Local violinist and conductor celebrates his 50th birthday by staging one of the most unusual charity concerts ever witnessed in Cambridge.

Steve Bingham’s Fire and Ice concert to combine full orchestra with electric and traditional violins in a programme featuring mythical glowing birds, icy wastes, JS Bach and a looping masterpiece, all in aid of Camsight.

West Road Concert Hall, Sunday 16 June 2013, 7.30pm

Cambridgeshire-based violinist and conductor Steve Bingham has chosen to mark his 50th birthday by hiring West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge and putting on a concert in aid of Cam Sight, the local charity for people with sight loss.

Steve, who has played with some of the UK’s top orchestras as well as leading the Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and conducting the Ely Sinfonia, is a champion of the idea that a training in classical music is just the start in making music of all types an adventure for everyone. His concert, Fire and Ice, will feature modern classical, world music and film scores, as well as a full concerto for recorded birdsong and orchestra.

The concert will include Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus concerto for birdsong and orchestra, the suite from Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Bach’s Chaconne in D minor for solo violin, Keeling’s You Cut The String for electric violin and live looping, and Michael Nyman’s Suite of Film Music Pieces, including two brand new arrangements by Phil Toms.

Tickets for the concert are available from the ADC Theatre box office, tel 01223 300085, or online at http://www.adcticketing.com/whats-on/concert/fire-and-ice.aspx

Heat 2, Thursday 10th March
Wild Hope (Alt Rock) www.myspace.com/wildhopemusic
J Treole (Alt/Electronic) - www.myspace.com/jtreole
Scarlletta (Pop/Electronic) - www.myspace.com/scarlletta
Inqalab (Alt/Electronic) - www.myspace.com/westessexinqalab

The Cambridge Band Competition boasts an eclectic mix of performers this year. From over 75 entries, we’ve narrowed it down to 16 acts. Now it’s time for that crucial public vote…

Every Thursday evening in March you’ll get a chance to see the cream of the local music crop in the contest heats at The Portland Arms. Your vote will help us decide which band bags that plum spot on the main stage at Strawberry Fair this year.

The Contest Heats are every Thursday in March at The Portland Arms (129 Chesterton Rd, CB4 3BA/ Tel: 01223 357 268). Entry £5. From 7.30 till 11pm.

Do your bit to support community arts and music. Get down to The Portland and make your vote count.

http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk/band-competition.php

THE FRIENDS OF ELY SINFONIA PRESENTS TOUCHABLE DREAMS IN THE KEY OF LOVE
Local celebrity duo intertwine violin, electric violin, loops, guitar and voice in a profound homage to love. Presented by the Friends of Ely Sinfonia, Ely Methodist Church, Friday 10th September 2010, 7.30pm

Celebrated local musician, Steve Bingham, is teaming up with wordsmith Jeremy Harmer on Friday 10th September for an evening dedicated to love. Presented by the Friends of Ely Sinfonia and taking place at Ely Methodist Church, the event combines classical and electric violin, loops, guitar and voice, demonstrating the passion, tenderness and agony of deep feeling, as they are brought out by both music and the spoken word.

Touchable Dreams explores the symbiosis between words and music and the ways in which they echo and complement each other. Sometimes words follow the music; at other times music follows the words; and sometimes the words and the music are intertwined in an almost physical interdependency.

“This is an event unlike any you'll have experienced before,” says Roz Chalmers, who chairs Ely Sinfonia. “When I first heard Jeremy and Steve with their unique combination of modern and classical music and words, I was completely bowled over.”

Jeremy Harmer says: “We try to show how music and words, the very bases of human emotion, can co-exist and enhance each other in expressing one of the greatest emotions of the human experience – love. We describe romantic love, transient love, ridiculous love, bitter love, lost love and sublime love.”

Grrrl Party is back again!, and as before, there shall be amazing tunes from grrrls with guitars and grrrls with synths and grrrls with shouty voices and feministy politics to keep you dancing all nite long!

DJ Neon Jeepster of POPSTARZ in London will also be back again with a guest slot.

Facebooky link is here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251224738784&ref=nf

Grrrl Party is queer- and women-friendly; people of all genders and sexualities are all completely welcome as long as yr respectful of this!

RS ♥

A solo concert by internationally renowned violinist Steve Bingham.

Described by The Independent as "This extraordinary performer" Steve will play music from Bach to The Beatles on violin and electric violin, plus live looping: A technique where Steve records his playing live and uses the resulting 'loops' to build up complex and ingenious arrangements!

This is truly a violin recital with a difference!

Entitled "Ascension" the concert will consist of Steve's trade mark eclectic mix of music: There'll be solo Bach and multi-tracked Telemann and Pachelbel for a baroque touch. Unaccompanied Piazzolla, alongside traditional and not-so traditional folk music from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Ireland. World premieres of a new looping piece by Derek Paice and a new arrangement of 'All Along The Watchtower' (Bob Dylan) by Phil Toms, plus performances of pieces written especially for Steve by Andrew Keeling and Laurie Dunkin-Wedd. There will also be some of Steve's own arrangements of works by Philip Glass, George Harrison, Yes and Coldplay.

Alongside Steve and a violin on stage, there will also be a 4-string electric violin, a 5-string electric violin, a laptop, midi pedals, a bass pedal unit and a child's bicycle horn! There'll also be a guest appearance by violist Brenda Stewart in both a piece for two electric violins and a novelty item for 2 players, 2 bows and only 1 violin1

Steve Bingham studied violin at the Royal Academy of Music and in 1985 he formed the Bingham String Quartet, an ensemble which has become one of the foremost in the UK, with an enviable reputation for both classical and

Recently seen at the Corn Exchange in support of Hot Chip, and making an overdue return to Bad Timing, expect an awesome solo show that showcases his talents as a vocalist and musician in a completely engaging and fun performance (which may or may not include that KLF cover).

Ben Butler and mouse pad
Ben Butler makes bizarrely funky rhythmic 256-colour electro pop with the likes of 1970s studio megalomaniacs such as Vangelis, Alan Parsons, or even ELO stashed in its record collection. BB&MP is the new project of Joe Howe (Gay Against You, Germlin) seen in Cambridge alongside the likes of DJ Scotch Egg, Kevin Blechdom and Ove Naxx. His newest alter-ego comes out of recent time in Berlin collaborating with Momus. Word is that the Ben Butler live experience is even better than G vs Y!

'[like] the shy hyper-intelligent cousin of a couple of popular French dance acts also raised on unhealthy doses of weirdo synth music, experimental disco and coffee black like sin' www.20jazzfunkgreats.co.uk

Um
(gagarin, tripel, strange lights)
'Junk shop electronica from a one man mind mental, there's some seriously barmy, disjointed vibes bouncing around in these bendy but catchy grooves. John Callahan, early Baby Bird, Wevie Stonder, Felix Kubin ... are handy reference points.' Norman Records

Sound art performance with technology. Music and performances by Tom Hall, Richard Hoadley, Katharine Norman and special guests.

No booking required.

Coates improvises with Massive Attack, performs concerti and is guest principal with the London Sinfonietta. His passion and ability are showcased with new works for cello and electronics by Larry Goves, Elspeth Brooke and David Fenness

Coffee is served in the gallery from 11.30am.

Booking Info:
online - www.adcticketing.com
by phone - 01223 300085

Support from MAN FROM URANUS

A Crushing Death & Grief Gig: www.crushingdeath.com