Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks
Encyclopedia
Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks is a 1998
album by the English Sinfonia conducted
by Bramwell Tovey
. The work, by Michael Nyman
, is paired with The Protecting Veil
by John Tavener
featuring Josephine Knight on the cello
. The photography
and liner notes
indicate that Nyman was directly involved in the album (his 31st), the premiere recording of the work, while Tavener, whose piece, eleven years old at the time of the recording, has been recorded more than once, is represented by a headshot and stock commentary from Richard Steinetz.
l work based on the String Quartet No. 4, which in turn was based on the solo violin work, Yamamoto Perpetuo
.
The title is derived from the name of the town of Stevenage
, where the Sinfonia moved in 1997. The Anglo-Saxon
name of the town, "Sithenaece" means "Strong on Oaks." Nyman then took a cue from Tony Blair
's campaign slogan (in fact coined by Gordon Brown
), "Tough on Crime, Tough on the Causes of Crime."
He dedicated the work to Simon Jeffes
, founder of the Penguin Café Orchestra
, and a friend and colleague. Jeffes died on December 11, 1997. Nyman was orchestrating
the final page when he learned of his death, and in honor of him, styled 4-note pizzicato
chords in the style of Jeffes's ukelele work.
. It is scored for strings with a solo cello, but unlike in a concerto
, the cello part is an "endless arch" in the style of music from Byzantium
rather than being virtuosic.
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
album by the English Sinfonia conducted
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
by Bramwell Tovey
Bramwell Tovey
Bramwell Tovey, OM is an English-born Grammy Award winning conductor and composer. His musical roots are in The Salvation Army. He was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as a pianist and composer...
. The work, by Michael Nyman
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
, is paired with The Protecting Veil
The Protecting Veil
The Protecting Veil is a musical composition for cello and strings by British composer John Tavener. Completed in 1988, the work was at first a suggestion from cellist Steven Isserlis and subsequently commissioned by the BBC for the 1989 Proms season...
by John Tavener
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener is a British composer, best known for such religious, minimal works as "The Whale", and "Funeral Ikos"...
featuring Josephine Knight on the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. The photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
indicate that Nyman was directly involved in the album (his 31st), the premiere recording of the work, while Tavener, whose piece, eleven years old at the time of the recording, has been recorded more than once, is represented by a headshot and stock commentary from Richard Steinetz.
Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks
Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks, written in 1997, was commissioned from Nyman by the English Sinfonia. The work he gave them is a five-movement orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l work based on the String Quartet No. 4, which in turn was based on the solo violin work, Yamamoto Perpetuo
Michael Nyman for Yohji Yamamoto
Michael Nyman for Yohji Yamamoto is volume 2 of Yohji Yamamoto's series of albums, The Show. The album features the solo violin work Yamamoto Perpetuo , which Nyman has since adapted into the String Quartet No...
.
The title is derived from the name of the town of Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
, where the Sinfonia moved in 1997. The Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
name of the town, "Sithenaece" means "Strong on Oaks." Nyman then took a cue from Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's campaign slogan (in fact coined by Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
), "Tough on Crime, Tough on the Causes of Crime."
He dedicated the work to Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes
Simon Jeffes was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the core performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He composed the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe...
, founder of the Penguin Café Orchestra
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was a collective of performing musicians created by classically trained British guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes...
, and a friend and colleague. Jeffes died on December 11, 1997. Nyman was orchestrating
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
the final page when he learned of his death, and in honor of him, styled 4-note pizzicato
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
chords in the style of Jeffes's ukelele work.
The Protecting Veil
The Protecting Veil is a work composed by John Tavener in 1987 and premiered in 1989, based on his conversion from the Anglican Church to the Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. It is scored for strings with a solo cello, but unlike in a concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
, the cello part is an "endless arch" in the style of music from Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
rather than being virtuosic.
Track listing
- First movement 3'50"
- Second movement 3'30"
- Third movement 3'02"
- Fourth movement 3'05"
- Fifth movement 2'47"
- The Protecting Veil 9'35"
- The Nativity of the Mother of God 6'26"
- The Annunciation 3'33"
- The Incarnation 4'32"
- The Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross 11'41"
- The Resurrection 3'05"
- The Dormition 8'18"
- The Protecting Veil 3'39"
Personnel
- Josephine Knight, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- English Sinfonia
- Bramwell ToveyBramwell ToveyBramwell Tovey, OM is an English-born Grammy Award winning conductor and composer. His musical roots are in The Salvation Army. He was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as a pianist and composer...
, conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
- Producer: Matthew Dilley
- Engineer: Dick Lewzey
- 20 bit digital recording and post production by Sound Recording Technology, Cambridge
- Photography: Neil Applegate
- John Tavener photograph: Catherine Manners
- Josephine Knight photograph: Clive Barda
- Liner Notes: English Sinfonia, Michael Nyman, Richard Steinitz