Biography
North Sea Radio Orchestra is a twenty-piece contemporary chamber ensemble whose membership includes Craig Fortnam (b. September 1967, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England; guitar/conductor), Sharron Fortnam (b. April 1971, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England; vocals), Jennifer Garcia (b. December 1975, Basildon, Essex, England; violin), Geraldine Peach (b. November 1968, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England; oboe/vocals), Dug Parker (b. March 1974, Bolton, Lancashire, England; vocals), Luke Crooks (b. July 1976, Manchester, England; bassoon), Gideon Miller (b. August 1967, London, England; vocals), Louise Harrison (b. February 1966, Guisborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England; vocals), Richard Larcombe (b. 1972, Derbyshire, England; vocals/guitar), William D. Drake (b. February 1962, Stock, Essex, England; vocals), Suzi Kirby (b. August 1971, Watford, Hertfordshire, England; vocals), Sara Longe (b. October 1978, London, England; violin), Melanie Woods (b. May 1969, London, England; vocals), James Larcombe (b. July 1980, Plymouth, Devon, England; piano/chamber organ), Hugh Wilkinson (b. October 1977, London, England; percussion), Ben Davies (b. November 1970, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England; piano/chamber organ), Harry Escott (b. September 1976, London, England; cello), Brian Wright (b. 1971, Canada; violin), Nicola Baigent (b. April 1970, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England; clarinet) and Kavus Torabi (b. December 1971, Tehran, Iran; vocals).
Composer Fortnam and his wife Sharron established the group in October 2002 expressly to present Fortnam’s own classical pieces, several of which had already been interpreted by ensembles such as the Kreutzer Quartet and the Britten Sinfonia. What began as an eight-person collective giving concerts chiefly in central London churches soon broadened its repertoire to encompass works by other composers, notably William D. Drake, and grew to its present complement of twenty players divided between an instrumental section and the supporting vocal unit known as the North Sea Chorus.
The orchestra joined Oof! Records and issued its first 7-inch single, ‘The Flower’, in August 2005; the release attracted unexpected broadcasts on several prominent UK stations. Its self-titled debut album followed in October 2006 and drew widespread praise from both classical specialists and indie outlets, which likened the sound to that of Arvo Pärt, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Brian Eno while noting an even closer kinship with modern chamber-indie projects such as Final Fantasy. Blending baroque foundations with folk, post-rock and pop elements, the record shifted mood from piece to piece, prominently featuring Sharron Fortnam and the North Sea Chorus to span the distance between historic and contemporary idioms, with ‘Every Day Hath It’s Night’ and ‘Joy For My Heart’ emerging as particular highlights.
Composer Fortnam and his wife Sharron established the group in October 2002 expressly to present Fortnam’s own classical pieces, several of which had already been interpreted by ensembles such as the Kreutzer Quartet and the Britten Sinfonia. What began as an eight-person collective giving concerts chiefly in central London churches soon broadened its repertoire to encompass works by other composers, notably William D. Drake, and grew to its present complement of twenty players divided between an instrumental section and the supporting vocal unit known as the North Sea Chorus.
The orchestra joined Oof! Records and issued its first 7-inch single, ‘The Flower’, in August 2005; the release attracted unexpected broadcasts on several prominent UK stations. Its self-titled debut album followed in October 2006 and drew widespread praise from both classical specialists and indie outlets, which likened the sound to that of Arvo Pärt, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Brian Eno while noting an even closer kinship with modern chamber-indie projects such as Final Fantasy. Blending baroque foundations with folk, post-rock and pop elements, the record shifted mood from piece to piece, prominently featuring Sharron Fortnam and the North Sea Chorus to span the distance between historic and contemporary idioms, with ‘Every Day Hath It’s Night’ and ‘Joy For My Heart’ emerging as particular highlights.
Albums
Singles
