In association with Bath Film Festival and in promotion of the F-Rating – a rating awarded to films either directed or written by a woman – the orchestra played a pair of gigs, both at Colston Hall’s Lantern and in Stroud’s Goods Shed.
The music performed was written entirely by women and included works by Joni Mitchell, The Roches, Connie Converse, Ivor Cutler (close enough!), Beyonce, and P. J. Harvey. The orchestra was also joined by special guests Rita Lynch and Djanan Turnan performing arrangements of their own songs.
On 8 February 2018 we did Len again, this time to a sold-out Colston Lantern.
Our evening showcasing the songs of Leonard Cohen featured vocal guests including Jimmy Goodrich, Lady Nade, Billie Bottle, Nuala Honan and Emily Breeze.
The Fantasy Youth Orchestra Workshop “Rhythms Of The World”
age range – 10-18yrs
location – The Trinity Centre
dates – 30th July – 3rd Aug 2018
concert 1 – 5th august Trinity Centre
concert 2 – 18 august Colston Hall
Fresh from a month traveling in India, the Fantasy Orchestra present a week of music workshops aimed at young people who play instruments and can read music to a basic standard.
The repertoire will bring together music from all over the world including African, Indian, Turkish, American and European pieces with an emphasis on different cultures.
The workshops take place Mon 30 July – Fri 3 August, 2-4pm
The cost will be £15 for the week or £3 per 2 hour session (with concessions available – please ask).
On Sunday the 5th august workshop participants will be joined by regular members of the
Fantasy Orchestra for a performance celebrating Rhythms Of The World. There will be a 2nd performance at The Colston Halls Hoo Haa event on Sat 18th August
What: A night celebrating the music of Edit Piaf with The Fantasy Orchestra Paris & Bristol When: Sunday 24th March Where: The Old Market Assembly, West St. (BS2 0DF) Tickets: £5 early bird / £8 in advance from Headfirst; £10 on the door
This concert will celebrate the music of Edith Piaf and other French popular music from the era, performed by the Fantasy Orchestra’s Catherine Deas, supported by other musicians from the orchestra. For more information see the Old Market Assembly website and the Facebook event. Early-bird and advance tickets are available from here.
Where: St George’s Hall (Great George St, Bristol BS1 5RR)
Tickets: £12 advance from St George’s; £15 on the door
The Fantasy Orchestra is excited to announce the launch of their forthcoming debut album ‘Adventures in Transcription’. This features an eclectic mix of music by diverse artists such as Sun Ra and Caetano Veloso, folk musician Richard Dawson, Brooklyn-based post punk duo Buke and Gase and electronic composer Disasterpeace, as well as local composers. The album will be launched in style at the newly refurbished St George’s hall, on Thursday 28th February. More information and tickets are available from their website: www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk
Here is our brand new music video, for Richard Dawson’s Final Moments of the Universe, from the album.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, we premiered a new set of arrangements of tunes from ’67, including music by the Velvet Underground, Buffalo Springfield, the Doors and The Association.
With the help of several friends from our Paris chapter, we took over Kings Weston House on 17 June for our big summer event, featuring oil projectors, floral outfits and several different mini-ensembles.
Besides our main outdoor set, there were plenty of mellow happenings within. It all came to a storming climax around midnight from prog rock maestros Asteroid Deluxe.
The Fantasy Orchestra and choir will be performing Navidad Nuestra by Ariel Ramirez, a nativity suite, set in the Argentinian countryside and sung in Spanish. This to be followed by a selection of other Xmas tunes from around the world plus winter-warmers and glorious seasonally appropriate oeuvres.
Fantasy Orchestra leader and guiding light, Jesse D Vernon, writes:
As committed-for-life fans of Ursula Le Guin, my wife Kate and I decided to start running appreciation days when we discovered some amazing music, composed by Todd Barton, to accompany one of her books, Always Coming Home. Published in 1985, about a cultural group of humans—the Kesh—who “might be going to have lived a long, long time from now in Northern California.” (p. i) Part novel, part textbook, part anthropologist’s record, Always Coming Home describes the life and culture of the Kesh people.
Todd Barton wrote a selection of folk songs and music which the Kesh might have been going to sing and they make wonderful listening and a great subject for a singing workshop and performance.
5pm we watched the film “The Lathe Of Heaven” followed by a discussion lead by Sheryl Robinson and the Bristol Utopian Book Collective.
7pm We were treated to a talk by Helena Hoyle-King about maps featured in the novels of Ursula Le Guin. This was followed by a map making workshop lead by . Helena.
Here are some of the maps made:
8pm “Mothers Of The Terrible Glow” performed some of their sci-fi inspired instrumentals with excellent introductions, explanations and insights from Daniel Potter.
