‚angelic instrumental voice’, Sara has performed as a soloist in venues including the Wiener Konzerthaus, Cadogan Hall and at the Lufthansa Baroque Festival, and as a chamber musician at the Wigmore Hall and King‘s Place. She has been a section principal for the European Union Baroque Orchestra, Dunedin Consort, and Florilegium, and further works with historical ensembles like the English Concert, OAE and the Sixteen in concert halls across the world. She was a founder member of the Chiaroscuro string quartet, and has collaborated on various CD recordings and broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

As an experienced teacher, she has inspired several generations of musicians at the Menuhin School and Bedales. In her home county Hampshire she directs the string orchestra SouthDowns Camerata and has founded the yearly Spirit of Music Festival. An activist for compassion, humanity and the environment, she loves walking in nature and foraging, and with her musician husband raises their family of three children, a dog and two Guinea pigs.

Photo credit: Tracy Goldfish Elson

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🌟Inaugural Concert of London Obbligato Collective🌟
The Church of Ascension Timbercroft Lane Plumstead SE18 2SG
4-5pm, Sunday 22nd October 2023

London Obbligato Collective
Sara Deborah, baroque violin
Sarah Moffat, baroque violin
Carina Drury, baroque cello
Masumi Yamamoto, harpsichord

It's a busy performing week with two concerts in London. Come along or listen if you can!

Wednesday 18th October, 7.30pm. Wigmore Hall. I'll be part of The English Concert performing Handel's comic cantata Clori, Tirsi and Fileno.
It seems to be sold out, but there will be a live stream on the Wigmore Hall fb site.

Sunday, 22 October, 4pm. Inaugural Concert of London Obbligato Collective - Plumstead Peculiars
A new chamber music group founded by Harpsichordist Masumi Yamamoto with chamber works from 18th century Britain centred around the obbligato harpsichord.

Tonight on BBC 4 channel at 7pm. Watch our performance of Mozart's C minor mass alongside JS Bach Cantata Singet dem Herrn and CEP Bach's Heilig from the Proms 2023. Dunedin Consort directed by John Butt and led by Huw Daniel. Don't miss it! Outstanding soloists including Jess Dandy .

Tonight at 10.15pm. Royal Albert Hall and BBC Radio 3. BBC Proms . The English Concert with Iestyn Davies. All Bach.

Getting ready for BBC Proms . Dunedin Consort Prom 29. Listen tomorrow, Sunday 11am-1pm on Radio 3. EDIT: TV broadcast will now be on Friday 8 September, 7pm.

Three months of 2 Garsington Opera runs coming to an end. Last show of the Barber of Seville tonight. It‘s been a great production, featuring a stunning set of historic Seville with revolving central facade, amazing singers, lots of fast, fun music, and wonderful colleagues of The English Concert. Two weeks ago we completed our shows of Mozart‘s Mitridate, with an outstanding cast of musical legends and lots of blood on stage! Side protagonists included kites, sheep and amphibians, the weather, some well-know audience faces and extremely tasty food! Thank you Garsington, it‘s been a great time again!

Today! Schubert String Quintet in St Mary's Church, Liss. 5pm. Don't miss an hour of most beautiful music!

This will be such a special concert to play. This Sunday at 5pm, St Mary‘s, Liss. I was first introduced to this gorgeous piece of music by my conservatoire teacher, and had the pleasure of joining his professional group in a festival performance aged 17. I still love it 20 years later, and had a great time rehearsing with these amazing players! One of Schubert‘s most positive works, full of sunshine, love, mystery, passion and delight! Let its sublime spell envelop you too!

Some more from our Spirit of Music Festival Family Concert. We were delighted to draw a crowd to fill the church on the bank holiday of the Coronation. Bach, Handel, new works by our own Lucy Flint and Dorry Macaulay and Bartok‘s Romanian Dances with about 30 children, including my three, from beginner to very advanced standard. Such a joy!

Here are some pictures of our youth string workshop and family concert from early May. It‘s such a joy to provide a shared platform for young musicians. We were delighted to learn that one young cellist participating for the first time had taken up the cello after hearing last year‘s Spirit of Music Festival concert in which his violinist sister participated. His clear goal was to be ready to play this time and there he was! The radiating smile of the children when they finish performing can just not be replicated in any other way!

All this year’s Spirit of Music spring festival concerts on two pages. Come along to events these two weekends! We are continuing to run the concert series throughout the year, details to follow. But these two weekends are at the core of our community work. Swing concert tonight at 6pm, and Classical orchestra concert Monday 8th at 4pm. Both family-friendly events, both at St Mary’s Church Liss. Free entry, donation at exit.

