CASTLE OF MEY
Track Listings
Paul Carroll
Concerto for Violin and Strings No.2
Violin Solo Hui-Ti Wang
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Presto
Paul Carroll
The Castle of Mey - A Scottish Fantasy for Strings
In memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Dedicated to Their Royal Highnesses
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
4. The Sea – Allegro
5. The Evening Star – Andante
6. Dance – Allegro
7. Moonlight – Adagio
8. The Farewell – Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto for Strings in F major RV288
9. Allegro
10. Adagio
11. Vivace
Georg F. Handel
Aria for soprano and strings
Solo Soprano Nicola Said
12. Lascia Ch’io Pianga
Natasha Senanayake
This Too Shall Pass – Intermezzo for Strings
13. Adagietto e Molto Espressivo
Paul Carroll
Dedicated to former Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mrs Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba
14. Botswana, Botswana
Paul Carroll
15. Tango for Octet
16. The Commonwealth Anthem
The Composer in-Residence of the Commonwealth Orchestras and Choirs, Paul Carroll (1955 - ) wrote “The Castle of Mey”, in 2009 and is a memorial piece for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, which is dedicated to Their
Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Her Majesty The Queen Mother’s husband, His Majesty King George VI, was the first Head of the Commonwealth when it was established in 1949.
The composition, “The Castle of Mey”, was inspired by a chance meeting on 24 February 2009 when the composer was walking down The Mall and crossed paths with his great friend The Bishop of London, who had just finished officiating at the unveiling of a new statue of Her Majesty The Queen Mother. The statue is only 200 yards from Marlborough
House on The Mall, which currently houses the offices of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Inspired by this remarkable statue, the composer returned to his desk and searched for information about the creation of the statue and in the process he discovered Her Majesty’s privately-owned Castle of Mey. Struck by the beauty and romance of the castle, and its setting, he composed this programmatic Fantasy, as a memorial to Her Majesty The Queen Mother.
The Violin Concerto No. 2 is from a set of six concertos specially written by Paul Carroll for the violin virtuoso Hui-Ti Wang. This concerto makes considerable demands upon the soloist as well as on the orchestra and the slow movement in particular requires careful bow control to preserve the serenity of the music.
Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678 -1741) Concerto in F major for strings is a joyful celebration with its dynamic fast movements contrasting with a slow movement which so eloquently paints a picture of the shrouded back canals of Venice at night.
Georg F. Handel’s (1685 -1759) aria Lascia Ch’io Pianga from his opera Rinaldo is sung on this recording by the Maltese Soprano Nicola Said who is currently studying on the Opera Programme of The Guildhall School of Music in London.
Natasha Senanayake (1987 - ) is one of Sri Lanka’s only female composers. Winner of the Commonwealth Music Competition Glasgow 2014, Natasha, who is 27, possesses the rare gift of being able to compose extremely well in all music genres. Her Intermezzo ‘This Too Shall Pass’ is a serene elegy for strings in one movement.
Botswana, Botswana is a collection of Botswanan traditional songs and its national anthem, which have been crafted into an especially composed work for octet and dedicated to Mrs. Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba on the occasion of her departure from the post of Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General in May 2014.
The Tango for octet by Paul Carroll contains a tribute to Carlos Gardel and quotes some of his music ‘Por Una Cabeza’ originally written in 1935, the year of Gardel’s death in a plane crash at the young age of 44. The Tango is scored for the unique combination of clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, contrabassoon, trumpet, violin, piano and bass.
The performance of The Commonwealth Anthem on this recording is performed by 100 children of the Commonwealth Children’s Choir with members of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra.
The Castle of Mey was the property of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1952 until1996, when Her Majesty generously gifted it with an endowment to the Queen Elizabeth
Castle of Mey Trust. HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, is President of the Trust.
The Castle is situated on the north coast of Caithness, Scotland, in the parish of Canisbay, about 15 miles east of Thurso and six miles west of John O’Groats. It stands on rising ground about 400 yards from the seashore, overlooking the Pentland Firth and the Islands.
The visitor centre, tearoom, shop, grounds and animal centre are open every day during the normal season from 10.00 am until 5.00 pm.
2015 opening dates are 13th May to 30th September 2015 (closed 27th July to 10 August inclusive).
