Date/Time
17/03/2018 (19:30)

Location
Bedford Corn Exchange

Conductor: Michael Rose

With Bedford Sinfonia.

Soloists: Eve McGrath (Soprano) Chris Williams (Baritone)

Fauré – Requiem
Brahms – Academic Festival Overture
Brahms – Song of Destiny
Vaughan Williams – Toward the Unknown Region

This concert explored the different musical languages of three European countries. The majesty and grandeur of Brahms’ music is displayed in these two popular works. The Song of Destiny is considered one of Brahms’ best choral works, along with The German Requiem. In fact, Josef Sittard argues, “Had Brahms never written anything but this one work, it would alone have sufficed to rank him with the best masters.” In the Academic Festival Overture Brahms created a very boisterous potpourri of student drinking songs, so this work sparkles with some of the finest virtues of Brahms’ orchestral technique. Vaughan Williams frequently turned to the poetry of Walt Whitman for his libretti. This early work’s enduring success stems from its remarkable marriage of music and text and identified Vaughan Williams as a new and important voice in English music. Fauré’s ever-popular Requiem combines powerful musical statement with utmost delicacy of musical language. A concert of contrasts to appeal to all!