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| Emily Andrews & Francisco Correa throughout the recording of From Honey to Ashes |
Later this month, the Deux Elles label is issuing a two-disc set of music by composer Stephen Goss for flute and guitar carried out by the husband and spouse duo, guitarist Francisco Correa and flautist / mezzo-soprano Emily Andrews. In late 2024 I chatted to Stephen Goss in regards to the triple album out, Panorama and Reminiscence (additionally on Deux Elles) issued in celebration of Stephen’s sixtieth birthday [see my interview] and it seems that each Emily Andrews and Francisco Correa have been acting on that album. Francisco has additionally collaborated with Stephen a number of instances, together with performing Stephen’s guitar concerto in Colombia and Francisco’s first disc on Deux Elles, Winterbourne, featured Stephen’s Winterbourne Preludes.
The brand new disc, From Honey to Ashes, options Stephen’s music for flute and guitar, together with From Honey to Ashes from 2007, La Catedral Sumergida written in 2024 for the duo and Stephen’s Welsh Folksongs in preparations that date from throughout Stephen’s profession from 1988 to 2025; a complete of almost 90 minutes music in all. Each Emily and Francisco loved collaborating with Stephen on the disc, discovering he gave them nice flexibility to carry out. But the recording course of felt like a collaboration: they have been a trio, solely with one member (Stephen) not really performing. Each Emily and Francisco commented that it was a enjoyable method to work and there’s a sense that every one three voices are heard on the disc, that of Stephen, Emily and Francisco.
Stephen inspired them to make the items themselves, give the music their very own voice. Fairly than imposing on them, they felt in a position to ask him “Do you want that?” For Emily and Francisco this made the music extra alive and allowed them to push their artistry. They’d performed a number of of Stephen’s items earlier than, notably a number of of the Welsh folksongs, however then they realised that Stephen had written a major quantity of music for flute and guitar. As a guitarist himself, Stephen has written extensively for the guitar. For the brand new disc, he wrote La Catedral Sumergida for Emily and Francisco, and wrote two new Welsh folksongs, in addition to arranging American Pastoral for flute and guitar for them. In actual fact, on the disc Emily not solely performs the flute and sings however on one monitor she performs the violin as nicely.
As a flute/voice and guitar duo, Emily and Francisco have performed
collectively for ages, and they’re married. Their duo repertoire is vast
with an emphasis on Latin-American music (Francisco is Colombian), and
the 2 love Brazilian music. They’re eager to file music that has not
been recorded earlier than or that warrants a special tackle it; they’re
probably not fascinated with making simply one other recording of ordinary
repertoire. On From Honey to Ashes, although the items are
written out within the classical method some have roots in people music which
gave them scope to create their very own variations.
Emily studied the flute on the Royal Academy of Music then afterwards took non-public singing classes, and now she sings greater than performs the flute. Initially she was a flautist who sang, however now she thinks of herself as a singer who performs the flute. The brand new album is comparatively uncommon for her now as on it, she primarily performs the flute. In addition to their very own duo, Emily and Francisco even have a trio with guitarist David Massey, CarmenCo which has its concentrate on voice and two guitars, although she does play the flute as nicely.
Stephen’s music includes a broad vary of influences from funk to rock to up to date to Django Reinhardt and one piece on the brand new album, First Milonga, Final Tango is instantly impressed by Piazzolla. With many guitar-focused composers, and Francisco mentions Leo Brouwer, their music is well pigeonholed however Stephen’s vary is so broad. The brand new disc could be very different, the duo really feel that if listeners do not like one piece then they’ll simply transfer on to a different totally different one.
The recording course of provided them nice freedom as performers with Stephen prone to say “yeah, you might do this or do it otherwise”. The folksongs have been supposed to sound like people music and important sections of the recording embrace improvisation, as an example ‘Alba’ in From Honey to Ashes is written as a flute melody over guitar chords and Stephen gave them the liberty to file a model that repeats the music with Emily’s flute improvising over Francisco’s guitar chords. While different items on the disc have been written very exactly, the duo felt it was good to be provided that flexibility with Stephen concerning the dots as only a information. Stephen was additionally the producer on the album, in order that after every take they’d his notes. However the place improvisation is anxious, you can’t actually lower between takes, you must choose only one! This additionally means performances of the music by one other duo can be totally different once more, preserving the music enjoyable and recent. Stephen’s Welsh folksongs are carried out rather a lot, so the duo’s free method was appreciated and in them Emily performs flute, alto flute and, in a single, violin (with the intention to get a rougher sound).
As a guitarist himself, Stephen is aware of the guitar nicely. Francisco sees Stephen’s music as well-written, however it may be tough, particularly if Stephen is searching for a specific impact. However the music is all the time nicely well worth the effort, it is sensible. And Francisco factors out {that a} composer like Joaquim Rodrigo didn’t know the guitar very nicely in order that his Concierto de Aranjuez wants modifying. Francisco estimates that Stephen’s music requires enjoying of Grade 9+, even the items that sound easy. On Francisco’s first solo album on Deux Elles he performed Stephen’s Winterbourne Preludes which have been commissioned from Stephen to be music playable by good amateurs and most are (besides for 3, Francisco estimates).
Arising, Emily and Francisco have a variety of work with their trio, CarmenCo, notably performances of A Pocket Opera which rewrites Bizet’s Carmen in an irreverent means mixing live performance, theatre and comedy. It is a programme they’ve carried out over 50 instances, they usually have bookings into 2028. Within the autumn the trio is presenting a brand new programme, My, my, my Delilah which reworks Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalilah for threesome, from Dalilah’s perspective.
As a duo, Emily and Francisco have a brand new programme, Land of a thousand rhythms, about all of the totally different rhythms in songs and dances from South America, and on this programme which have even managed to slide in a few of Stephen’s Welsh folksongs! (After our chat is over, it strikes me as being relatively apt given the robust Welsh presence in Patagonia). The brand new album is being launched at a live performance in Guildford on 28 March when they are going to be performing music from the disc alongside South American music together with items from Land of a thousand rhythms. Additionally trying forward, the duo has a colleges mission based mostly on music about birds from totally different angles.
Emily and Francisco additionally run their very own pageant, Ham Farm Competition which returns from 24 to 26 July 2026 for its sixth 12 months. For the pageant they open up their backyard and over three days current double payments ever night, with music from classical, jazz, cabaret, people and extra, then throughout the daytime there are group occasions and workshops.
From Honey to Ashes: Music by Stephen Goss – Emily Andrews, Francisco Correa – Deux Elles [link tree]
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