This all-English programme brings together two specialists in music from these shores to perform a pair of timeless classics and a concerto from a composer who’s worthy of rediscovery. By the time that John Ireland came to write his 1930 Piano Concerto he was 51, with a reputation for expertly-crafted orchestral miniatures. But his infatuation with his pupil and protégée Helen Perkin spurred him to his finest work, heard throughout this dynamic and, for its time, daringly modern masterpiece. There’s no better advocate of its considerable charms than leading British pianist Mark Bebbington, whose devotion to Ireland’s music has earned him consistent acclaim.
Bookending Ireland’s concerto are Edward Elgar’s affectionate and evocative portrait of Edwardian London, complete with romancing lovers and rousing brass bands, and Gustav Holst’s spectacular suite for large orchestra, The Planets. Taking his cue from astrology, Holst gives vivid life to seven planetary deities, from the brutal momentum of Mars, the Bringer of War to the ethereal atmosphere of Neptune, the Mystic, here featuring Nottinghamshire’s famous Cantamus Girls Choir.
Free pre-concert talk, 6.30pm in the auditorium: Bruce Phillips, Director of the John Ireland Charitable Trust, in Conversation with Mark Bebbington.
This concert is supported by the John Ireland Charitable Trust
Phone for tickets: | 0115 9895555 |
Phone lines open: | Monday to Saturday 9am to 8.30pm |
Royal Concert Hall
Theatre Square
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG1 5ND
England
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