| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 17-Jan-2013 Birmingham Symphony Hall | Springtime and the sea with Edward Gardner and the CBSO |
 The sea has been the inspiration for many concert works; Debussy’s La mer springs to mind immediately as perhaps the most popular, but in England during the first half of the 20th century nautical themes sustained an important presence. Amongst Delius’ Sea Drift, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony and Britten’s Four Sea Interludes sits Frank Bridge’s short and splendid suite The Sea.
Read full review... | |
| 30-May-2012 Coventry Cathedral | A golden War Requiem at Coventry Cathedral from the CBSO |
 Tonight’s was an historic performance, so first, a few dates. On 14th November 1940, Luftwaffe bombing raids destroyed much of the medieval centre of Coventry, including most of its cathedral. On 30th May 1962, Benjamin Britten’s specially-commissioned War Requiem was premièred by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Sir Basil Spence’s newly consecrated cathedral. This building was ultra-modern for its time and built adjacent and in stark contrast to the ruins in a spirit of reconciliation.Read full review... | |
| 17-Jul-2011 Royal Albert Hall | Havergal Brian's monumental Gothic Symphony |
 A work scheduled to last nearly two hours could be excused for starting with a long slow build up, but Havergal Brian’s massive Gothic Symphony (the longest symphony ever composed) bursts onto the scene with a brisk and bustling march-like flourish, contrasted briefly with a delicate violin solo that reminds us that this is very much an English composition. The rest of the first movement is musically intense as the tension is tightened in a series of harmonically complex climaxes, aided for the last few bars by the massive sound of the organ.Read full review... | |
