Burt Bacharach was one of America’s most prolific, inventive, and celebrated pop composers. Responsible for 52 Top 40 hits throughout the 60’s and 70’s, his songs challenge the norm of what a popular song should be, with advanced harmonies and chord changes, unexpected turnarounds and modulations, unusual time signatures and rhythmic twists. In 2012, Richard and …
Last week we had the logistical task of performing two programmes on consecutive nights, the first at Sage Gateshead and the second at the Festival Theatre in Chichester. At Sage Gateshead, we played our Elton John programme with the Royal Northern Sinfonia to an enthusiastic audience, and soon had them on their feet for some …
Last Saturday saw the first live performance of our 80th Birthday Celebration for Barbra Streisand, with Louise Dearman and Katie Birtill, with Graham Bickley, conducted by Richard Balcombe with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool.The response was to say the least, explosive with a prolonged standing ovation! The following evening, …
This month, GRB Concerts celebrates10 years of operation. Our first concert was on Valentines Day, 2012 – What the World Needs Now…The Music of Burt Bacharach, at Cadogan Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. We continue to provide orchestras with programmes with a difference – our new Streisand concert premieres in April, and we have …
Ahead of our first live concert performance of our new Barbra Streisand programme, celebrating her 80th birthday, we recorded it for a special BBC Radio 2 ‘Sunday Night is Music Night’ presentation to be broadcast on her actual birthday – April 24th 2022. Thrilled to be working with the BBCO once again, we were still …
Finally – finally, good news to report. After a year of misery, two of our cancelled Elton John concerts have been reinstated for this October. On the 22nd, we will be performing in Birmingham with the CBSO at Symphony Hall, and a week later on the 30th, with the Hallé at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. …
It has been months since GRB Concerts has been able to perform any of its concerts, and the only bit of good news is that the cancelled concerts have all been pencilled for new dates in 2021. We cannot wait. This year has seen unprecedented levels of misery in all its forms, but not felt …
Conductor Richard Balcombe, Graham Bickley, Abbie Osmon, Stuart Matthew Price, Patrick Smyth, and pianist George King join Royal Northern Sinfonia for a spectacular celebration of the music of Elton John. March 28th, 7.30pm, Sage Gateshead,
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Philharmonic Hall George King, Patrick Smyth, Abbie Osmon, Graham Bickley, Stuart Matthew Price, Richard Balcombe “In a wonderful journey through the celebrated music of Sir Elton, we are not only delighted with all those hits but discover some overlooked gems on the way too. Superbly put together by Richard Balcombe and Graham Bickley …
Half a century after he released his debut album, Sir Elton Hercules John is having a moment – driven by the success of flamboyant big screen biopic Rocket Man and an imminent ‘farewell’ tour. And Rocket Man the song was one of 22 numbers featured in this buoyant celebration from GRB Concerts (conductor/orchestrator Richard Balcombe …
Elton John: 50 Years of Your Song – Catherine Jones Arts City Liverpool Read More »
