Cruises

FUTURE TOURS
Please see the Concert Diary for more information.

ECO in Bermuda

In February 2009 the Orchestra enjoyed an exhilarating week at Bermuda Festival with conductors Vladimir Ashkenazy and Roy Goodman. Soloists were violinist So-Ock Kim, ECO's own principal cellist Caroline Dale and Bermudian - born tuba player Kenneth Amis.
Members of the Orchestra also took part in two days of outreach workshops, one at Francis Patten School and the other with the Menuhin School students who performed a short concert with the ECO.

ECO in Dubai
In November 2008 the orchestra made its first visit
Dubai to play in the Dubai Arts Theatre and Community
Centre. Kate Hill, ECO flautist reflects on our visit there.

On tour with the ECO in the United Arab Emirates

When this tour materialised I was delighted as I have a friend
who lives in Sharjah just 10 miles from Dubai. I had the
good fortune of having enough time to fly out from the UK
three days before the ECO left for this exciting project combining
works by Middle Eastern and British composers with the
Orchestra’s more familiar repertoire. It formed part of the
Al Farabi Concerto Series, which is creating networks between
musicians from the East and West and showcases the work of
talented Middle Eastern contemporary classical composers both
in the UK and within their own communities. Jordanian pianist
Karim Said, our soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 23, is at
present studying at London’s Royal Academy of Music where
William Bennett and I are both professors of flute, so this was a
pre-existing cultural link even though I didn’t know it until we
were rehearsing. It is always a good feeling to be working
with the next generation as they progress.


I left on a night flight to Dubai and landed about 8.30 the following
morning. Normally when starting a tour one simply has to take
one’s instrument, passport and concert clothes to the airport and
find the ECO management. At this point we usually become “sheep”
and just follow as and when required. However it is very different when
you are on your own. After the border control I felt like a new girl at
school as I went off to find a taxi to take me to my friend’s apartment
– Dubai taxis often don’t go to Sharjah but all went well and on arrival I
went to walk round the nearby lagoon before jet-lag took over. The lagoon
sounds very romantic but it is almost completely surrounded by tall buildings.
It didn’t look far to walk but the buildings are very deceiving in their size.
They are built closer together in Sharjah than in Dubai. I felt rather sorry
for the architects as they design the whole building and then find another is
built so close you can hardly see the sides!

I was introduced to the museums in Sharjah where I was welcomed with real
warmth, with everyone so happy to explain things with enthusiasm and care.
Walking along the dockside was fascinating, seeing so many boats covered in
colourful goods of all sorts. This was followed by an excellent visit to the Blue
Souk, which helped me fill my homeward-bound suitcase.

Staying with friends who are living in a country abroad always gives a
different insight. On my last day in Sharjah I was driven to the desert to walk
a friend’s two dogs. The sand, and landscape, was very beautiful. I had no idea
it was so hard to walk in the desert. Every step was such hard work (see pictures
of my footsteps)!



On the first day after linking up with the ECO in Dubai some of us had a marvellous
paddle in the sea. On the second day bassoonist Julie Price and I went to the Dubai
Creek and had great fun crossing the creek with the locals. It was marvellous to see something of an older way of life. There are so many hotels in Dubai; cranes and building sites are everywhere and it was exciting to see various buildings that are famous the world over.



The rehearsals and concert were held in the Dubai Community Theatre, which
is in the massive $820m Mall of the Emirates containing over 400 shops as well
as many other inner buildings including a very busy indoor skiing complex
complete with chair and drag lifts! (This caused a lot of excitement and
amazement as it was so warm outside; several of the orchestra had an
excellent ski after the concert.)

Our programme included works by the Armenian composer Boghos Gelalian
and the Syrian Zaid Jabri, both of whom we had already encountered in the
UK during previous Al Farabi concerts; and as well as the Mozart Piano Concerto
with our new young friend Karim we also played some Beethoven and Haydn.

I really enjoyed my first visit to the UAE. It was so good to see blue sky and fee
l the warmth of the sun, and especially to be among such friendly and helpful
people. I shall hope to go there again.