Jamie Hey Baroque Cello

The Brandenburg Ensemble concerts are widely praised as unique and special experiences for the audience, with rarely-heard works brought to life by the principal musicians of the Orchestra in intimate performances which feature on-stage historical commentary by musicologist Alan Maddox. They are also unique and special experiences for the musicians, giving them the opportunity to select the repertoire of the concerts, the chance to choose more unusual and obscure works, and providing a format in which each musician can play as a soloist. "I really enjoy playing in the Ensemble," says Jamie Hey, lead cellist of the Orchestra. "The players are all on an equal footing, all artistic directors one could say." Jamie was excited to get the opportunity to select the repertoire for the Ensemble programs this year and took the opportunity to explore 17th and 18th-century Italian music. It was one of Jamie's university lecturers, Dr Rosalind Halton, who first introduced him to "the amazingly rich world of late 17th-century Italian music, in particular the vocal repertoire," he says. "Rome, especially, was a powerhouse of creativity in all the arts at that time. It was a period of great innovation and experimentation in music and poetry and I wanted to be able to explore that more with the Ensemble." Jamie grew up in Queensland and started playing the cello at the age of 13. His family wasn't musical, so he was mentored by musicians in the community and attended a performing arts high school. He went on to study at the University of Queensland and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, before completing an honours degree at the University of Newcastle where he graduated with first class honours and the Dean's medal for outstanding achievement. Jamie has completed further study with Hidemi Suzuki, as well as Phoebe Carrai, who was the cellist who first inspired him to take up the baroque cello. Jamie decided to audition for the Brandenburg Orchestra because it "had a fabulous reputation for its staying power and high-quality music making." He was offered a position in 1995 and was appointed principal cellist in 2001. For Jamie, the Ensemble offers further progression in his development as a musician. "It is the perfect vehicle for exploring lesser-known, less mainstream repertoire and instrumental combinations," he says. "The repertoire allows for higher levels of virtuosity from the individual members of the group." That viruosity will be particularly evident in Pasquini's Sonata III in D minor. The piece was originally written as two bass parts for two harpsichords, but in Postcard from Rome, the continuo players will not only play the bass parts, they will also improvise over the top. "I chose this piece to highlight the role of the continuo in 17th and 18th-century music, " says Jamie. "At the time it had a broader range of colours than one might expect and there were more opportunities to 'orchestrate' the section with different combinations of instruments. This is going to be a challenging and exciting work for both the audience and the players." Also included in the program are several dramatic vocal works because, as Jamie says, "Vocal music was the primary focus of most music-making activities during the Italian baroque." "Some of the richest creativity in music found its expression in compositions for voice," he says. "The basic fundamentals of instrumental music were derived from vocal repertoire. Many of the great pedagogues focussed on imitating vocal techniques in their string teaching for example." Postcard from Rome will also be touring to NSW regional areas in March and Jamie says the musicians always look forward to the trip. "Touring is a fun way of getting out and about, exploring new places, meeting new people and sharing with new audiences," he says. "It's important to give people living outside metropolitan centres access to the same high levels of performance and artistic creativity that their city cousins enjoy."