T R E E Concert

Fri 12^th May, 19:00

Birmingham Town Hall, B:Music

Tickets, Programme

Entry to BCMG NEXT TREE Concert & Composer Chat at 18:00 is included in this Ticket

 

The long-awaited T R E E Concert is finally here! Join us in exploring the connections between nature and humankind in an enchanting musical programme that includes the world premiere of Christian Mason’s new Sound Investment commission The Singing Tree, with text by Paul Griffiths, and the textural Concertini for ensemble by Helmut Lachenmann. Expect eco-friendly treats, insights from composers, and a dramatic performance from our amazing ensemble.

Join our composer chat with Christian Mason, and hear them give a new perspective to their work. Inclusive with your TREE Concert ticket. Unfortunately due to ill health, Helmut Lachenmann will not be joining us for the concert or composer chat. 

T R E E has grown from an idea into multiple activities and workshops for young musicians, extensive digital resources, artwork, real-life planted trees, and a lifelong connection with the amazing Birmingham Trees For Life, and there’s so much more we want to do. 

We believe this project is as much for us as it is for our planet, join us to celebrate what we often take for granted and spread the importance of preserving our green spaces, and planting new ones.

Read more about the T R E E project.

 

The Singing Tree by Christian Mason

The Singing Tree is an environmental cantata setting a remarkable new text by Paul Griffiths for five vocal soloists, a children's choir, and a large contemporary music ensemble of 25 players. Taking trees as an inspiration, the music reflects on the very different (extended) timescale that they represent - hundreds or thousands of years, compared to the mere decades that we humans can enjoy. This idea of longer time spans is manifested in the piece through recurrent quotations from the Machaut motet Puis qu'en oubli; music from another time, yet still with us. The piece also considers our ongoing exploitation of trees, despite our absolute dependence on them for oxygen, shade, balanced ecosystems, and also for the beauty and mystery that they bring to the world. Beautifully expressing our moral responsibility towards the natural world, the last words are: "they have done what they could for us, they have done more than they should for us, now what may we do for them".

    

Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart

Finchley Children's Music Group

Michael Wendeberg Conductor

  

Helmut Lachenmann b. 1935, Concertini (2005) 33’

Christian Mason b. 1984, The Singing Tree (2020, 30’) World Premiere

This commission was generously funded by Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, PRS Foundation, RVW Trust and The Radcliffe Trust.