Pace
Pace is a Birmingham and London based new music collective specialising in direct contact and communication with their audiences. Combining highly virtuosic singing and intuitive ensemble playing with bursts of playfulness and irreverence, their programmes appeal to a broad spectrum of people.
As well as new music written especially for them, you may catch Pace performing their own arrangements and interpretations of music by old composers such as Hildegard of Bingen and Henry Purcell.
Pace is a flexible group working mainly with compositions for voice, with programmes available for voice and cello duo as well as voice, cello and sax trio. Performers Suzie Purkis, Flora McNicoll and Chris Bowden all have strong ties to people and work in Birmingham and London. Get in touch using the contact page for booking information.
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Suzie Purkis is a mezzo soprano based in London. She made her debut as an emerging artist at Longborough Festival Opera in 2023 performing the roles of Puck, Snug and Egeus in Polly Graham’s new production of Purcell’s Fairy Queen. Other operatic roles recently performed include Carmen for Heritage Opera and Natasza in the premiere of Michael Betteridge’s opera Across the Sky at Cheltenham Festival.
With a special interest in new music, Suzie has performed works by many twentieth century and contemporary composers. Performances have involved singing in a cage in a zoo (on German television), performing in an ice rink during public skating hours and an opera in a swimming pool.
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Chris Bowden released the album “Time Capsule“ on Soul Jazz Records in the 1990s and “Slightly Askew” on Ninja Tune in the early 2000s. He has worked with Jules Buckley of the Metropole Orkest, Simon Philips, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, was a member of The Herbaliser band and collaborated extensively with 4 Hero. In the last few years he has released two albums, “Unlikely Being” and “The Hypnos Files”. He has made numerous recordings including records with Jelissa Anderson, Jessica Lauren, The Heritage Orchestra, Moses Molelekwa, K Creative and Palm Skin Productions. “One of British jazz’s most uncompromising musicians” - London Jazz News. “His sound is scorching, funky and determined“ - The Guardian
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Born in London, Flora began her musical training at the Royal Academy of Music junior department in 2011 with Alexandra Mackenzie. She went on to study as an undergraduate with Matthew Sharp and as a postgraduate with Eduardo Vassallo, and was awarded 1st Prize in the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Strings Competition in 2021.
During her studies she earnt a place on both the CBSO and Birmingham Royal Ballet side-by-side schemes. Since graduating, Flora now freelances with orchestras across the country and is currently playing Wagner's Ring Cycle with Longborough Festival Opera.
Alongside her orchestral work, Flora performs regularly with smaller ensembles such as Piccadilly Sinfonietta and Pace, and enjoys collaborations with groups including 2Faced dance and Eurythmy WM. As a soloist, her cello playing has taken her from recitals to competitions, and from television commercials to movie trailers with Warner Records.
Flora's two guineapigs are thankfully fans of the cello and either like to sing along or fall asleep when she plays.
