Â鶹Éç Proms 2007
Themes: Auden and Blake
Celebrating the anniversaries of W H Auden (born 1907) and William Blake (born 1757)
the Â鶹Éç Proms 2007 includes important musical works inspired by their words, in particular
those of Benjamin Britten.
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Highlights
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- Two Cadogan Hall concerts featuring settings of Auden and
Blake by Britten, from Polyphony (30 July, also including John
Tavener's much-loved Blake settings ‘The Lamb’ and 'The
Tyger') and the Nash Ensemble (1 September, also including
a rare screening of the Auden/Britten film Night Mail).
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- Parry's famous setting of Jerusalem on the Last Night.
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- Royal Albert Hall highlights for Auden include Britten's Our
Hunting Fathers from Lisa Milne and the Hallé (27 July),
Hymn to St Cecilia from the Â鶹Éç Singers (3 September) and
Bernstein's The Age of Anxiety Symphony from the Â鶹Éç
Symphony Orchestra (17 July)
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Benjamin Britten formed a close friendship with W H Auden
in the 1930s when they worked together on Night Mail, a
much celebrated five-minute documentary following the train
journey of the mail from London to Scotland. With verse by
Auden (who partly directed the film) and original music by
Britten, Night Mail is screened in a Proms Saturday Matinee
devoted to Britten, Auden and Blake with the Nash Ensemble
under Edward Gardner (1 September).
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The intense period of creative collaboration between poet
and composer also resulted in the song-cycle Our Hunting
Fathers to be performed by soprano Lisa Milne with the Hallé
and Mark Elder (27 July), and his most famous choral work,
Hymn to St Cecilia written as Auden’s great paean to Britten.
The Â鶹Éç Singers perform it in a Late Night Prom with their
new Chief Conductor David Hill (3 September).
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Leonard Bernstein was inspired by Auden’s Pulitzer prizewinning
poem The Age of Anxiety for his Symphony No. 2,
given by the Â鶹Éç SO under David Robertson with acclaimed
American pianist Orli Shaham making her Proms debut
(17 July).
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Britten was also fascinated by William Blake and his setting of
the Elegy ('The Sick Rose') is the powerful centrepiece of his
Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings to be given in the Nash
Ensemble Prom with Â鶹Éç Radio 3's New Generation Artist
Andrew Kennedy (tenor) and Richard Watkins (horn) on
1 September.
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Sir John Tavener has been inspired to write some of his most
unforgettable music by William Blake. His much-loved settings
of 'The Lamb' and 'The Tyger' are performed for the first time
at the Proms by Polyphony under Stephen Layton (30 July).
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Listings
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Tuesday 17 July, 7.00pm (Prom 5)
Bernstein: Symphony No. 2, 'The Age of Anxiety'
Orli Shaham (piano); Â鶹Éç Symphony Orchestra/David Robertson
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Friday 27 July, 7.30pm (Prom 19)
Britten: Our Hunting Fathers
Lisa Milne (soprano); Hallé/Mark Elder
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Monday 30 July, 1.00pm (PCM 3)
Britten: Chorale after an Old French Carol; Shepherd’s Carol;
Tavener:The Tyger;The Lamb
Polyphony/Stephen Layton
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Wednesday 29 August, 10.00pm (Prom 61)
Oliver Knussen: Requiem – Songs for Sue
Claire Booth (soprano); Birmingham Contemporary Music Group/
Oliver Knussen
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Saturday 1 September, 3.00pm (PSM 4)
Britten:The Way to the Sea; On This Island; Cabaret Songs
(arr. Daryl Runswick); Night Mail; Serenade for Tenor,
Horn and Strings
Samuel West (narrator); Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano);
Andrew Kennedy (tenor); Richard Watkins (horn);
Nash Ensemble/Edward Gardner
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Monday 3 September, 10.15pm (Prom 67)
Britten: Hymn to St Cecilia
Â鶹Éç Singers/David Hill
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Saturday 8 September, 7.30pm
(Prom 72 – Last Night Of The Proms)
Parry (orch. Elgar): Jerusalem
Â鶹Éç Symphony Chorus; Â鶹Éç Symphony Orchestra/
Jiřà Bĕlohlávek
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