The Castle of Mey, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland, KW14 8XH.
Website: www.castleofmey.org.uk
The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra will be making a donation of 10% from the sale of each “The Castle of Mey” CD to The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust.
The Commonwealth Orchestra & Choir
Diamond Jubilee Patron 2012
Her Majesty The Queen
Head of The Commonwealth
The mission of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir is to use music as a means of international dialogue, knowing no boundaries, and through its initiatives and programmes it brings together communities across the Commonwealth through music, transcending all cultural, political, social and
economic boundaries.
Its unique major cross-borders initiative, The Commonwealth Music Partnership - Music for Peace & Development, unites all choirs, orchestras and music schools in the Commonwealth for pan-Commonwealth exchange, collaboration and engagement.
Her Majesty The Queen, Head of The Commonwealth, is Diamond Jubilee Patron of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir and as part of the Commonwealth Diamond Jubilee Legacy,
the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir has established the Commonwealth Children’s Orchestra & Choir and The Commonwealth Orchestra, which creates international platforms and employment for musicians in all 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
In 2011 the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir received an unique and unanimous support from all Commonwealth Heads of Government and this endorsement was published in the Final
Communiqué of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October 2011.
Commonwealth Children's Choir
Sanbavi Nimalarajan
Mahi Charela
Ridita Chowdury
Peter Mwanghi
Amani Dyer
Marcolino Santus awes Pereira
Laurel Anandaraj
Behruz Garboni
Jal Shah
Hasba Ali
Chloe Gropasi
Abisha Ravindrain
Jannati Hossain
Shriya Bhudia
Khadijah Patel
Naidan Salvador
Muskaan Shafique
Asmin Khan
Alyaa Ojeah
Selin Celik
Jennifer Morais
Maha Muhammad
Drusilla Duke
Fawziya Chowdury
Ssurthy Sivendran
Zainab Hussain
Amina Ahmed
Iqra Tahir
Iqra Ahmed
Sara Tinta
Safah Khan
Paris Johnson
Chloe McKenzie
Jasmine Whomes
Kelsey Gamon
Hermela Tecleab
EnyaVintula
Nayimah Ullah
Rhianna Chapman
Chanel Collins
Femi Hassan
Emma Baker
Humaira Jannat
Haajrah Patel
Maarij Abdul
Karen Pinto
Mujahedul Haque
Samira Khan
Justina Ulcinaite
Karima Begum
Malaika Nasir
Raveena Tora
Akifah Asghar
Sifica Sriharan
Jennifer Rose
Ifeoma Ifeneziuche
Eloise Cunha
Filipa Antunes
Kinder Erhabor
Ashley Mukisa
Deborah Ogunsola
Nehendra Jonas
Amelia Grech
Robert Grech
Emma Wasirwa
Selina Ocloo
Karen Fernando
Emmanuel Idowu
Adam Szymczyk
Arshika Ahmed
Marley Francis
Sageev Rajas
Juanita Brimpomaah
Dorcas Mbala
Jordan Singh
Aaliyah Faruk Patel
Fatima Kuzi
Hannah Rahman
Habibah Malik
Joe Jasper
Kamile Elvikyte
Mushtaq Nabi
Vania Gomes
Curtis Steeds
Romaine Allen
Vithusa Suthan
Nadia Akther
Laibah Abubakr
Annija Rubina
Natalia Odzelashvili
Junia Sutherland
Jalwa Zakie
With thanks to Headteachers and Music Coordinators:
Hafise Nazif, Joanne Bezer, Rosie Cowan, lan Wilson, Sara Morgan, Paul Underwood, Andrea Choppy, Dr Julian Grenier, Rani Karim, Paula David, Chantal Stein, Rafaela Hatziefstratiou, Olu
Sodeinde, Nichola Besley, Alice Mason, Laura Kimberley and David Worth
Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Commonwealth Children’s Choir
Conductor: Paul Carroll
Soprano: Nicola Said
Leader: Hui - Ti Wang
Assistant Conductor: (Track 14) Alice Mason
Recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2 on 10 and 11 of February 2015
Producer: Simon Kiln
Engineer: Arne Akselberg
Studio Assistant: Lewis Jones
Studio Assistant: Matt Jones