Kerry Ellis and The Fulltone Orchestra: One Glorious Night at Cadogan Hall
This September, prepare to be swept away by an unforgettable evening of music as The Fulltone Orchestra descend on Cadogan Hall with a 50-piece orchestra and a very special guest: the West End’s leading lady, Kerry Ellis. On Monday, 1st September, the prestigious Cadogan Hall will come alive with the sound of some of the most iconic and beloved music ever written for stage and screen. From cinematic masterpieces to Broadway blockbusters and West End wonders, this promises to be a night of spectacular sound and spellbinding performance.
Known for her powerhouse vocals and trailblazing performances in Wicked, We Will Rock You, Les Misérables, Chess, and Oliver!, Kerry Ellis takes centre stage in a way you’ve never seen or heard before. Backed by the sheer force of The Fulltone Orchestra, Ellis will breathe new life into familiar favourites, as well as uncover hidden gems, in a performance that’s as bold and breathtaking as it is intimate and emotionally charged. The Fulltone Orchestra has built a reputation for thrilling live shows, exceptional musicality, and a mission to make orchestral music accessible, exciting and relevant. Under the baton of conductor Anthony Brown, the orchestra’s trademark energy and musical flair promise an evening of truly “massive music” – iconic, cinematic, glorious.
Join me for an exclusive interview with Fulltone’s Orchestra Anthony ‘Tone’ Brown.
- Founder, Conductor and Musical Director.
Q: What does Fulltone stand for? The aims of finding the company, and your aims for bringing it to life?
A: Sure! Fulltone is the abbreviated version of our name. My name is Anthony, and a lot of people call me Tone, so that is sort of my nickname! So yeah, it was just a play of words and to make something that has a slight musical reference as well. Rather than being ‘The Anthony Orchestra’ or anything like that, it’s just a play on words, and it kind of sticks really! We started in 2017, and my background before that was musical theatre. We started off with 9 or 12 players doing a musical show, and one day I said, ‘I want to go a step further’ and have a full-blown symphony orchestra. And that is what we do now. We tend to average between 45 and 60 players. We make a really big sound, in the way that the music was originally written to be done.
Q: How do you think your background in musical theatre direction has helped you in the ways you show up as a conductor?
A: You notice it the most when you are dealing with singers. We’ve got strong roots in classical music and make sure we retain those links. But the concerts that I really, really love doing are either with a very big choir - 100 singers along with the orchestra, or it’s with somebody really special at the front. And that’s where that musical theatre background and the ability to create chemistry with your singer really count. Because you can understand what the singer wants and want to get the best out of the music, that all comes from performing on stage.
Q: What is the relationship like between the orchestra and all of these players, when there’s only one person on stage? Do they interact with them at all? Is it mostly you, or is there a unified energy towards the performer on stage?
A: That is something that a lot of people comment on when they come to see a Fulltone Concert… It is the energy in the room that we can generate and develop, which is something so special. It is not just about the conductor; it is not about the conductor having the biggest ego in the world and showing off what they can do. It’s also not about the singer being a world-famous superstar. It’s not about that, it’s about teamwork between the conductor, orchestra and singer(s). We work quite quickly and in a short space of time, but we work hard. As a result, we develop chemistry with each other, and it is electrifying! And again, that is something people notice; they know something is different, but they cannot explain why.
Q: Does your process in leading your orchestra change depending on what the sound is - if it is more classical, cinematic, theatrical? Or is there a standard process?
A: I would say there is a standard process; however, you’ve got to adapt. Additionally, we are an orchestra that doesn’t have a permanent home. For instance, we just finished a tour of 4 cathedrals around the country where we did Golden Age, Hollywood-type music (40s-70s). And since that is big, cinematic music that will sound different in different venues, especially in cathedrals. Each venue can be different, and it’s the same with concert halls. You have to adapt to your surroundings as well, and sometimes that is the geography of the orchestra and singers, where everybody is physically in the room, and that can make things subtly change. Working through that can be an interesting challenge on the day, but it all adds to the colour of the occasion.
Q: What is your favourite style of music to lead?
A: That is a really good question! I’ve got to be honest… I do love film music. The cinematic sound - especially when it’s done at scale - is something really special. There are a lot of concerts out and about there at the moment that strip it down to a small group of players. And I am not at all belittling the players -because they are excellent players- but cinematic music done on a small scale is not quite the same. Cinematic music on a cinematic scale is just phenomenal. And this is where Kerry is just going to add an extra super-duper layer on top, and it’s just going to be fabulous!
Q: There was a really beautiful phrase on your website that read ‘Massive Music’. What does that mean to you? What makes music massive in your opinion?
A: I think it connects to the previous question, when you are using the right format of players for the right kind of music, so that you are not short-changing the audience. But to take it to another level; If you go watch an orchestra perform, no matter what kind of music, you will be hit with a big wave of sound at some point. And that is exactly what we mean. You just feel it in your bones when you are listening to the music. And quite often, we are not amplified; it is not because of technology, but because it is pure sound coming at you. That gives you goosebumps. That makes you feel really excited.
Q: Have you ever thought of your music taking a virtual format, or is it something that you just have to experience live?
A: We are massive believers in live music. We try to go and support as many local groups as possible, and wherever we go, we say to our audiences, ‘Go Support Live Music’! Nothing beats live music. Go support the artists!
Q: In regards to the September show with Kerry, what are you looking most forward to? What can the audience expect?
A: Yeah, so a lot of Kerry’s fans will know that she is performing at the Wicked concert the night before! But what her fans can expect is something different to that too. And I know that Kerry is quite keen on doing songs that she doesn’t get to sing very often. Perhaps even some new material or some slightly older material as well. It’s a chance to hear her doing something with a big orchestra, which is not going to come around very often. And you know, Kerry is just massive from the West End, and you associate her with so much, but there is going to be an extra layer of songs in this concert that you won’t see her do very often. I think that’s definitely what is going to make it a ‘Come and see us!’ kind of moment. One Night Only!
