CONCERT AT THE BARBICAN
Venue: Barbican Hall, London (UK)
Date: 9 May 2008
Length: approx 2 hours, including one interval
With the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus conducted by Sir Andrew DAVIS
Guest soloist: Philip QUAST
At the Barbican's Fountain Room (free for ticket-holders):
- Pre-concert talk with composer Dominic Muldowney
- Post-concert event with member of the BBC Symphony Chorus
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| EVENT DETAILS
| Ralph Vaughan Williams: Toward the Unknown Region (1906) for Chorus & Orchestra - Read more. |
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 6 in E minor (1943-44) for full Orchestra
Allegro - Moderato - Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Epilogue: Moderato |
Dominic Muldowney: Tsunami (Elgar Bursary World premiere) for actor & Orchestra
(Performed by Philip Quast ) [26 mins]
1. Was that your idea of love
2. The Alibi
3. The New City
4. Tsunami Listen to a short excerpt (Source: BBC Radio)
5. How can the heart live? |
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A Royal Philharmonic Society commission, 'Tsunami' consists of 5 poems by British poet James Fenton.
Dominic Muldowney and James Fenton have already worked together in 'In Paris with You' (1998) and in 'The Fall of Jerusalem' (2000), an oratorio commissioned for the Millennium.
Synopsis (freely adapted from the programme note):
A man moves to a foreign city after the breaking-up of his marriage and is confronted with the need to make an entirely new start in life. He wanders around the city, pondering about his wife's alleged infidelity. Back to his dull furnished flat, he turns on the television and sees the footage of the Tsunami of December 2004. Time passes and he slowly becomes reconciled to his condition.
Listen to a short interview with composer Dominic Muldowney about 'Tsunami' (Source: BBC Radio)
Please download Flash Player
NB: The text of J. Fenton's poems is © Salamander Press |
| Charles Ives: General William Booth Enters Into Heaven (1914) for Chorus & Orchestra |
Gustav Holst: Hymn of Jesus Op. 37 (1917) for Chorus, semi-chorus & Orchestra
Text chosen and translated by G. Holst from the Apocryphal Acts of St John |
The Elgar Bursary is awarded biennially and offers financial support to composers over 29 years of age to allow for the creation of a new work. Read more.
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Read more about the composers:
- Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
- Dominic Muldowney (1952)
- Charles Ives(1874-1954)
- Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Poet James FENTON, Philip QUAST & composer Dominic MULDOWNEY are cheered by the audience and the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Choir after a perfect rendition of the 'Tsunami' World Premiere.
Click on the photo to view a larger version
(Many thanks to Ingvild for the great shot!) |



['Tsunami' is] a bit like a marriage between a serious song cycle and a scene with music in a play.

Dominic Muldowney, composer |

[Muldowney] wanted to write a song sequence for the powerful theatrical voice of the Australian Philip Quast, to bring a distinguished performer from the musical theatre into the concert hall, and to give this kind of voice the chance to be heard with a symphony orchestra.

James Fenton, poet |

The piece is quite beautiful, the poetry and the music have some very passionate moments, but also some very sardonic moments...

Sir Andrew Davis, conductor |
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Last modified: 15-Jun-2010