Philip Venables

A composer of ferocious dramatic instincts
— Alex Ross

Tag: Leigh Melrose

  • Below The Belt

    Below The Belt

    My debut album, Below the Belt, is now available for pre-ordering via NMC here. The disc will be launched on 16th March 2018.  The works on the disc are:

    The Revenge of Miguel Cotto,
    Klaviertrio im Geiste,
    Numbers 76–80,
    Numbers 91-95,
    Metamorphoses after Britten,
    Illusions.

    The disc features David Hoyle, the London Sinfonietta, Phoenix Piano Trio, Ligeti Quartet, Leigh Melrose, Dario Dugandzic, Nick Blackburn, Melinda Maxwell, Natalie Raybould, Lewis Bretherton, George Chambers and Ashley Mercer, conducted by Richard Baker.

  • Video of The Revenge of Miguel Cotto, LSO St Luke’s

    Video of The Revenge of Miguel Cotto, LSO St Luke’s

    Score and more info here

    The Revenge of Miguel Cotto
    Music: Philip Venables
    Text: Steven J Fowler
    Conductor: Richard Baker
    Voices: Leigh Melrose, Dario Dugandzic
    Violins: Ashot Sarkissjan, Ciaran McCabe, James Widden
    Accordion: Ian Watson
    Trombones: Graham Lee, Lee Boorer, Simon Baker
    Punchbags: Matthew West, Oliver Lowe.

    Recorded at LSO St Luke’s, 29th June 2013.
    Recording produced by Andrew Morgan
    Video by Mark Hermida

    With thanks to LSO St Luke’s, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Arts Council of England and the London Sinfonietta.

  • The Revenge of Miguel Cotto (video)

    The Revenge of Miguel Cotto (video)

    A performance piece about a true story of revenge and honour between boxers Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

    Music: Philip Venables

    Text: Stephen J. Fowler

    Performed by: the London Sinfonietta

    Location: Village Underground

    Date: May 2012

  • The Revenge of Miguel Cotto preview

    The Revenge of Miguel Cotto preview

    The preview version of The Revenge of Miguel Cotto was premiered on 16th May at Village Underground in Shoreditch, London.  What a great evening!  The London Sinfonietta were performing, conducted by Richard Baker, with vocalists Leigh Melrose and Alexander Robin Baker.  I’ll post a video of the performance shortly.

    The Revenge of Miguel Cotto is a piece I have been working on with poet Steven J Fowler about boxing.  We were really interested in the ritual, signs, symbols, discipline of something which is, at its core, deeply brutal and tragic.  The formalisation of sanctioned violence, if you like.

    The complete piece will be about 45-minutes long, combining poetry and music, This was a 15-minute preview, with a slightly smaller ensemble than the full piece.   We are currently looking for promoters to co-produce the full piece, so please get in touch if you’re a promoter and you’re interested.