Summary

70 years ago, in May 1953, the UK was breathlessly awaiting news of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s attempt to scale Earth’s highest point and eagerly anticipating Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Britten Sinfonia reveals music written by British composers in 1953 which scaled dizzying artistic heights – perhaps their crowning achievements – and yet is rarely heard today.

TIppett’s wonderful fantasia transforms musical materials from the Corelli concerto grosso which precedes it, using the original theme as its points of departure and ultimate return. Elizabeth Maconchy’s Symphony is an underexposed masterpiece, influenced by Baroque counterpoint but compellingly written in a highly personal style. Walton’s finale goes back to music from the court of Elizabeth I, and in this coronation anniversary year, we also hear a substantial new piece by Joseph Phibbs.

The performance of Elizabeth Maconchy’s Symphony for Double String Orchestra is made possible with funding from the ABO Trust’s Sirens programme, a ten year initiative to support the performance and promotion of music by historical women composers.