Proms Chamber Music 5 - 12.08.13: Holst & Birtwistle

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

1.00pm – c. 2.00pm
Cadogan Hall

Holst
Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda – Group 3 (14 mins)
Holst
Hallo, my fancy, whither wilt thou go? (7 mins)
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
The Moth Requiem (20 mins)
BBC co-commission with the Danish National Vocal Ensemble: UK premiere

interspersed with a selection of motets from The Eton Choirbook (15th century)

BBC Singers
Nash Ensemble
Nicholas Kok conductor

Nicholas Kok conducts the UK premiere of a recent work by Sir Harrison Birtwistle - an elegy to twelve extinct species of lepidoptera, commemorated through their Latin names which are set for women's voices and ensemble of three harps and alto flute.
Also in the programme, Gustav Holst's ravishing set of Sanskrit words - for which he made his own translations from the ancient texts - and one of the handful of compositions left behind by his daughter, Imogen. Completing the mix, two motets from that treasury of early Tudor sacred music compiled as the Eton Choirbook - an extraordinary part of the English musical history from a period whose music was a source of fascination to all three of the other composers in this afternoon's concert.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A fascinating programme, though I do have reservations about the BBC Singers.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A fascinating programme, though I do have reservations about the BBC Singers.

Quite a few people share these "reservations", Alpie (I don't know why - my only reservations are that I book in advance) - but this repertoire is surely their "home territory"?

[bluestateprommer]

Quite a few people share these "reservations", Alpie (I don't know why - my only reservations are that I book in advance) - but this repertoire is surely their "home territory"?

While I admit that I'm not familiar enough with the BBC Singers to have any reservations or know what reservations others might have, no such concerns were needed here, as this was another very fine PCM, with strong work from the BBC Singers throughout. It was nice to have Holst father and daughter juxtaposed this way, even if generally his works come off stronger than hers. While I don't qualify as a Harrison Birtwistle "fan" by any stretch of the imagination, and I don't claim to have "gotten" The Moth Requiem after giving it two listens, the BBC Singers and the members of the Nash Ensemble did the work proud, IMHO. It was also droll to have Sir Harrison Birtwistle play with Petroc's brain a bit during the pre-performance banter, although Petroc was a good enough sport to let Sir H. do so. But points to Petroc for a quick response to Sir Harrison's rather dark comment about so many of his friends dying recently, and that he himself would be going soon too, whereas Petroc said, more or less, "we hope not for a good while yet".