- Extreme Cello
Extreme Cello is an
extreme sport and aperformance art in which people take a cello to an unusual, often outdoor, location and perform music. It is synonymous with the cello trio known as the 'Extreme Cellists'. They are an amateur group inspired by the sport ofExtreme Ironing . Their performances are generally given to raise money for various charities. Since 2006 the Extreme Cellists have had a particular association with the spinal injuries charity 'Aspire'. According to their official website, Extreme Cello aims to:"take musical performances to new heights, and depths, by giving performances in many extreme locations."
History
The formation of the Extreme Cellists in 2003 to raise money for the Westways Primary School, Sheffield music fund is believed to have been the first organised Extreme Cello event. Prior to this a number of individual cellists are known to have performed in unusual locations but did not use the phrase 'Extreme Celling' to describe their activities.
Since then the Extreme Cellists have undertaken a range of challenges, most notably a tour of 42 English Cathedral rooftops in 2006.cite news | title=Cello trio's rooftop tour | date=4 August 2006 | publisher=The Guardian | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/aug/04/arts.artsnews] In July 2008 they successfully completed the Four Peaks Challenge, playing at the summits of the tallest mountains in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland.cite news | title=Height of ambition as cellists eye mountain challenge | date=28 May 2008 | publisher=Yorkshire Post | url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Height-of-ambition-as-cellists.4125306.jp]
Group Members
*Jeremy Dawson, lecturer
*Clare Wallace, teacher
*James Rees, teacherMusical style
The group's repertoire is varied. They perform arrangements of classical pieces such as Bach's "Wachet Auf", Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and the "Adagio Cantabile" from Beethoven's trio for 3 cellos. They also perform more popular pieces such as Up on the Roof, originally sung by The Drifters; "Climb Every Mountain" from "The Sound of Music" (Rogers & Hammerstein); "Hi Ho Silver Lining", originally sung by Jeff Beck; and "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles"; and "Hey Jude" (Lennon & McCartney). Many of the pieces were arranged for cello trio performance by group member Jeremy Dawson.
Performances
Discography
To date the Extreme Cellists have not released any recordings of their performances.
External links
* http://www.extreme-cello.com/index.html – the official site of the Extreme Cellists
* http://www.aspire.org.uk/default.aspx - the site of the charity most frequently supported by the group
*BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7525725.stm New high for Extreme Cellists] video.References
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