Three In A Bar

In Episode 83 Seb and Verity head down the Elizabeth line to Southall for a chat with tabla player, producer, composer and one of the best people you could hope to meet, Kuljit Bhamra MBE.

Kuljit was one of the pioneers of British Bhangra and has produced, recorded and performed on copious amounts of records for British and Indian artists. He works extensively as a session musician as well as collaborating with artists across a multitude of genres - jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard is a long time collaborator as well as artists including the Orlando consort, BBC Concert Orchestra, Ringo Starr and Andrew Lloyd Webber on Bombay Dreams.

Kuljit previously performed and had a brief chat at the TIAB live show (see link below) so Seb and Verity were delighted he agreed to come back for round 2. Conversation includes demystifying tabla playing and debunking some of the myths surrounding Eastern music, bringing together performers from all genres and some weird and wonderful requests he’s received.

They also chat about a chance meeting in Pizza Express (not Prince Andrew but music theatre royalty was involved) and making his West End debut. Kuljit discusses his plans for potential world domination (our words not his) with his new invention - the electric tabla. Watch this space!

Take a look at Kuljit performing at Three In a Bar live here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJwilFeLOBE He features at around 53 minutes in!

To learn more about Kuljit’s work visit https://kedarecords.com/artist/kuljit-bhamra/

Kuljit has composed the music for the new theatre production of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which will be in the West End and then on a UK tour 2022-2023. For tickets visit https://marigoldshow.com/

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

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After an unintentionally extended break (sorry) we are back....and back with a belter.

Episode 82 features true Broadway royalty. None other than orchestrator, arranger and producer Doug Besterman. Doug is a multiple Tony and Drama Desk award winner. His list of theatre and film credits is vast, including The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Aladdin, Fosse, Mary Poppins, Captain America, Chicago and co-orchestrations for a little known song named Let It Go...

Seb and Verity chatted with Doug on a sunny August day during his time at the Chichester Festival Theatre, where he had been co orchestrating the new 30th anniversary production of Crazy For You with Mark Cumberland. He talks about his process of re orchestrating and down sizing Bill Brohn's original work and dividing up the workload with Mark. It's a whirlwind process and competitive spreadsheeting helped keep up the note rate!

Doug talks about his early days in the industry including a dubious stint as a pianist in a Korean Theme park and a nerve jangling project for Alan Menken, with whom he has gone on to work with extensively. He also chats about working with legends such as Mel Brookes and Barbara Streisand.

As a fellow WSET certified wine buff (bore), Verity couldn't let this interview pass without quizzing Doug on his wine choices!

To find out more about Doug, visit his website; https://dougbesterman.com

Check out the trailer for Shmigadoon! on Apple TV - Doug is currently working on the second series; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKG0RodrzVo

If you want to catch Crazy For You at the Chichester Festival Theatre, grab one of the last remaining tickets here; https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/crazy-for-you

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's this? Another episode out so soon? That's right folks, we've got a fabulous guest for you this week - Internationally renowned concert pianist and co founder of the London piano festival Katya Apekisheva.

Seb and Verity chat to Katya via zoom on a sweaty mid-July afternoon and for nostalgia's sake enjoy some zoom related hitches (haven't you missed them?!). They discuss Katya's upcoming solo recital at the Wigmore Hall on 21 July which features amongst other things an exciting new composition, Figaro's Dances by her long time friend and collaborator Elena Langer. The concert is based around mazurkas and fantasies so she patiently explains what a mazurka is to two musicians who clearly need to revisit Grade 5 theory...

Katya talks about selecting concert repertoire, overcommitting and some nerve jangling experiences when stepping in for last minute performances. She shares her concert preparation techniques, including performing to her friends - no walk in the park when your friends include some of the finest pianists in the world.

Seb and Verity ask Katya about how she set up the London Piano Festival and what to expect in this year's event.

Katya touches upon how it feels for her as a Russian in these torrid times and the difficulty of having parents still living and working in Russia. She also talks about her time studying in Jerusalem and the new freedom and opportunities this allowed her.

If you would like to get ticket's for Katya's Wigmore Hall concert click here; https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/katya-apekisheva-202207211930

£5 tickets are available for under 35s.

To read more about Katya and keep up to date with future engagements go to her website; http://www.katyaapekisheva.com

To find out more about the London Piano Festival and to book tickets, click here; https://www.londonpianofestival.com

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back and this week we've got a belter for you! Its none other than viola player and new member of Estilo String Quartet George White.

