Take two cellists: Manchester Camerata's 'The Play Off'

Manchester Camerata, conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy, will premiere Colin Riley's double cello concerto Warp and Weft at Manchester Cathedral on 8 June 2017, featuring as soloists two talented young cellists Guy Johnston and Gabriella Swallow. The concerto celebrates the 300th anniversary of JS Bach's Cello Suites, and rather than taking a 19th century view of the concert (virtuosic soloist pitted against orchestra), Riley uses a more baroque approach with a complex interplay between soloists and orchestra. The double concerto form is relatively unusual, and the piece is being billed as a first ever double cello concerto.

The concerto forms part of the Manchester Camerata's evening The Play Off which will feature music by Mozart, Haydn and Philip Glass, plus a live-remix of Colin Riley's concerto by Youth Forum. Manchester Camerata were winners of the Ensemble Category in this years Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards (see my article).

Warp and Weft - the inside story from Colin Riley Music Projects on Vimeo.

Further information from the Manchester Camerata website.