BBC to record Howard Skempton concert

Howard Skempton

Following the success of our 2005 premiere of Howard Skempton’s Ben Somewhen, BCMG presents an entire evening of work by this unique composer, with the added bonus of premieres of pieces by Skempton and by the 2004 winner of the Guardian/BBC Composer of the Year competition, Charlie Usher.

The evening will kick off with the premiere of Skempton’s new work, Only the Sound Remains, commissioned by Maurice and Sheila Millward. It is a large scale work for solo viola and chamber ensemble with the addition of a guitar.

Charlie Usher’s new work, Slow pan, will immediately follows. Slow pan was commissioned by BCMG under BCMG’s Sound Investment scheme. Still in his early twenties, Usher is discovering a rare space of his own, of taut calm and fizzing energy.

EXAUDI will join BCMG on stage later in the programme to perform some of Skempton’s choral works. Since its debut in 2002, Exaudi has emerged as one of Britain’s leading young contemporary music ensembles, and has established a much-praised discography on the British label NMC. The texts used by Skempton in this concert will range from twentieth century poet, John Drinkwater to much older texts as seen in Rise up, my Love from The Song of Solomon.

This concert promises to be a beautiful treat and we're delighted that it will be recorded by BBC Radio 3 for future broadcast on Hear & Now.

Click here for more concert details and to book tickets.