In the second Aldeburgh Festival week, BBC Radio 3 appeared. I marvelled, as ever, at how many concerts and interviews they captured, so effortlessly, as it always seems to the innocent onlooker. I was of course delighted to have a fair bit of my own work included in these broadcasts, just for now reachable on BBC Sounds:
Steven Osborne playing Fragile, Michael's Strathspey and Chorale, for Steve as the upbeats to his recital of two mighty late Schubert Sonatas. (Steven also plays the Chorale on Benjamin Britten's own piano, on the Aldeburgh edition of Saturday Morning with Tom Service; at roughly 1h 11m of this 3-hour programme.)
Ryan Wigglesworth's performance of Forest with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Singers and Castalian String Quartet, conducted by Sofi Jeannin, performing my oratorio (to words by Alan Spence) blue hills beyond blue hills. Prefaced by Haydn's Sunrise Quartet and Messiaen's Cinq Rechants. Who else but this great BBC ensemble could ever do this? And which other festivals, outside the BBC Proms, would let them do this, in a major evening concert slot ?
[PICTURED - Sizewell, Aldeburgh's local nuclear power station.]
