Rush Hour Concert - Hugh, Bridget and Nancy play new pieces by Declan Molloy and Phoenix Archbold

Hugh Webb, Bridget Carey and Nancy Ruffer, who we heard last March playing that wonderful Debussy recital, are back. But this time with two pieces by new young composers, Declan Molloy and Phoenix Archbold - as part of our Rush Hour concert initiative showcasing the work of new composers.

Phoenix first studied composition while at school and then at the Royal College of Music Junior Department. This was followed by a three year physics degree but composing alongside. Tonight's piece, Meandering Shadows, was composed in summer 2024. Phoenix has now decided to focus full time on composition and is starting a masters in composition at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in September 2025.

Meandering Shadows  takes us meandering through a forest. The forest contains many shadows, represented by the harmonics in all three instruments, and by the melodic lines being played by multiple instruments, as if one is a shadow of another.

Declan studied music at Oxford and at the Royal Academy, and cites Debussy and Frank Zappa as major influences. He has composed original music for the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, a number of chamber groups and solo performers. He has also worked in musical theatre and in film, one of his films being selected for screening at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah. 

In the piece we are playing tonight, The Elements, each of the four movements captures one of the earth’s four main elements: water, wind, earth and fire.

In between the pieces the trio will ring the mood changes with three Astor Piazzolla tangos.

PROGRAMME:

Meandering Shadows – Phoenix Archbold 2024

Café 1930, Nightclub 1960, Oblivion – Astor Piazzolla

The Elements – Declan Molloy 2024

TICKET 'PRICE':

Because we are not a public venue we cannot 'sell' tickets. Instead we ask you to make a donation. Suggested minimum £15 per ticket which will include one or several glasses of wine. For this concert your donations will go to the two composers. 

THE ARTISTS:

Hugh Webb

Hugh has worked extensively in the contemporary music field and has had many solo works written for him. Classical CD recordings include Bax’s Concerto for Flute, Oboe and Harp, a collection of Bach Flute Sonatas, Villalobos’ Quartet, Bax’s Fantasy Sonata and the complete Spohr Violin and Harp Sonatas. His most recent recordings are of French Renaissance songs with the medieval group, Joglaresa and of solo and chamber music by Nino Rota.
From 2001 to 2012 he was principal harp of the Philharmonia Orchestra and now freelances as guest principal of the major London orchestras and is active in the film and television music worlds. He has composed a show for children based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen.

Bridget Carey

Bridget studied jointly at the Royal Academy of Music and London University since when she has pursued a varied freelance career based in London, gaining a particular reputation in the field of new music. From 1995-2005 she was viola player with the Kreutzer string quartet. More recently, her chamber music interests include east-west fusion group Okeanos, the Goldfield Ensemble and the London Chamber Ensemble. She is a longstanding player with the experimental music group Apartment House, a founder member of Britten Sinfonia, and a regular guest with London Sinfonietta and BCMG, among others.

Nancy Ruffer

Nancy was born in Detroit. Following a Fulbright-Hays scholarship to The Royal Academy, she remained in London working as a free-lance flautist specialising in contemporary music. She has been principal flute in the ensembles Matrix, Music Projects/London, Apartment House and The Almeida Ensemble and has worked with The London Sinfonietta, Endymion, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and various chamber groups and orchestras including The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She teaches flute at King's College School, Cambridge.