Celebrating the composer Harrison Birtwistle at Dartington Festival.

Sarah Gabriel, Gillian Keith // sopranos
Tom Randle // tenor
Jernej Albreht // clarinets
Lydia Hillerudh // cello
Paul Archibald, Lucy Humphris // trumpets
Brett Baker // trombone
Joseph Havlat, Stephen de Pledge // piano
Gildas Quartet
Dartington Brass Ensemble

‘Birtwistle is a towering figure in British music.’ New York Times

Joanna MacGregor talks to Sir Harrison Birtwistle, introducing his short, spicy chamber pieces to celebrate his 85th birthday. The concert – performed by a supergroup of soloists – opens in the Courtyard, with a tattoo for two trumpets and side drums, and continues with songs, short piano pieces, brass ensembles, with two of Harry’s favourite composers, Stavinsky and Dunstable. 

Birtwistle – The Silk House Tattoo (in the Courtyard)
Birtwistle – The Message
Birtwistle – The Sadness of Komachi  
Stravinsky – Three Japanese Lyrics  
Birtwistle – Dance of the metro-gnome; Saraband: The King’s Farewell
Birtwistle – Three Settings of Lorine Naedecker
Stravinsky – Three Pieces for String Quartet
Dunstable – Hocquetus
Birtwistle – Hoquetus Irvineus
Birtwistle – 3 Settings of Celan
Birtwistle – Sonance 2000

Image from the score of Harrison’s Clocks