Over the past few years the City of London Festival has been exploring fascinating cultural connections between London’s ‘Square Mile’ and exotic, far-flung regions of the world. This year the festival delves into the cultural heart of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Faber Music’s Australian contingent, Peter Sculthorpe, Carl Vine, Matthew Hindson and Anne Boyd, all feature prominently, with Sculthorpe, one of Australia’s most important and prolific composers, appearing more than any other composer in the festival programme.
The festival will showcase many of Sculthorpe’s key works including a wide selection of his chamber music and the London première of his Requiem – a performance that Richard Morrison (Times, 31 Dec 10) flagged up as one of the artistic highlights of 2011. This unique and moving work will be heard on 4th July, featuring Australia’s foremost didjeridu player, William Barton, alongside the Choir of Southwark Cathedral. Other Sculthorpe performances include:
Sculthorpe - Nourlangie
Mon 27th June 7.30pm, English Chamber Orchestra
Sculthorpe – Requiem for Cello Alone
Tues 28th June 6.00pm, Nicholas Altstaedt (cello)
Sculthorpe – lecture in Birdsong and Music
Fri 1st July 6pm
Sculthorpe – Requiem (London première of revised version)
Mon 4th July 8pm, Choir of Southwark Cathedral
Sculthorpe – Postcard from Nourlangie
Tues 5th July 7.30pm, Schubert Ensemble
Sculthorpe – Earth Cry
Wed 6th July 7.30pm, Goldner String Quartet
Sculthorpe – String Quartet No.18
Fri 8th July 7.30pm, Goldner String Quartet
Sculthorpe –Djilile, Small Town, Shining Island (European Première), Second Sonata for Strings
Sat 9th July 7.30pm, Ruthless Jabiru Chamber Orchestra
Sculthorpe – From Saibai, Talitnama Song
Tues 12th July 6.00pm, Alexandra Soumm (violin) & Adam Laloum (piano)
For full details please see the City of London Festival website.