Written by Joe Payne | 21 October 2011

Despite some controversy, the milestone show receives high critical acclaim.

"Incomparable, unique and always adventurous, for Robert John Godfrey and The Enid this was an absolute triumph." - The Midland Rocks

"The delivery of Enid songwriter Robert John Godfrey’s songs through a rock band augmented by an orchestra and choir worked brilliantly." - Express and Star

"... the band have indelibly underlined their position as symphonic masters." - Malcolm Dome,  Classic Rock Presents Prog

The band's first outing with a full symphony orchestra was a total success and plans are already afoot for similar shows next year, both in the UK and abroad. The show kicked off with Judgement Day and In The Region Of The Summer Stars (ITROSS), then Childe Roland. For some, the highlight of the evening was RJG's performance of The Lovers, which along with an extremely powerful performance of Fand (both on Risen CD), both receiving a standing ovation.

The second half of the show commenced with a recital by the legendary Alan Moore of his poem the mirror of love which proved unpopular with some members of the audience. See this forum thread for more details. The band were then joined by the CBSO and the Warwickshire County Music Services Youth Choir for a performance of Journey's End that was "..simply breath-taking in its execution. A work of epic proportions it seamlessly ebbs and flows between lush orchestrations and bombastic rock melodies." according to one review.

The show concluded with an emotional rendition of Barclay James Harvest's Mockingbird - with the CBSO playing from Godfrey's original score - and then on to Dambusters and Land Of Hope and Glory.

Live Recording

The concert was recorded by Abbey Road Mobile and engineered by Will Shapland who's recognised as one of the world's finest mobile engineers. The CD has been mixed by Max Read at The Lodge Recording Studio and will be available soon.

A DVD is also in the pipeline. Full details will be sent out to all friends on our mailing list as soon as we have them.

A limited edition of full scores - numbered and signed by RJG - of most of the works performed on the night are now available in our shop here.

The band would like to sincerely thank everybody involved for making the night truly a night to remember.

They are now in the studio working on new material for the 2012 shows and the new album, Invicta.

Written by The Enidi | 11 August 2011

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to play with The Enid on 15th October 2011.

In 2020 the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its centenary. Since the inaugural concert, conducted by Sir Edward Elgar in November 1920, the CBSO has grown into a 90-piece ensemble with a worldwide reputation. If you would like to discover more about the history of the CBSO please visit our CBSO Biography and History pages.

As the resident orchestra of Birmingham's Symphony Hall, the CBSO performs over 80 concerts each year and is in constant demand to appear at venues around the world. Ignite, the CBSO’s programme to engage audiences and the community, includes a world-famous family of five choruses, chamber groups, a youth orchestra and an education programme that in total reaches upwards of 50,000 people each year.

The CBSO has a sizable discography, with many recordings having won international prizes. Under Andris Nelsons the CBSO has released critically acclaimed discs with Orfeofeaturing music by Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss and Stravinsky.

For reference and to view highlights of the year read:
CBSO Reports & Accounts 2009-10

The CBSO aims to offer the very best in musical performance and education - flying the flag for the people of Birmingham and the UK.

Written by The Enidi | 11 August 2011

Michael Seal is offically confirmed as conductor for the 15th October Enid Show. 

Michael Seal has established a reputation as one of the UK's most versatile conductors, his career going from strength to strength, conducting orchestras both across the UK and abroad.

In March 2011, he was appointed Associate Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The appointment recognised his work as Assistant Conductor, the first in their history, and the special relationship he has built between himself and the orchestra.

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Written by The Enid | 11 August 2011

The Background to the Composition

Taken from a recent interview with Robert John Godfrey

The title and Celtic origins were inspired by The Garden of Fand, a tone poem by Irish composer Arnold Bax, the Robert Browning tale concerning Roland and the Dark Tower and Rachmaninov's Isle Of The Dead

The original composition was constructed by Robert John Godfrey in 1976/7 making use of content from music written for The Quest For The Holy Grail (a “school play”) written together by Francis Lickerish and Stephen Stewart in 1973  - “The Grail Music”.

The piece as it first appeared on Aerie Faerie Nonsense was accompanied by a romantic “Tennysonesque” poem written by Francis Lickerish especially for the EMI  album cover. The original artwork ideas by Fergus Lamont were rejected by the record company. Pity!

The work as it is now performed has its origin in 1984 when Robert John Godfrey revisited his youthful efforts and completely revised and extended the work. Fand as it now exists has been radically revised again for the current band line up and exists in two versions. The version the band are currently performing is as it appears on The Enid’s new release, Risen and is the one being performed in October with the CBSO.

The other alternative largely concerns an extended version of the last movement which is nearly twice as long and currently too difficult for live performance.

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