This conversation was recorded in early may on a sunny day in East London and is joyful meander through George's life and career so far. Seb and Verity chat to him about his extended season with South Bank Sinfonia, a baptism of fire in West End depping and the accuracy of stereotyping the characteristics of different sections of the orchestra - we'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

TRIGGER WARNING - George talks openly and frankly about his personal struggles with mental health - specifically depression. He discusses how it profoundly affected him and led him to putting his career on hold. He also talks about how he has found ways to cope with his depression including counselling, retreats and mindfulness. If you are affected by any of the issues George raises please see links below to some brilliant mental health charities - some of which are specifically aimed at musicians.

George is an incredibly positive person and we were hugely grateful to him for being so open with us....and also for answering some extremely naff questions Verity had found on the internet that he'd previously responded to, to see if his answers tallied up. Cutting edge journalism as ever.

If you are affected by any of the mental health issues George raised these charities are all fantastic and offer a range of services, including free counselling and advice:

https://www.musicmindsmatter.org.uk

https://musicsupport.org

https://www.bapam.org.uk/

https://www.samaritans.org

https://www.mind.org.uk

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How on earth do we follow an all singing, all dancing live show? We'll tell you how - with a chat to a true great of the classical music world, German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser.

Johannes' groundbreaking new album Alone Together is released on 17 June 2022 and this episode is released in conjunction with this.

Seb and Verity meet Johannes at Platoon's state of the art studios in North London where most of his new album was recorded. They were treated to a sneak preview of some of the tracks played through Dolby Atmos which was a truly mind blowing experience!

Johannes chats in depth about the pioneering way in which this album was recorded and the painstakingly detailed multi-tracking work required - thankfully with a calm and level headed producer on hand! He talks about his music choices for the album and working with the six young American composers he commissioned.

They discuss how teaching has informed his performance and try to decide which is the greater challenge - performing one of the major concertos with the world's leading orchestras or making sure the tech works in his post concert foyer shows on the electric cell.

Johannes is fascinating and passionate about the innovative work he is doing and we were delighted he could fit us into his busy schedule for a chat. Check out Alone Together now.

Here's a link to Alone Together on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/alone-together/1622831250

You can find out more about Johannes on his website: http://www.johannes-moser.com

Learn more about Platoon, who Johannes collaborated with on this project: https://platoon.ai

You can watch the Three In a Bar live show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJwilFeLOBE

And you can donate to the brilliant Irene Taylor Trust at PayPal.me/threeinabar

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Three In a Bar becomes Three on a Boat as Seb and Verity hit the marina to meet timpanist supremo, Grahame King.

Grahame has been principal timpanist with Royal Ballet Sinfonia since 1998 and guests with many other major orchestras in the UK. He teaches timpani at both RCM and Birmingham Conservatoire.

Seb and Verity enjoyed a wonderful early summer evening on Grahame's boat - so much so, this episode is edited down from a 3hr conversation, gulp! He chats about his early days with the Sinfonia, touring tales and the birth of the RBS football team - major orchestral rivalries and covert matches against the dancers both feature!

They discuss the pitfalls and problems of appearing as a guest principal timpanist, different timp arrangements and a trip to Sunderland in a clapped out van.

Grahame talks about his musical roots and a dalliance with jazz vibes...who the devil is Ron Bevington? You'll find out...

BUY TICKETS TO SEE OUR LIVE SHOW ON 12TH JUNE 2022! Live performances from the Old Dirty Brasstards, Iestyn Davis, Kuljit Bhamra, Georgia Van Etten, Christof Van Der Ven, Estilo String Quartet and many more. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/three-in-a-bar-podcast-live-tickets-334812361787

Patreon Members come free!

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 77, Seb and Verity are joined by violinist supremo and newly appointed Artistic Director of NSSO, Nicole Wilson.

Nicole has held positions with the LSO and ENO and works extensively as a freelancer, appearing as guest leader, in various west end shows and in major film sessions. She has also turned her hand to orchestral session fixing - her credits including the sixth Harry Potter movie. She co-produced a highly successful album for children - FunKey Rhymes - which has made her a huge star in the Philpott household. Nicole is the founder and managing director of Musical Orbit, a council member for ESTA and now bringing her boundless energy to NSSO. Exhausted? We don't know how she does it either!

We were hugely grateful to Nicole for sparing time on Good Friday to jump on a zoom call for a chat before she hit Mercedes Benz world....It's a jam packed conversation covering everything from the terrifying yet thrilling experience of recording Star Wars scores with the legend John Williams, to recording Old Macdonald via 'Is it Cake?'

