Round Chapel Sessions

Three immersive short films - experience an orchestra from within

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented art.

Amidst seemingly endless obstacles to live concerts, we embraced restrictions and used social distancing as a creative device. Three cinematic films shot in the visually-stunning surroundings of Hackney's Round Chapel immerse the viewer within the orchestra, as if wandering through a live performance led by conductor Chloé van Soeterstède.

To be released weekly across December 2020, these films explore music by Cecilia McDowall, Jessie Montgomery, Sally Beamish, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor for a new, intimate, digital concert experience.

Watch all three Round Chapel Sessions below.

Produced in partnership with Teralon Media
With grateful thanks to The Scops Arts Trust

SESSION 1

CECILIA MCDOWALL Rain, Steam, and Speed

Out of the mist and across the Maidenhead Viaduct a gauge engine appears. A pair of clarinets dance like hares across the tracks; the shimmering strings paint a pastoral landscape. JMW Turner’s painting of the same name provides the inspiration for Cecilia McDowall’s atmospheric and symphonic journey along the Great Western Railway.

SESSION 2

JESSIE MONTGOMERY Starburst

Relentlessly rhythmic, Starburst depicts the unpredictable nature of a group of stars so powerful it changes the structure of an entire galaxy. Jagged, fiery violin gestures compete with the ice-cool gloss of string harmonics, creating a musical supernova of light and colour.

SALLY BEAMISH Reckless

A second bolt of rhythmic lighting and we’re left breathless by a riot of sounds and textures. 'Reckless' rips open the orchestra to reveal the inner workings in all its technicolour and – well, reckless – glory.

SESSION 3

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Novelletten op.52, No.1 & No.4

'Schmaltz' is not always a bad word. These charming Novellettens tell the story of violins waltzing around the dance floor; cellos weeping through nostalgic tunes and violas longing for more than just an “oom-pah-pah”. The basses and percussion add a touch of humour and spice – they’re the true heroes of this tale.