at lunch fourbritten sinfonia academy members of britten sinfonia:alexandra reid violin/directorbridget carey violaandrew watson bassoonalex wide horntim gunnell percussion

bach ‘Fuga’ (Riccercata) from The Musical Offeringschumann Studies in Canonical Form arr. tom coult (world premiere tour)ravel Mother Goose Suite

norwich St Andrew’s HallThursday 12 July 2018 – 1pmPart of Young Norfolk Arts Festival

cambridge Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin UniversityFriday 13 July 2018 – 1pm

Would patrons please ensure that mobile phones, watch alarms, and any other electrical devices that may be audible are switched off.

No recording or photography is allowed in the auditorium.

johann sebastian bach (1685-1750)‘Fuga’ (Riccercata) from The Musical Offering(1747) arr. anton webern (1935)

Written during the final years of his life, TheMusical Offering is one of Bach's greatestachievements in thematic development and anhomage to fugal composition. Asked byFrederick the Great to improvise upon atheme at the keyboard, Bach produced twofugues, adding a set of strict canons and a triosonata on his return to Leipzig. The fugues,however, were given the antiquated title ofRicercar, a term that literally translates as 'tosearch out', referring to the exploration of asingle thematic device.

Like many of his twentieth-century contemporaries, Webern was fascinated bythe musical motives, patterns and symmetriesat the heart of Bach's music. And his transcriptions and arrangements of Bach'smusic became a central part of his growingoutput, reflecting the same interest in logicalprocedures as the twelve-tone works he developed with the other members of theSecond Viennese School.

Webern orchestrated the second of Bach'sRicercares during 1934-5, in the middle of hismost concentrated serial period. It presents anexercise in Klangfarbenmelodie (literally'sound-colour-melody'), a technique in whichWebern spreads the melodic and motivicmaterial across several instruments, creating ascattered or 'pointillist' effect. Although thearrangement may appear superficially disjunct,Webern declared that his intention was quitethe opposite: 'The theme throughout must notappear disintegrated. My orchestration tries…merely to reveal the motivic coherence'.Indeed, by fragmenting the theme and dispersing it via contrasting timbres, the fundamental motives of Bach's melody (thedescending semitone and rising third) becomemore aurally apparent. The result is soWebernesque that Bach's presence is sometimes difficult to detect.

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robert schumann (1810-1856)Studies in Canonic Form Op. 56 arr. tom coult (2018)

Schumann's Studies in Canonic Form Op. 56were written for the 'pedal' piano - an adaptation of a piano with bass notes playedby the feet, allowing players to practice theorgan domestically. These pieces show greatcontrapuntal skill and canonic technique, butthe severity of the title belies the character ofthe music - this is music of great wit, charm,beauty and elegance.

My arrangements, made for the talentedyoung players of the Britten SinfoniaAcademy, aim to match these qualitiesthrough orchestral colour - sometimes highlighting the canonic structure, sometimesdisguising it.

2018 © Tom Coult

Tom Coult’s arrangement of Schumann’sStudies in Canonic Form was commissionedby Britten Sinfonia for Britten SinfoniaAcademy with support from donors to theMusically Gifted campaign.

tom coult (b. 1988)

Tom Coult is a composer born in London in1988. His orchestral works include St John'sDance (written for the BBC SymphonyOrchestra for the First Night of the 2017BBC Proms), Sonnet Machine for the BBCPhilharmonic Orchestra, the orchestral songcycle Beautiful Caged Thing for Claire Boothand the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, andCodex (Homage to Serafini) for the BBCSymphony Orchestra.

Ensemble and chamber works have been commissioned or performed by LondonSinfonietta (including Spirit of the Staircase,nominated for a Sky Arts Award 2017),Britten Sinfonia, Arditti Quartet, Psappha,Fidelio Trio and soloists from thePhilharmonia. Upcoming plans include a newviolin concerto for Daniel Pioro and the BBCPhilharmonic, performances from the RadioFilharmonisch Orkest and Royal PhilharmonicOrchestra, and his first opera, with a text byplaywright Alice Birch.

I: Nicht zu schnellII: Mit Innigen AusdruckIII: AndantinoIV: Innig V: Nicht Zu SchnellVI: Adagio

maurice ravel (1875-1937) Mother Goose Suite (1910)

I. Pavane of Little Sleeping BeautyII. Little Tom ThumbIII. Empress of the PagodasIV. Beauty and the BeastV. The Fairy Garden

Despite the great success he came to enjoylater in life, Ravel was a reluctant young pupil,whose parents were even forced to bribe himto practice the piano. He soon progressed,however, and was enrolled into the ParisConservatoire in 1889 where he beganpreparatory piano lessons with EugèneAnthiôme and looked set to become one ofthe institution's young stars. At just 14 yearsold, he already had a number of youthful compositions to his name and he soon wonfirst prize in the piano competition of 1891,which saw him promoted to the piano class ofthe esteemed Charles-Wilfrid Bériot.Unfortunately, his success was short-lived:despite encouragement from his teacher, hefailed to win any further awards and was dismissed from the Conservatoire in 1895.Two years later, he returned to theConservatoire once more, this time to studycomposition with Gabriel Fauré and counterpoint with André Gédalge, and in theyears that followed he learned to combine hislove for the piano with his growing proficiencyas a composer. Many of his major works, particularly in his early years, would be composed for the piano, and later orchestrated for larger ensembles.