Nicole discusses managing and overcoming performance anxiety and how Musical Orbit has helped match students with teachers from as far apart as Australia and Somerset. She also tells Seb and Verity what happened when her husband mysteriously vanished the day after her first child was born.....don't worry, there is a happy end to this (basically!)

This week's Intro and Outro sections are brought to you from a poorly ventilated bedroom in Premier Inn Rhyl.

You can find out more about NSSO here; https://www.nsso.org

Check out Musical Orbit here; https://www.musicalorbit.com

And here's a link to the excellent FunKey Rhymes on Spotify; https://open.spotify.com/album/4uxhrQDHM8aTs1ZXXebYeg

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Round of applause please......this week's episode was recorded over the internet and there were no, I repeat no, technical hitches! And good job too as Seb and Verity have Senior Engineer at Abbey Road, multiple Grammy and Emmy winner and all round top bloke Sam Okell on for a chat.

What Sam doesn't know about the Beatles ain't worth knowing, having for many years been heavily involved in remastering their complete back catalogue. He recently worked with Giles Martin alongside Peter Jackson on the hugely successful documentary series Get Back. Sam also works extensively on film sessions as a recording engineer and mixer including The Hobbit, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Seb and Verity catch up with Sam in his home in Cornwall, where he is currently in the process of converting a Methodist Chapel into a recording studio... sounds pretty idyllic. They chat extensively about his work on the Beatles' albums, watching endless hours of their old rehearsal footage, the reception from diehard Beatles fans to the remastered albums and whether he can still listen to their music after all theses years immersed in it!

Sam talks about how he started out - in part with a DIY set up in a woodshed - how he worked his way up the ranks at Abbey Road and how he negotiates his way through tricky film sessions where it's a hotbed of conflicting opinions.

In a perhaps ill advised move, Verity and Seb invited listeners to submit questions for Sam, with varying quality in the responses! Sam's answers involve some mortifying incidents picked up on mics, hidden Beatles 'artifacts' at Abbey Road and an artfully sidestepped answer to what Verity was like at school....

You can follow Sam on his socials, https://www.instagram.com/samokell/ and https://www.twitter.com/samjokell/

Check out his work on the remixed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6b7ycwe2rxq6FkaupNuGoS?si=AhXZfQlNSPWPy5KoChvrcw

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code THREEINABAR at checkout.

You can follow Three In a Bar on Instagram @threeinabarpod

https://www.instagram.com/threeinabarpod/

We are on Twitter @threeinabarpod https://www.twitter.com/threeinabarpod

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

Click here: https://www.patreon.com/threeinabar

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This week's guest is Grammy award winning conductor, arranger, curator and composer, Jules Buckley.....and boy, are we glad this episode has made it into yer ears after some palm sweatingly stressful uploading issues! It's been a rollercoaster pod friends....

Seb and Verity catch up with Jules at his studio in Berlin to chat about his eclectic and multi faceted career. They discuss his early days as a trumpeter, the inception of Heritage Orchestra during his studies at GSMD - an era when most players didn't have mobile phones and those who did hadn't topped up their credit for a term. Jules talks about their first gig, taking a leap of faith committing his time and energies to the orchestra and a memorable early touring experience to Montreaux with a bus load of overexcited students.

Jules also chats about the joy of working with BBCSO where he is Creative Artist in Association and what this role entails. He and Verity share a brief reminiscence of their time at GSMD, along with some of the interesting characters encountered there. He tells them about a cringeworthy exchange with Razorlight's Johnny Borrell and some chance encounters that led to great things.

Seb and Verity ask Jules about his upcoming gig at the Barbican with Father John Misty and the Britten Sinfonia, and there is an awkward moment where it appears that `Jules has terminated the call after Seb angles for tickets.....listen until the end to see how that plays out!

Find out more about Jules on his website https://www.julesbuckley.com

You can learn about Heritage Orchestra at http://www.the heritage orchestra.com/ and Metropole Orkest - where Jules is Honorary conductor https://www.mo.nl/en/the-orchestra

This episode is fuelled by Chimney Fire Coffee who have sponsored this podcast. Find out more about Chimney Fire Coffee at https://chimneyfirecoffee.com/

There is a special offer for our lucky listeners, who will receive 20%  off their first order....just visit their website and enter the code TIAB20 at checkout.

THREE IN A BAR ON THE SOCIALS

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EMAIL US!

Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]

SUPPORT THREE IN A BAR ON PATREON

This show is purely funded by our patrons. Join our Members’ Club for a bonus podcast feed plus many more rewards.

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