Press Release: English National Ballet Philharmonic thanks NHS with virtual rendition of Raymonda

[Jan McNulty]

English National Ballet Philharmonic say thank you to NHS with virtual rendition of Raymonda 

 

English National Ballet Philharmonic have joined together for a virtual rendition of an extract from Alexander Glazunov’s Raymonda to say thank you to the NHS for the vital work they are doing during the coronavirus pandemic.  

 

Recorded from the musician’s homes under the virtual baton of English National Ballet Music Director, Gavin Sutherland, this is the second online rendition from the orchestra following the release of a Swan Lakeextract last month. 

 

 

English National Ballet premieres a new version of the classic story ballet Raymonda, directed and choreographed by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo (after Marius Petipa), in Autumn 2020. Rojo’s adaptation takes inspiration from the ground-breaking spirit of Florence Nightingale, in this her bicentennial year, recasting the character of Raymonda as a young woman with a calling to become a nurse. 

 

Gavin Sutherland said: “The legendary Florence Nightingale dedicated her entire life to the nursing profession, and so with Tamara’s adaptation in mind, music from Raymonda felt like the perfect choice for expressing our gratitude to the amazing NHS staff for all their hard work in these challenging times.”

 

In the spirit of the UK’s #ClapForOurCarers initiative which celebrates the heroic efforts of the NHS every Thursday evening, English National Ballet Philharmonic’s remote performance of Raymonda will be released in the lead up to the applause on Thursday 09 April at 6pm on English National Ballet’s YouTube and Facebook channels. 

Find out more about ENB at HOME online content here: ballet.org.uk/enb-at-home

-ENDS-
 

English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. 

 

Notes to Editors

About English National Ballet 
English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since.

English National Ballet brings world class ballet to the widest possible audience through performances across the UK and on eminent international stages including The Bolshoi Theatre and Palais Garnier; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s.

Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company’s repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history with a move into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in East London which brings a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before.
www.ballet.org.uk

 

About Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

[Don Q Fan]

Beautiful!

[Lizbie1]

There's a nice mention by an emergency doctor of one of ENB's offerings in the New York Times:

 

'“Someone tweeted the English National Ballet musicians, doing a Zoom session playing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake,’” he said. “I listened to it. I noticed my whole body relaxed.”'

 

(From  "What Doctors on the Front Lines Wish They’d Known a Month Ago" at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/nyregion/new-york-coronavirus.html#click=https://t.co/AiKSA7nedg)