James Horner & Cristiada

In May 2011 Clara was in Abbey Road Studios recording with oscar-winning composer James Horner (Titanic, Avatar) the soundtrack of a movie called Cristiada, about the Cristeros War of 1920′s Mexico. The stellar cast includes Peter O’Toole, Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, Ruben Blades and its worlwide release date is expected to be April 2012.

“Abbey Road is a special place, almost sacred in the broadest sense of the term, a cathedral of recorded sound, and James Horner a very gifted, generous and inspiring man, so you can imagine what a pleasure it was for me to be part of this incredible film.”

CRISTIADA WEBSITE

CRISTIADA FACEBOOK

The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments

The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments was formed in 2010 to present concerts and to provide a forum for all who are interested in strange and ancient instruments. Its members, leaders in the fields of traditional and early music, bring to The Society many years of experience and share a delight and fascination with the possibilities presented by their unusual instruments. Our repertoire includes medieval, renaissance, baroque and traditional music with which we aim is to enthrall our audience with the unexpected sounds and sights of our strange and ancient instruments.

THE SOCIETY’S WEBSITE

Duetting with Rosemary Standley (Moriarty)

Rosemary fronts the fabulous French band Moriarty. It had been in the cards for quite a while to collaborate, and it finally happened in February 2011. Clara wrote a duet called “The Owls” based on a poem by Charles Baudelaire, in English and French, which they recorded at the Premises studios in Hackney. It became track no.3 of The Emblem.

LISTEN TO THE OWLS

MORIARTY WEBSITE

Harvey Brough’s Requiem in Blue

Harvey and Clara have been close collaborators for over a decade. Harvey wrote a movement for Clara to sing in his masterpiece Requiem in Blue. The piece was recorded in 2009 and has been performed over 40 times, each time involving over 100 performers of all ages and including stellar musicians such as Liane Carroll, Natacha Atlas, Gerard Presencer, Mike Outram, Clare College Cambridge.

HARVEY’S WEBSITE

BUY REQUIEM IN BLUE

Duetting with Natacha Atlas

In 2008 and 2009 Clara Sanabras collaborated with Egyptian sensation Natacha Atlas. One of Clara’s songs, the duet “La Vida Callada” with words by Frida Kahlo, was included in Atlas’ highly acclaimed album “Ana Hina” (World Village). The album was produced by Harvey Brough and featured the Mazeeka Ensemble. The following year, Natacha & Clara sang together again, another duet “Perilous Divide” this time for Clara’s album “Hopetown House”.

LISTEN TO LA VIDA CALLADA

LISTEN/ BUY PERILOUS DIVIDE

“Black is the Colour” is a smart counterpoint to the Mediterranean feel of the rest of the album, but the standout moment is La Vida Callada, a dramatic duet with the Spaniard Clara Sanabras, based on a Frida Kahlo poem. All in all, rather wonderful”.

David Hutcheon, THE TIMES (2008)

“Natacha clearly enjoyed working with a new team of musicians, and most notable amongst these is the singer and guitarist, Clara Sanabras. A darling of the early music fraternity, her contributions are utterly enchanting and the duet on ‘La Vida Callada’ is pure delight. Just as Natacha Atlas’ future looked a little uncertain, she presents us with something alluring, intriguing and extremely witty”.

Bill Badley,  SONGLINES (2008)

The Merchant of Venice Soundtrack

In 2004, Clara collaborated with composer Jocelyn Pook (Eyes Wide Shut) on the soundtrack of the Hollywood movie “The Merchant of Venice”, a screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play featuring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes. One of Clara’s songs was used for the brothel scene – there she makes a brief appearance on screen. She can also be heard playing various instruments on several other tracks.

The New Irish Girl

In 2000, Clara collaborated with lutenist William Carter (Palladian Ensemble) producing an album of folksongs from the British Isles which received great international acclaim. Also featuring Pamela Thorby, Susanne Heinrich, Harvey Brough and Jacquie Dankworth, the album was launched at Wigmore Hall.