On 16 October the BBC Philharmonic, directed from the violin by Zoë Beyers, perform Tom Coult’s Black Shuck Lament, with Guy Cutting as tenor soloist.
The 10-minute work for tenor and strings was commissioned by Britten Pears Arts for Allan Clayton and Dunedin Consort; its title refers to a demonic black dog of Suffolk legend, whose claw marks are said to be visible on the door of the church at Blythburgh, where the premiere took place at the 2025 Aldeburgh Festival.
A dark and desolate work, it intercuts several sources for its text, presented as if in a collage, comprising the Book of Lamentations and extracts from various accounts of the fearsome dog, who has been reportedly terrifying locals since the 12th century. There is “clock-like ticking in plucked strings for large portions of the piece”, Coult writes, “though it is a tired clock that keeps winding down, before regaining its tempo.”
A total triumph: riveting writing, gripping performance, especially when Clayton took over the plucked string ticking of the start.
The Arts Desk (David Nice) 26 June 2025
Black Shuck Lament was the first of two works Allen Clayton premiered in 2025. Monologues for the Curious debuted at that year’s BBC Proms and concluded Coult’s tenure as Composer-in-Association with the BBC Philharmonic. His residency with the orchestra was reflected in the debut portrait album Pieces That Disappear, released by NMC in 2024.
On 28 November La Nuova Musica and David Bates premiere another work by Coult for historically informed forces. Tender Cantata is a 13-minute work for baroque chamber ensemble commissioned by Wigmore Hall. It sees Coult treat the American Civil War ballad melody Aura Lee – made famous by Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender - as if it were a Lutheran hymn, harmonised, extemporised, and decorated in a myriad of ways.