WHAT THE CRITICS SAID ABOUT US IN 2023

A round-up some of the reviews we received this year. 

“Delius does something astonishing in the final scene when Hassan, broken and disillusioned, joins pilgrims on “the golden road to Samarkand” and the music slowly leaves the chromatic anguish of this world behind and moves towards a timeless simplicity that almost pre-empts minimalism. It’s extraordinarily affecting: the players and Britten Sinfonia Voices sounded particularly beautiful here.

A very different east-west encounter came before the interval when the orchestra were joined by the Egyptian-Australian oud virtuoso and composer Joseph Tawadros for three of his own works, including the world premiere of his concerto Three Stages of Hindsight. This is a terrific piece that plays fast and loose with harmonic convention as western keys morph back and forth into Arabic modes over three classically structured albeit interlinked movements. An immensely enjoyable concert from one of our most innovative and vital ensembles.”

“Delius’s music deserves rescuing and the Britten Sinfonia’s performance, conducted by Jamie Phillips, showed how imaginatively it uses its modest resources. An orchestra of less than 30, together with chorus, creates a lightly suggestive Middle Eastern atmosphere, rising to a visionary pilgrim’s procession at the end as Hassan sets off on the golden road to Samarkand. Given the subject matter, it was a neat idea to precede Hassan with half an hour of music played on the oud by Egyptian-Australian Joseph Tawadros.”

“Works by Tippett, Walton and Maconchy underlined the UK’s fertile musical life at the time of the last Coronation, while a new Joseph Phibbs piece was worthy company. […] Michael Tippett’s Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli, preceded here by the Corelli concerto grosso from which its themes were sourced, and with Gould, violinist Miranda Dale and cellist Caroline Dearnley as the concertino group in both, sounded as radiantly ecstatic as one remembered. Conducted by Agata Zając, Elizabeth Maconchy’s Symphony for double string orchestra made a wonderful contrast. Driven by fierce Bartókian motor rhythms in the first movement and the playful scherzo while uncovering deeper, darker currents in the slow movement and final passacaglia, its almost total neglect is hard to explain.”

“some of the finest ensemble playing heard in a long time […] In the blistering heat of a sold-out Royal Albert Hall, Thomas Gould and the Britten Sinfonia would need something special to make the temperature worth tolerating. They certainly didn’t disappoint. […] Gould was almost rotating on the spot as soloist and conductor, and communication between him and the mostly standing players was palpable throughout, their gently swaying movements transmitting their enjoyment and commitment. Once again, the criminally underfunded Britten Sinfonia demonstrated inventiveness and frankly stunning performance commitment, giving other orchestral outfits much to envy.”

“A terrific concert […] The tragedy of Afghanistan, and particularly of Afghan women, suppressed yet again by the Taliban, has been pushed into the background by more recent horrors around the world. Richard Blackford’s powerful song-cycle stuns the listener into remembering those victims afresh. It was superbly performed by the Britten Sinfonia and Elizabeth Watts, who not only sang the solo part with flawless musicality and extraordinary passion, but somehow also managed to conduct the players as well.”

“This season opening Sinfonia visit to London with the soprano Elizabeth Watts clicked from start to finish […] There is love and beauty in Nadia Anjuman’s writing, along with fear and defiance. Blackford’s settings employ a rich and varied palette which captures the fragility, the sudden outpourings and, in spite of all, the indomitability. Watts sang with a commitment that was almost overwhelming, as well as conducting.”