A whisper of Japan, a luminous glimpse into India, and a delicate sound spun from the words of a symbolist poet — this ethereal concert grows from a trio of miniature masterpieces from the dawn of modernism, all premiered together in Paris in 1914.
In Ravel’s ‘Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé’, a delicate, ethereal song is woven from the mysterious words of the Symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé. Stravinsky’s ‘Three Japanese Lyrics’ is a musical haiku — a brushstroke of Japan, delicate and dreamlike, written just before The Rite of Spring. Delage’s ‘Quatre poèmes hindous’ (Four Hindu Poems) is one of the first Western classical works deeply inspired by Indian culture, filtered through a French, impressionistic lens. Together, these works form a shimmering tapestry, drawn together by our friend and long-term collaborator, Jack Sheen.
Manchester-born and based conductor and composer Jack Sheen is among the most exciting individuals in contemporary classical music. His work has taken him from the Royal Opera House to the Venice Biennale, and includes co-directing the ‘vastly ambitious and massively popular’ (The Daily Telegraph) London Contemporary Music Festival. Camerata has known Jack for many years, first commissioning him back in 2015 to write for us. We are delighted to be working with Jack again, showcasing his distinctive style and creative prowess.
Alongside Stravinsky, Delage & Ravel, Jack has chosen two other pieces for our concert, both receiving their UK premières. His own work, Hollow propranolol séance (II) stretches out panels of softly teeming sound, each one attempting to conjure – however fleetingly or ambiguously – some kind of presence out of the fragile whirring that we hear in our empty rooms. A heart-rate slowing hum. Isabella Gellis’s song I wish I could speak to you is inspired and written with text by the poet Dan Sociu, which heavily incorporates missing words. She puts his lyrics to music, giving voice to themes of longing and unspoken words.
Joining us for this concert is Soprano Eleonore Cockerham. She began performing internationally as a soloist from the age of 12, studying at the Royal Northern College of Music and going on to tour across the globe as a member of VOCES8. Based in Manchester, she regularly tours across the UK and the USA, and can be seen performing with our Artistic Partner, Kantos Chamber Choir. You may have heard her as a soprano soloist on the soundtrack to the feature film ‘The Last Duel’, and in season 4 of the Netflix series, ‘The Crown’.
Together, these works invite us to linger in moments of delicate beauty and cultural refraction — whispers and glimpses that transcend time and place.
Our Manchester performance is free, no ticket required. For more information on the venue, please click the links below.
Programme
- Maurice Delage Quatre poèmes hindous
- Jack Sheen Hollow propranolol séance
- Igor Stravinsky Three Japanese lyrics
- Isabella Gellis I wish I could speak to you
- Maurice Ravel 3 Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé
Performed by
- Jack Sheen Conductor
- Eleonore Cockerham Soprano
- Manchester Camerata
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