Ashley Frampton

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The Orchestra

Ashley Frampton

Double Bass

Adopted by anonymous patron and Mr D & Dr A Davidson Lund

Born in Cardiff, Ashley Frampton made a musical debut on stage at the age of 5 as a page boy in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe, a love of the Savoy operas has followed him around for a further 60 years.

After failing on the French horn, Trumpet and as a singer Ashley took up the Double bass after finding one for £30 in a deserted piano shop and fell for it at once.

Attending the University of Liverpool to read music and English, (choosing Liverpool as they had a quality Gilbert & Sullivan society) he studied at the Royal College of Music and the National Centre for Orchestral studies) then followed a busy freelance career in film, TV, Opera and Orchestral music highlights including playing on the films Dances with Wolves and Total recall. Then followed three years fulfilling a musical ambition by joining the D’Oyly Carte Opera company touring the UK and USA with the Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire.

Ashley joined the RLPO in 1990 where he has been Assistant Principal for most of this time, still wondering how the hall he entered as a student for the first time in 1980 has become a workplace and second home. He loves his double basses and is the resident section “bass nerd” interested in all aspects of the instrument and enjoys helping anyone with their “Bass desires” - he owns five fine basses and as many bows. He enjoys teaching and has pupils in major orchestras throughout the UK.

Highlights of his 30+ years in the RLPO include singing as role on stage in Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, a wonderful performance of My Fair Lady conducted by John Wilson, working with Jon Lord, Neil Innes, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Sir Simon Rattle and becoming an honorary life member of the RLPS in 2015. A further highlight for him includes the three double bass quartet concerts with his colleagues.

In 2010 is formed Fourbass Music, a publishing business devoted to fun and educational music for the double bass specializing in double bass quartets of film and stage music including Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, Chicago and West Side Story.

Fun Fact:

Ashley enjoys Cricket, (23 years as captain of the cricket team sadly no defunct) and still plays for his local beloved Burton Cricket Club, qualifying as a Cheshire league umpire in 2022, Football, (Goalkeeper) singing G & S badly and of course arranging bass quartets. His main claim to fame was living in the same house as the actor Hugh Grant for a month in 1985.

What is your earliest musical memory?

Taking part in a performance of Iolanthe by Gilbert & Sullivan at the Llandaff Technical college in Cardiff, my father was the Lord Chancellor and I was his page boy age 4 (I still have the pictures). I have loved Gilbert and Sullivan ever since and even spent three wonderful years in the D'Oyly Carte Opera company.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?

A TV weatherman, I loved all aspects of geography as a student and to be in front of a map telling people their barbecues are off or the cricket is cancelled due to heavy rain would be my idea of a job well done.

What’s on your CD/MP3/Spotify playlist right now?

I have so many that I have to list:

1. The Mikado, the immortal 1972 recording with the D'Oyly Carte2. Puccini - Messa di Gloria
3. Messiaen - St Francis of Assisi
4. Richard Strauss - Metamorphosen/Four last songs
5. Elvis Costello - 'My aim is true'
6. Philip Glass - 'Akhnaten'
7. Mike Oldfield - 'Ommadawn'

What is your favourite Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra recording?

Very hard to choose, I like nearly all the ones we have done but three stick in the mind:

1. Pesek/Ein - Heldenleben
2. Altricher - Church Windows - Dances of Galanta
3. Sullivan - Irish Symphony - Pineapple Poll

What is your most memorable moment with the Orchestra so far?

Standing up to sing a solo in the come and sing HMS Pinafore (For he is an Englishman). Having to play the solo in Lieutenant Kijé at 10 minutes notice (served me right for not reading the schedule). Also playing Also Sprach Zarathustra at the Musikverein in Vienna.

Outside of music what are your passions and interests?

Play cricket, more cricket, a bit of football, squash and arrange bass quartets. But nothing beats the smell of grass and the sound of leather on willow!