Cowes caulkhead Miriam Monaghan, professional recorder player extraordinaire and BBC Rising Star who has played for British royalty and travelled the globe, will be playing on the Island with her ensemble, Palisander, during the Fairest Isle Festival of Early and Baroque Music, on Friday, 10th May 2024, at 7pm at St Catherine’s Church in Ventnor.
Miriam, or Mizzee as many people know her in the Island, went to Cowes High in the 2000s, and then went on to London to graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the prestigious conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music.
A social media sensation
Miriam has become a highly sought-after musician and teacher who has been featured on classical music stations such as BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and other renowned classical music stations worldwide with her recorder group, Palisander. Palisander became a social media sensation with lively performances and with incredible technical skills that prove the recorder is a very real instrument, despite its simple design.
As a freelancer, Miriam does commercial recordings as well, including recording soundtracks for the Disney Parks as part of the session orchestra, and performs with many professional orchestras and ensembles.
We asked Miriam to share a little about her musical life.
Q: When you were growing up on the Island, you were a regular fixture of the Isle of Wight Music Centre and played recorder in some of the adult baroque and classical music groups on the Island. What are some your favourite music memories of the Isle of Wight?
Growing up as part of an active musical community on the Island was very special for me. I was really lucky to learn with some really inspirational teachers, and have dozens of special memories that lead me to this career path. Maggie Courtney was my first recorder teacher, I played in her recorder group at the Isle of Wight Music Centre and loved the huge array of music she introduced us to. Many of them have stuck with me – last weekend I conducted my favourite piece from the IW Youth Recorder Ensemble, Riffs, at the Society of Recorder Players National Festival! Ginny Kelly taught me woodwind instruments and really shaped me as a person.
I adored Saturday mornings with her in the IW County Youth Wind Band, where we were captivated by our conductor Grahame Holmes (who nicknamed me ‘The Duchess’..!) and his musical tales: most memorably that as a baby, he had survived the sinking of the Titanic by floating in a violin case back to the Island..!
There are so many other brilliant music teachers, Carol Baker, Gareth Balch, Will Doyle, Alastair Wilbee and many others, who I was so lucky to meet and be inspired by.
: Tell us a little about the concert you and your group, Palisander, are playing for the Fairest Isle Festival for early/baroque/renaissance music, “Double, Double, Toil & Trouble”.
Our concert for the Fairest Isle Festival is inspired by the links between music and magic, throughout history. The music choices span a thousand years, from Balkan folk dances from the 10th century to a miniature I have composed especially for the day, inspired by magical Isle of Wight folklore.
Over the last decade touring together, we’ve developed our own approach to concerts – they include a mixture of spoken word, singing, movement, choreography and more, to add a third dimension to the traditional concert experience.
Q: Why do you like the recorder so much? How many sizes of recorders are there?
I have always loved the recorder (aside from a bizarre six month period in middle school where I was sure I wanted to be a jazz saxophonist and I am very grateful to my Mum for suggesting I stick with the recorder a bit longer!)
When I was about 14 a professional recorder player called Piers Adams came to the Island and all the young players were invited to play alongside him at Medina Theatre. My mind was blown. I’d never heard the recorder played like that before! I decided there and then that this is what I wanted to do. I’m so excited to be visiting local primary schools with Palisander as part of this festival, it feels like a full circle moment for me.
You never ever get bored playing in a recorder ensemble. Recorders come in all shapes and sizes. In Palisander’s collection of around seventy instruments we have everything from the tiny 6 inch Garklein to the towering 6 foot Contrabass. There’s medieval, renaissance, baroque and modern designs in all different keys and pitches. In a single concert I am often required to jump from Contra to Garklein before soloing through recorders in all different keys and tuning systems. It’s a whirlwind and challenges me everyday!
Q: You are a big fan of Renaissance and Baroque music. Tell us a little about Palisander.
When I left the Island at 18 to study recorder at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, when asked what on earth my ‘career plan’ was going to be, I’d mumble something vague about wanting to become a recorder pop star, to mixed reactions. Somehow, with my group Palisander, that has sort of happened. We are often labelled in the press as the ‘Early Music Spice Girls’ – cue much eye rolling from those around us, but a literal dream come true for me.
With Palisander I have been so lucky to tour all over the world. We share a common aim of wanting to bring the recorder to as many new audiences as possible, to play a part in changing its reputation as a classroom instrument. Palisander is also really passionate about education, and performing in schools as well as coaching young players is also an important part of our performance work.
Q: Outside of Palisander, what other musicians do you play with regularly? Do you teach as well?
Outside of Palisander, I perform regularly with Eboracum Baroque, usually comprising harpsichord, strings, singer and recorder. I also freelance with many ensembles and orchestras who only need recorders occasionally, and do recording sessions too – too many to list here.
Teaching is really important to me. I’m often asked in interviews if I’ve ‘been able to give up teaching yet’ – this would be a baffling goal for me. When I was studying, I was lucky to learn from some of the best musicians in the world; I think I have a responsibility to pass that knowledge on. I tutor for the National Youth Recorder Orchestra, International Recorder Summer School and the Society of Recorder Players, as well as leading the recorder team at Richmond Music Trust. Recently I’ve also been appointed lecturer of recorder at Morley College, London.
This year I’ve been employed by national music education organisation Sing Up, to develop and film a new scheme of learning for whole class recorder playing in schools who don’t have access to specialist music teachers. I’ve composed much of the music used in the scheme, which was a fun commission for me!
Q: If you had a magic wand and could help music on Island, what would you do?
I think it would be a question of growing a magic money tree, so there was the resources for all the incredible music teachers on the Island to be paid to be in schools every day. Giving every child the opportunity to play an instrument would be an incredible aim. Perhaps our next government will consider reinvesting in these important opportunities for children.
Q: Do you have any advice for budding musicians from the Isle of Wight looking for a career, and for young people who might want to continue to play and sing as adults?
My best advice for young people looking for a career in music would be to play and experience as much different music as you can, with as many different people as you can. Play everything and anything, by ear, improvise, working on your sight reading. It’s so important to develop your craft whilst you have time to focus your undivided attention on practise. As a working mum on a freelance schedule, I can confirm there’s not a bucketload of practice time on this side!
For people wanting to play as adults, the most fun route is to find other people you enjoy singing or playing with. Making music with others doesn’t require a really high individual ability level to be a fun and rewarding experience.
Book now
You can see Miriam and Palisander play at the Fairest Isle Festival on 10th May at St Catherine’s Church in Ventnor.
For tickets and information about the three-day festival of concerts and participatory events, visit the Fairest Isle Festival website.
