fbpx
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • NEWS
  • ALBUM
  • LISTEN
  • CONCERTS
  • MEDIA
  • VIP LIST
  • CONTACT
Type and hit ENTER
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • NEWS
  • ALBUM
  • LISTEN
  • CONCERTS
  • MEDIA
  • VIP LIST
  • CONTACT
Listen to different genres
  • AT LAST- ALBUM
  • BAROQUE & CLASSICAL
  • JAZZ AND POP
  • FILM, TV & ADS
  • THEATRE

Heather Cairncross

Jazz Singer

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • NEWS
  • ALBUM
  • LISTEN
  • CONCERTS
  • MEDIA
  • VIP LIST
  • CONTACT

The Logistics of a Synergy Vocals Photo Shoot

A couple of months ago, the Musical Director of Synergy Vocals sent out an email asking for our availabilities to do a photo shoot – the logistics of this are always very difficult.

Synergy Vocals is a pool of singers who specialise in Classical, Contemporary Music on microphone. We have a lot of concerts coming up where singers will be used in different combinations. This is because Micaela Haslam (the MD) picks her singers very specifically for the particular piece of music the group has been asked to perform. Berio’s Sinfonia is one of the pieces that Synergy Vocals specialises in. We are invited by orchestras all over the world to take part in performances of this very difficult piece of music. It was originally written in the late sixties for the a cappella group, The Swingle Singers. Nearly all the current Synergy members have sung with the Swingles at one time or another. I was  the second alto for ten years.

The Conductor Daniel HardingWe have performances of Sinfonia coming up with the LSO and Daniel Harding (click on his picture to visit his website), the Concertgebouw Orchestra and London Sinfonietta. Micaela needed some publicity shots for the various orchestras. We also have quite a few concerts of Steve Reich’s music, which can range from two to four female singers in different combinations. Micaela asked us to give our NAs (when we are not available) over a two month period and after much juggling of dates it seemed impossible to get all the correct people together on the same day. Four of the girls had a day they could do and the boys had a different day. Micaela decided to try to take our photographs against a background where she could fix a place for us to stand and the try to merge the two groups together in Photoshop.

The Guildhall School of Musicq located in the Barbican Centre, LondonThe day before the girl’s photo shoot, she headed off to the Barbican Centre to experiment with it’s urban walls as a backdrop. I know the Barbican very well as I was a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama which is right in the heart of the Barbican. It’s a very grey, concrete piece of architecture with a lake in the middle. It’s much more overgrown with plants than when I was a student but it’s still not really to my visual taste. The LSO is the Orchestra in Residence there, so one of our Sinfonia concerts will be held in the Barbican Hall.

The Sinfonia girl's team in casual dressWhen we all turned up, our trusty assistant William took plenty of photos of the different combinations of singers. It was a bit overcast but it was still hard to get a shot without one of us squinting against the bright light. I have a theory that it seems much harder for people with contact lenses to keep their eyes open in photos – just an observation from many photo shoots over the years – not scientifically proven. Notice in this picture that  I’m not touching the other three – that’s because Micaela needed to have the option to add my picture to another singer’s photo – she wasn’t free that day either.

The Synergy Girls Sinfonia Team in blackFirst, in casual clothes, we tried a brick wall, then various concrete backdrops but eventually we changed into black and went into the street where Micaela had found an unoccupied restaurant which had some soft green, large, marble-style tiles on the wall.

The Synergy Vocals Sinfonia MenA few days later I did a session at Air Lyndhurst and ran into two of the men who had just come from their photo shoot at the Barbican. I asked Micaela to send me a copy of the merged photo – and here, thanks to the wonders of Photoshop, is the finished article – and if you click on the image it will take you to the LSO website to buy tickets for the concert.

The full Synergy Vocals team for the Berio Sinfonia with the LSO


The Synergy Vocals team from left to right are: Michael Dore, Andrew Busher, Amanda Morrison, Rachel Weston, Heather Cairncross, Micaela Haslam (MD), Gerry O’Beirne and Simon Grant.

Email
No comments yet

Related News

Other posts that you should not miss.

“Grace” By David Newton | Recorded Live At The Arundel Festival

Here’s a video of “Grace” recorded at the Arundel Festival with music and lyrics written by David Newton. …

Read More
Heather Cairncross in her costume for Outis at La Scala

The Show That Didn’t Go On

Last time I wrote about the show in Buenos Aires that really shouldn’t have gone on, but amazingly …

Read More
Heather Cairncross sings a short solo at the 2012 John Wilson Orchestra's BBC Promenade The Broadway Sound

The Broadway Sound | Singing In The John Wilson Prom 2012

Last night I took part in The Broadway Sound with The John Wilson Orchestra, Yes it’s that time …

Read More
← PREVIOUS POST
Recreating the Musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein at the BBC Proms
NEXT POST →
Cracking the code of the Christmas Nutcracker Film

Leave a Comment

Your feedback is valuable for us. Your email will not be published.
Cancel Reply

Please wait...
Submit Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Heather Cairncross Singer

6 months ago

Heather Cairncross Singer

Take 2!

… See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Heather Cairncross Singer

6 months ago

Heather Cairncross Singer

UPDATE. Well it seems it was too good to be true….following the government’s unclear announcement the managers of the pub have cancelled the jazz for now. I’m really sorry if you’ve booked a table but you now need to call and cancel to make sure they don’t take your deposit. Hopefully we’ll revive this gig in the near future. I KNOW!!!! This Sunday lunchtime in Brighton

… See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Heather Cairncross Singer

7 months ago

Heather Cairncross Singer

The Swingles & The Stay at Home Choir – You’re All I Need to Get By

… See MoreSee Less


Video

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Heather Cairncross Singer

7 months ago

Heather Cairncross Singer

In the absence of any live Prom concerts (courtesy of Covid 19), the BBC is re-running many gems from previous years. Tonight on BBC4 at 19.00 is @johnwilsonorchestra with a starry cast of soloists and the ever splendid @maidavalesingers in ‘The Broadway Sound’. Possibly the campest ever prom?Back in 2012 when this concert was recorded, I still wrote a backstage blog which may interest some of you – it seems a lifetime ago and I sincerely hope that those wonderful concerts will be back in business next year – in fact any concerts…..the prospects seems rather bleak at the moment.heathercairncross.com/the-broadway-sound-singing-in-the-john-wilson-prom-2012/

… See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Heather Cairncross Singer

7 months ago

Heather Cairncross Singer

Oh yes indeed, it’s the one where I have the six word Jimmy Durante stylee solo

… See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Heather Cairncross Singer

8 months ago

Heather Cairncross Singer

A message from wonderful and prolific choral composer James Macmillan.

… See MoreSee Less

James MacMillan: Let’s get Scotland singing again

www.scotsman.com

As we move out of lockdown, a return to putting our voices together in song should be welcomed for the good of the nation, writes Sir James MacMillan

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Archive
March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Jan    

Join Heather's VIP List

Get an exclusive unreleased track to download when you confirm.

Subscribe and stay updated with the latest news from Heather.
We will never give your details to anybody else!



The Logistics of a Synergy Vocals Photo Shoot - Heather Cairncross UK Jazz Singer