After mixing the sound on this film our dubbing mixer resurrected his old love of singing and joined a choir…
It’s not often you are given the opportunity to cut a programme so beautiful, so moving, so fascinating. But here’s one such I was.
One of my all-time favourite directors, Alison Grist, directed the documentary elements in a style that contrasted sharply and wonderfully with that of Jonathan Haswell, who conducted the performance parts – the songs sung by Harry Christopher’s choir, ‘The Sixteen’.
Jonathan is a BBC classical music director of such order, such meticulous preparation, such composure that at first I feared I might not be able to understand his methods of working. But it quickly dawned on me that this man not only deserved my greatest respect but could teach me a whole lot of skills. He could find the pulse in music that has no discernible beat, and hear through literally five seconds of reverb in the church of San Antonio de las Alamanes in Madrid. Awesome. And brilliant. Without his incredible preparation, we’d have over run by weeks trying to put it together.
I think it’s a wonderful combination. Jonathan’s precision with Alison’s artistic sensibilities honed at The Royal Opera House and The Culture Show (BBC2) where we did a lot of work together for a few years.
Our next project together is ‘Sleeping Beauty’ for the Royal Opera House which will be simultaneously broadcast by satellite to 800 cinemas world-wide on December 15th.
First TX details
‘God’s Composer’
2/12/11, BBC4, 20:00hrs
Metro Newspaper TV pick of the day
God’s Composer, BBC4, 8pm
You may not have heard of Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, but you’ll have well and truly fallen under his spell by the end of this latest sacred music guide from thesp Simon Russell Beale. His music, as performed by Harry Christophers and his choir The Sixteen is truly heavenly, full of oscillations, texture and spine-tingling high notes. His spiritual story takes in some equally gorgeous locations in Spain too – mainly cathedrals, palaces and churches in Ávila and Madrid.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/883546-god-s-composer-peter-kay-and-unreported-world-tv-picks#ixzz1fPfzkHNa