BBC Music Magazine is celebrating its 30th Birthday this year, and as part of the celebrations they have chosen Below The Belt as one of their 30 “Must-Have Albums of our Lifetime”.
In the week when the UK’s financial and political stability is balancing on a knife-edge, Steph Power’s writing is incredibly prescient:
“Over the past 30 years, the UK has experienced seismic cultural and socio-political shifts. In his superb 2018 debut recording Below the Belt, composer Phillip Venables speaks to the resulting – and ongoing — turmoil with a lacerating eloquence that addresses social fallout and the awakening of new generations to matters of individual freedom and identity. Visceral yet tender and forensically clear, the six vocal and instrumental works encompass fractured states, super-real abstraction and graphic, ferociously satirical directness, brilliantly performed by an array of soloists and ensembles including performance artist David Hoyle and the London Sinfonietta under conductor Richard Baker. “
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.
The Revenge of Miguel Cotto has been selected for inclusion in the 2017 MATA Festival in New York City. The festival will take place in April, and the performance will be the American premiere of the piece. More details to follow.
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 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.
The Revenge of Miguel Cotto, the work that Steve Fowler and I are working on for the London Sinfonietta Blue Touch Paper project, is going well. The work is moving at a fast pace now, and I’m having some mentoring sessions with Olga Neuwirth and David Sawer as part of the project.
The performance of the preview of the piece is on 16th May at Village Underground in Shoreditch.
Here are some pictures of sketches for the work as it progresses.
The Revenge of Miguel Cotto is a piece about a true story of two boxers, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. Steven Fowler’s poetry, whilst not telling the story, reflects on aspects of it such as love, betrayal, their knockout fight, physical and mental injury. It was commissioned by the London Sinfonietta as part of their Blue Touch Paper scheme.
Details
Ensemble: 2 male voices, 3tbn / acc.2perc(punchbags) / 3vln + amplification. Duration: 14 mins Text: Steven J Fowler
In this video and on the debut album Below the Belt (Spotify link): Conductor: Richard Baker Voices: Leigh Melrose, Dario Dugandzic Players: Ashot Sarkissjan, Ciaran McCabe, James Widden, Ian Watson, Graham Lee, Lee Boorer, Simon Baker, 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.
This piece has only ever been performed in the UK. Other national premieres are available.
BBC Music Magazine is celebrating its 30th Birthday this year, and as part of the celebrations they have chosen Below The Belt as one of their 30 “Must-Have Albums of…
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…
The Revenge of Miguel Cotto has been selected for inclusion in the 2017 MATA Festival in New York City. The festival will take place in April, and the performance will be the…
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…
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…
The Revenge of Miguel Cotto, the work that Steve Fowler and I are working on for the London Sinfonietta Blue Touch Paper project, is going well. The work is moving…
My debut album, Below the Belt, is now available for pre-ordering via 