The Mother Goose Suite was one of theseworks, composed initially as a piano duet forchildren, before being orchestrated and laterturned into a ballet. The original duet waswritten for the two young children of Ravel'sfellow artist, Cyprian Godebski, and was basedupon a number of their favourite fairy tales -including the stories of Mother Goose.Unfortunately, the music proved too difficult

for the Godebski children to play and it had tobe performed by two young Conservatoirepupils at the Paris premiere, but it still provedsuch a popular work that it was transcribed forsolo piano in the same year as its publication.The original suite comprises five movements -Pavane of Little Sleeping Beauty, Little TomThumb, Empress of the Pagodas, Beauty andthe Beast, and The Fairy Garden - but Ravelalso added a Prelude, Spinning Wheel Danceand a number of small interludes when hepublished the work as a ballet. The music ischaracterised by its restrained emotion andsimple, uncluttered orchestral style, something quite unique in Ravel's output. Helater explained: 'The idea of evoking in thesepieces the poetry of childhood naturally ledme to simplify my style and to refine mymeans of expression.' As a result, the musichas an innocent, magical charm about it, awelcome contrast to the grandeur of his morelavish orchestral scores.

2018 © Jo Kirkbride

britten sinfonia

Britten Sinfonia is one of the world's most celebrated and pioneering ensembles. Theorchestra is acclaimed for its virtuoso musicianship, an inspired approach to concertprogramming which makes bold, intelligentconnections across 400 years of repertoire,and a versatility that is second to none. BrittenSinfonia breaks the mould by not having aprincipal conductor or director, instead choosing to collaborate with a range of thefinest international guest artists from acrossthe musical spectrum, resulting in performances of rare insight and energy.

Britten Sinfonia is an Associate Ensemble atthe Barbican in London, and has residenciesacross the east of England in Norwich andCambridge (where it is the University's orchestra-in-association). In Autumn 2016the orchestra becomes Saffron Hall’s firstResident Orchestra. The ensemble also performs a chamber music series at WigmoreHall and appears regularly at major UK festivals and the BBC Proms. Its growinginternational profile includes regular touring toMexico, South and North America andEurope.

Founded in 1992, the orchestra is inspired bythe ethos of Benjamin Britten through world-class performances, illuminating and distinctive programmes where old meets new,and a commitment to bringing outstandingmusic to both the world's finest concert hallsand the local community. Britten Sinfonia is aBBC Radio 3 broadcast partner and regularlyrecords for Harmonia Mundi and Hyperion.

www.brittensinfonia.com

britten sinfonia academy

Britten Sinfonia Academy (BSA) is an exciting and dynamic chamber orchestraltraining opportunity for talented secondaryschool aged musicians from the east ofEngland. Mirroring the daring programmingand artistic excellence of Britten Sinfonia,BSA nurtures and challenges members developing the breadth and depth of theirmusicality and abilities as cultural leaders.

Each season, BSA embarks on a series ofintensive courses exploring the elements forwhich Britten Sinfonia is renowned. Coursesencompass repertoire spanning several centuries, chamber music, playing without aconductor, working on new commissions, presenting performances to new audiencesand the chance to perform in some of theUK's most exciting venues (including London'sBarbican Centre, Saffron Hall, West Road inCambridge and St Andrew’s Hall in Norwich).Throughout the year members are coached byand play alongside Britten Sinfonia's professional players and have the opportunityto work with some of the world's great artists.

The orchestra has had a busy and varied year,working alongside a host of major artists. Theycollaborated with alumni singers from TheSixteen's young artist scheme 'GenesisSixteen' and bass soloist Ben Davies in a sea-sonal Christmas foyer concert at theBarbican, partnered with music technologystudents from Anglia Ruskin University toexplore the use of live electronics and soundpainting, premiered four pieces by theAcademy Composer Hub at the FitzwilliamMuseum in Cambridge, and worked with composer Tom Coult on his new work commissioned specially for the Academy.They finish the year with two special events; aperformance in the BBC Music & Film Arenaat Latitude Festival and a guest appearance ata gala fundraising dinner at Grosvenor Housein honour of Nelson Mandela.

violin iHenrietta McFarlane

aged 18 / CambsSiân Ellis

aged 17 / CambsFrancesca Girdlestone

aged 18 / NorfolkPau Solé Vilaro

aged 17 / Cambs

violin iiEmma Robinson

aged 17 / CambsKatja Ruda

aged 16 / NorfolkJessica Hendry

aged 13 / NorfolkSarah Perry

aged 14 / Cambs

violaKilian Meissner

aged 16 / CambsEmily Clark

aged 15 / HertsCatriona Stewart

aged 14 / Herts

celloTarek Eldin

aged 17 / BedsButterfly Paterson

aged 14 / CambsMatthew Hilton

aged 18 / Essex

double bassJames Kiln

aged 18 / BucksDaniel Stein

aged 15 / Cambs

fluteLydia Cochrane

aged 16 / CambsViviane Ghiglino

aged 14 / Essex

oboeMilly Hubbard

aged 15 / RutlandMaddy Wood

aged 20 / CambsTheo Letts

aged 17 / Cambs

clarinetOliver Pigram

aged 17 / EssexAmy Clark

aged 17 / NorthumberlundMorgan Overton

aged 18 / Rutland

bassoonJack Dalgleish

aged 16 / Cambs

trumpetMejedi Owusu

aged 13 / SuffolkJasper Eaglesfield

aged 15 / Herts

percusssionGus Wallett

aged 17 / Northants

harpNadia Mason

aged 17 / Suffolk

bsa composersMorgan Overton

aged 18 / RutlandJasper Eaglesfield

aged 16 / HertsAlexia Sloane

aged 18 / CambsBen Pease Barton

aged 18 / Norfolk

Britten Sinfonia Principal Funder

Britten Sinfonia Commissioning Partner

Britten Sinfonia Partners

Barbara Whatmore Charitable TrustSimon Gibson Charitable TrustThe Leche TrustThe Michael Tippett Musical FoundationThriplow Charitable TrustKirby Laing Foundation