The programme will comprise Ligeti’s hyperchromatic Ramifications and Stravinsky’s “Apollon musagète”, a ballet inspired by Greek mythology. It will also include an exciting premiere by Florence Anna Maunders, which explores jazz and Persian modes and rhythms. Finally, Synchrony will interpret the all-time favourite Divertimento for Strings by Bartók.

Day 2 of rehearsals for this amazing project. Don't miss out on hearing us at the Ugly Duck tomorrow, Thursday, 7pm. (Doors open 6.20pm).

https://Synchrony.eventbrite.co.uk

London friends: Warm invitation to the following London concerts I'm involved in:

Tonight, Tue 28 Feb The English Concert at the Barbican with extracts from Solomon, Fireworks Music and Foundling Anthem.

30 March String ensemble Synchrony will perform music by Stravinsly, Bartok, Ligeti and a premiere by Florence Maunders. At the Ugly Duck.

2 April 11am! Bach St Matthew Passion at the Royal Festival Hall. I will be leading the second orchestra with Florilegium and the Bach Choir.

Photo credit: Tracy Goldfinch Elson

Our next local concert at the Petersfield Musical Festival . Hope to see you!

Get your tickets for the SouthDowns Camerata's next concert! 19th March 3pm at the Petersfield Musical Festival . It will be an entertaining programme of all dance music through various epoques, specially tailored for a family audience. We are really looking forward to working with the Petersfield Academy of Dance. Thanks to Wendy Lowe and Sue Bint for devising the fabulous programme and presentation.

I am thrilled to be joining this wonderful vibrant group for their next performances in London and Malta. The programme is very exciting, offering the rare chance to hear pieces for string ensemble by Stravinsky, Ligeti, Bartok and Florence Maunders. We hope to reach a big audience, and this concert also offers the chance to young local students to hear this music for free. We are still needing more support for the London concert, so please book tickets soon, and if you can sponsor the outreach programme and musicians (options via the concert ticket link), please do so. Tickets and sponsorship options can be found via the below eventbrite link.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/512781753027

Experience all-female music group Synchrony give a vibrant and intimate performance in one of London's most unique art venues.

Please join us this Sunday 13th November 3.30pm in St Mary’s Liss for a seasonal afternoon concert. Featuring concerti by Vivaldi -including Autumn- and concert pieces by Tchaikovsky and Puccini. As always, entry is free but we ask for a generous donation for the musicians on exit. Concert length about an hour, and families are very welcome. With SouthDowns Camerata, Spirit of Music Festival

Please join us this Sunday 13th November 3.30pm in St Mary’s Liss for a seasonal afternoon concert. Featuring concerti by Vivaldi -including Autumn- and concert pieces by Tchaikovsky and Puccini. As always, entry is free but we ask for a generous donation for the musicians on exit. Concert length about an hour, and families are very welcome. With Sara Deborah - violinist, Spirit of Music Festival

Just published this recording on my youtube channel. It was great fun performing this with my colleagues Johan Löfving and Lucy Scotchmer.

Biber 1681 Sonata in A, Sara Deborah, violin Biber 1681 Sonata in A for violin and basso continuoSara Deborah, baroque violinJohan Lofving, theorboLucy Sotchmer, violoncello

10 days ago we launched the 2022 of Music Festival with our youth concert. This festival is now in it's 8th year. Finally returning to music making in the community is such a wonderful coming together with joy and beauty after so much troubles and disconnection of the last 2 years. 4 years ago, we hosted a youth poetry event followed by a Syrian music and food evening which brought locals together with the Syrian refugee community - with Rihab Azar. In this year's youth concert we heard some amazing young soloists and ensembles including a wonderful young soloist from the growing Ukrainian community. In our family concert we will include Ukrainian folk songs and compositions alongside other musical heritage from across the world, including Russian. I believe that art and culture brings out the best in people, and shows us who they really are, and how we can connect beyond borders. It's so sad that wars never stop displacing people, but we hope that in sharing in our local musical community and having their music heard we can bring a bit of their home here and create new friendships while growing as a community of loving humans.

Enjoyed this concert last night. Such glorioys music that is always a pleasure to return to.

Glad to be part of this today.

Very special concert yesterday. Full capacity audience of 200 with every age group from 3 till 90 (?) well presented, and beaming faces all around. Playing for the community is a real privilege, it's there that you realise what music can really do to people, when you hear things like 'This was so good for my soul' from a young mum or the children tell you that they found the new composition really exciting. We musicians had great fun preparing and performing such a varied programme from Brandenburg 3 to Sibelius, Piazzolla and a brand-new premiere. Special credits to Lucy Flint for her amazing Lockdown Concerto for 4 violins and huge thanks to St Mary's Church, Liss for the first-class concert venue and the tea and cakes. Very pleased to raise funds for the important work of the Rural Refugee Network .