Shades VIII

Naresh was very impressed by the skills of harmonica virtuoso, Jiayi He. He also had a long-standing love of the instrument, which he taught himself to play as a boy and could play both ways round. (Jiayi, on the other hand, can play five instruments simultaneously!) When the two of them first met, a strong musical bond was formed. Naresh was interested in having Jiayi as the soloist in a piece for harmonica and orchestra which he had originally written for Larry Adler. In the meantime, while they waited for this project to materialise, Naresh wrote Jiayi this short solo piece (2014) which he could perform anywhere the opportunity arose. (The larger-scale project still hasn’t materialised, and anyone interested in bringing it to fruition should contact the Sohal Estate.)
Originally from China, Jiayi has lived for many years in New York. He performs widely across the USA and is a teacher on the faculty of the Brooklyn Music School. He has featured on ‘America’s Got Talent’.

From Gitanjali, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Zubin Mehta. John Cheek, bass-baritone, soloist

From Gitanjali 3

Tandava Nritya, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, cond. David Davies

Aalakhyam I, cond. Andrew Davis

Aalakhyam II, cond. Andrew Davis

The Divine Song, Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra, cond. Zubin Mehta. Stefan Kurt, narrator.

The Cosmic Dance, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, cond. Peter Oundjian

Songs of the Five Rivers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, cond. Jurgen Hemple. Sallly Silver, soprano

Songs of the Five Rivers III

Gautama Buddha, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, cond. Glen Langdon

Part Three

Dhyan, for ’cello and orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, cond. David Atherton. Thomas Igloi, ’cello.

The Viola Concerto, Rivka Golani, viola, with the Russian Orchestra of London, cond. Julian Gallant, with Sanju Sahai, tabla

Third Movement

Accordion Concerto, Iñigo Mikeleiz Berrade, accordion, with fellow postgraduate students at the Royal Academy of Music

Three Songs from Gitanjali, Sally Silver, soprano, with the Dante String Quartet and Sanju Sahai, tabla

Three Songs from Gitanjali (encore)

The Unsung Song, New Music Concerts, cond. Bob Aitken. Elizabeth Turnbull, contralto

Night’s Poet, Jane Manning, soprano; Clarissa Melville and Anthony Saunders.

Kavita I, Jane Manning, sop, with the Nash Ensemble

Poems of Tagore II, Sarah Walker and Margaret Cable, mezzo sopranos with Roham de Saram, ’cello

Chiaroscuro II, Con Tempo String Quartet

Foray, Rohan de Saram, ’cello; Ananada Sukarlan, ’piano