On This Island

New Paths Collective: Britten, MacMillan and more
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Tuesday
08 September
18:00—19:10

Harriet Burns (soprano)

Leo Popplewell (cello)

Libby Burgess (piano)

For the last ten years, exceptional musicians from around the world have been gathering twice a year in the beautiful Yorkshire market town of Beverley for the New Paths Music Festival. To mark its first decade, the pioneering festival is taking the show on the road, starting with a series of rush-hour concerts in London which pair song cycles by Britten (who died 50 years ago this year) with major instrumental sonatas.

 

Meeting W. H. Auden in the summer of 1935 was a pivotal moment in the life of Britten, sparking a highly productive partnership and significant friendship. On This Island was the 23-year-old composer’s first published group of songs with piano. Setting five poems by Auden, the cycle includes the song Nocturne, a poignant early example of Britten’s preoccupation with the night.

 

Sir James MacMillan’s haunting Cello Sonata No.1 is the centrepiece of a shimmering programme which encompasses works by English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh composers, plus a gem by André Previn.

Programme

Benjamin Britten: On This Island
I. Let the florid music praise!
II. Now the leaves are falling fast
III. Seascape
IV. Nocturne
V. As it is, plenty
James MacMillan: Cello Sonata No. 1
I. Face
II. Image
André Previn: Vocalise
Cheryl Frances-Hoad: Lament
Rebecca Clarke: God made a tree
Ernest Moeran: Prelude for Cello & Piano
Dilys Elwyn-Edwards: Cloths of Heaven
Muriel Herbert: Renouncement

Please note: This event is organised by an independent third party. Bechstein Hall is not responsible or liable for any ticket price changes, programme alterations, or artist substitutions.


Join us for a drink! The bar is open before and after the performance.
Serving until 22:00.

 

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