The Sprig of Thyme

Sunday 15 June 2014

The Sprig of Thyme

15 June, 2014 - 19:30 Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

Our summer concert links two English composers who were both born in London but spent much of their working lives in America. Moreover, they became friends and colleagues, and one of the pieces that we will perform is dedicated one to the other.

John Rutter needs little introduction to those familiar with choral music, and we will perform movements from his cycle of folk song settings “The sprig of thyme”. Complementing this will be other settings of folk-songs from contemporaries of Rutter.

The second half of the concert will be a tribute to the great jazz musician and composer George Shearing. We will perform his Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare, which echo the pastoral themes of the folksongs heard earlier in the concert and which reflect Shearing’s English musical background and American jazz influence. As a further link between the two halves of the programme it is worth noting that these Songs and Sonnets were conducted by Rutter with the composer at the piano at their first performance in 1999. Finally we end with Rutter’s own tribute to Shearing with one of his Birthday madrigals dedicated to the older man. Steven Grahl will be at the piano.

Do join us at the Jacqueline du Pre building for this concert of light summer fare.

Directed by: James Brown